Daniel’s Microcosm

Tuesday, Oct 7th - 7:04am

Sunday, May 11th, 2008 ~ 10:00 pm

Soup Restaurant ~ The Samsui Ginger Chicken is good enough a reason for me to return again and again. This place just got included in my Perennial Favourites list. Tip: The set meal for 2 is probably enough for 3.

SOFRA Turkish Cafe & Restaurant (Shaw Tower) ~ For Turkish food you’ve just got to try this place. I recommend the SOFRA Yaprak Tavuk (Chicken meat stuffed with veggies & mushroom), the Chef Plate (Combination plate of Doner kebap, Izgara Kofte & Shish kebap), and the Pide (Turkish pizza). Service is rather spotty though so don’t expect too much in that aspect.

Japanese Dining Sun (Chijmes) ~ Finally ate here at lunch time and I can’t believe I’ve been missing it all this while. Imagine the same good food (as dinner) at half the price! Must go, must go, must go. What are you waiting for?

Pepper Lunch ~ Although Pepper Lunch is managed by the same company as Japanese Dining Sun, it pales in comparison in terms of overall value. I mean, for that amount of money I can probably find a more satisfying meal elsewhere, and I won’t even need to cook my own food! However, Pepper Lunch Express is popping up at various food courts charging significantly less for “more economical portions”, and might be worth a try.

Causeway Bay Cafe (32 Liang Seah Street) ~ I wasn’t expecting much as I was just looking for a quick meal, but the baked rice was surprisingly satisfying and the ice milk tea was quite remarkable. I even got a $5 voucher for my next visit!

Say CheezeCake (Great World City) ~ I can’t comment on their cheesecake as I’ve never tried them despite eating here twice already. The food is novel and delightfully presented. Try the Laksa Chowder and the Miso Salmon. May be a little bit pricey without promotions, but Starhub is having a 1-for-1 set menu till 15 Feb 08. I wouldn’t miss it!

Inle Authentic Myanmar Cuisine (Peninsula Plaza) ~ I wouldn’t know if the food is really authentic because I’ve never been to Myanmar, but I don’t think there’s a need to just looking at the menu. I recommend the Mohinga (rice noodle in fish broth, served with egg, fish cake and chick pea crackers) and the Hpa Luda (vanilla ice cream, grass jelly, agar agar, sago and egg pudding in sweet syrup).

Space @ My Humble House (Esplanade Mall) ~ Located just beside My Humble House, this cool eatery looks like it shares the same kitchen with its award-winning big brother. So on this side you are probably getting a taste of the good stuff without having to burn a huge hole in your pocket. I had the Mama Leong Chicken Rice which cost $10 a person. Worth splurging on once in a while.

Muddy Murphy’s Irish Pub (Orchard Hotel Shopping Arcade) ~ For your regular fix of Irish Stew. Don’t bother trying anything else!

La Terrasse (Orchard Hotel) ~ If you are ever in need of a buffet that serves till midnight on Sun-Thu and 1 am on Fri & Sat, do consider La Terrasse’s Porridge Buffet. Don’t worry, there’s more than just porridge.

Big Ben’s Place (15 Swan Lake Avenue) ~ Almost hidden from the rest of Singapore within Opera Estate, this is the place to get a wide variety of great British pies, such as Steak & Guinness and Cornish Pasty.

Piper’s Pies ~ For Australian pies, Piper’s Pies is the answer. Chicken In White Wine or Beef Burgundy for whatever the occasion.

Werner’s Oven (6 Upper East Coast Road) ~ A rather cosy German restaurant serving credible Pork Knuckle, Farmer’s Sausage and proper beer. Do drop by the bakery next door for some uncommon carbohydrate treats. Slightly pricey but I’ll pick this over Paulaner Brauhaus and Brotzeit.

Bombay Cafe (334 Tanjong Katong Road) ~ The service left much to be desired but there were some gems in this Indian vegetarian restaurant: Ragda Patties (spicy mash of potato patties and lentils served with chutney, garnished with chopped onion and coriander), Dry fruit falooda drink (dry fruits, fresh milk, ice cream and falooda), and the Bollywood MTVs! Its outlet Bombay Cafe Xpress at Suntec City has a Lunch Buffet at $12.90 which might be worth a shot.

Ivory - The Indian Kitchen (Clarke Quay) ~ If you are looking for Indian food with some meat, the $25 Lunch Buffet at Ivory may be twice the price of Bombay Cafe Xpress but I can assure you the value is more than twice. The buffet even includes one complimentary drink (soda/fruit juice/beer/wine), making this place a keeper.

Lawry’s The Prime Rib (Paragon) ~ Try this place if you are willing to pay for a unique Victorian dining experience and some good old prime rib. The Lawry’s Famous Original Spinning Bowl Salad was most spectacular. Oh, and don’t be afraid to order free ice water when they ask, “Sparkling or Still?”

Fishermen’s Wharf (27 New Bridge Road) ~ The Snow Fish had a disagreeable fishy taste, and the meat was too chewy for my liking. If I ever go back again I’ll take the simple Cream Dory Fillet.

Ichiban Boshi ~ Passable.

Waraku (Central) ~ Yawn.

Lerk Thai (Marina Square) ~ A food and service disaster. Don’t think I’ll ever dare tread inside again.

1 Comment » - Posted in Food (Glorious) Food by daredan

Saturday, December 29th, 2007 ~ 4:04 pm

Butter Or Margarine?

I’ve been a victim of my own presumptions. You would think that I should have known this.

Butter - Made from animal milk, contains significant amounts of saturated fat and cholesterol.

Margarine - *Mostly* made from vegetable oil, but by definition is any substitute for pure butter. The more solid it is, the more saturated fat it contains. The more solid it is, the higher chance that it may contain trans fat (or “partially-saturated” fat), which is an undesirable manufacturing by-product. The more plant-based it is, the lower the cholesterol.

Note: Cholesterol is a component of cell membranes as such it can also be found in plants, although in very much reduced quantities.

Verdict: Some margarines will be “healthier” than butter, some margarines will be less “healthier” than butter. Choose a margarine which you know contains no trans fat and reduced saturated fat over butter, but choose butter over an unknown margarine. That is, if you really think it matters.

No Comments » - Posted in Food (Glorious) Food by daredan

Wednesday, December 26th, 2007 ~ 9:12 pm

Bloody Taste

I don’t remember ever undergoing surgery before, so as I laid down on the hospital bed, awaiting the local anaesthetic that had just been injected to take effect, I wondered the possibility that I may be immune to anaesthetic. Will the dental surgeon test my reaction first before employing the drill and knife in my mouth? Or will I suddenly experience excruciating pain because the anaesthetic had not taken effect? The nurse just had to remind me 10 minutes ago that there’s a nerve right next to the bottom tooth, and that I had already signed all disclaimers for the risks involved. Thanks indeed.

But my fears were quickly abated when prod prod poke poke, “okay your top tooth has been removed already”. Oh, that was fast. The bottom tooth took a bit longer though. It had to be sliced (or was it drilled) into two before it could be removed. Now I have 3 souvenir pieces for the tooth fairy.

And so the surgery was a resounding success. Or so it seemed. Because I’m still bleeding like a running tap although the surgery was hours ago. Very soon, I will turn into a vampire. Albeit a foolish one.

No Comments » - Posted in Reflections by daredan

Tuesday, December 25th, 2007 ~ 11:28 am

The Jar & Two Cups

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls.

He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls.

He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous “yes”.

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

“Now,” said the professor, as the laughter subsided, “I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things - God, family, health, friends, and favourite passions — things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, house, and car. The sand is everything else — the small stuff.”

“If you put the sand into the jar first,” he continued, “there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you.”

“So… Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Spend time with your family. Take time to get medical check-ups. Take your partner out to dinner. Play another 18 holes of golf. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal.”

“Take care of the golf balls first — the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.”

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented.

The professor smiled. “I’m glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.”

No Comments » - Posted in Reflections by daredan

Thursday, October 4th, 2007 ~ 10:42 pm (Current Mood: )

Traffic Jams

If there’s one thing inefficient about Singapore, it is the way we handle traffic jams on expressways. For one thing, I’m never quite sure about the reliability of traffic information that I hear on the radio or see on the digital road signs. Just when was the information last updated? Sometimes I’m told there’s an accident up ahead, to find that actually it had long been cleared, and there was no longer any traffic jam. If I had heeded the warning and made a detour, I would have greatly inconvenienced myself for nothing. And so it becomes a case of the boy who cried wolf.

Today, I was warned in advance that an accident had occurred on lanes 2 and 3 of the AYE, so naturally I proceeded down lane 1 which conclusively had no road block. To my horror, I got stuck in lane 1 for more than half an hour because the vehicles were all overtaking on lanes 2 and 3 to aim straight for the choke point to filter into lane 1 there. This practically caused lane 1 to barely move, and filtering out to moving lanes 2 and 3 from an almost stationary state would have been a very dangerous act. Of course, many still tried despite that fact, and I witnessed a few close calls during the ordeal.

And you know, the ridiculous thing was that traffic could have been diverted to the Jurong Town Hall exit instead, to immediately re-enter the expressway past the accident site, but of course nobody knew the situation since there was no such information flow, and everyone just waited and waited and waited to filter through that tiny choke point.

I ended up being too late to enter a mass meeting with the big boss, and headed home when I eventually got out of the ugly mess.

No Comments » - Posted in Reflections by daredan

Sunday, September 30th, 2007 ~ 1:19 am (Current Mood: )

The Campaign To Confer The Public Service Star On JBJ

We are, of course, referring to Mr. JB, who runs the Wildlife Protection (WP) group that protects the endangered Buangkok white elephant. Not the other JBJ. Surely, you weren’t expecting it to be him?

While the play brought out a few good laughs, it also made the audience ruminate the complexities of how politics is played in Singapore. Are unwritten rules meant to be followed? What happens when they are broken? Are we really progressing liberally? The play does weigh down a little too heavy at the end, but I must say that at certain points along the way, Pam Oei and Rodney Oliveiro give poignant performances that strike close to heart. Sometimes, a little too close for comfort even.

PPS: “Imperfect past makes present tense.”

No Comments » - Posted in Reflections by daredan

Saturday, September 29th, 2007 ~ 12:11 pm

Food Bites 6/07

The Orange Lantern (HarbourFront Centre) ~ Affordable Vietnamese fare that won’t leave a bad taste in your mouth. Won awards for its BBQ Beef wrapped in Betal Nut Leaves, Special Beef Noodles, and Avocado Shake last year. In my opinion the food is comparable to Phó House at Suntec City. I’m still yet to find a Vietnamese place in Singapore that will scream EAT ME.

Botak Jones ~ Get ready for large American-sized portions! The Cajun Chicken uses chicken breast but is as tender as chicken thigh. The Whoopass Chili Con Carne misses the mark when compared to what you can get in America, but beggars can’t be choosers. Recommended unless the coffee shop environment is not to your liking. My only peeve is that the regular soup bowl at $5 is super tiny, while the large soup bowl at just a dollar more is much much bigger. Just take the regular size out of the menu la.

Amici ~ Amici has two outlets at Tanjong Pagar and Holland Village, and there are usually lots of promotions offered. Dinner is expensive so I only recommend popping by at lunch time.

Cream Bistro (Pacific Plaza) ~ Better than what you would normally expect from a fusion outlet (i.e. Jack of all trades but master of none). For a quick meal if you happen to be passing by.

Big Fish Seafood Grill (85 Upper East Coast Road) ~ Pricey place with decent seafood so I’ll only go back if there’s some promotion. The brownie, however, is worth a mention.

Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao (Suntec City) ~ If a restaurant has “Xiao Long Bao” in its name I would expect its Xiao Long Bao to be at least decent. There was no soup in 3 out of 4 so I asked for a replacement. 2 out of 4 of the replacement had no soup. What is this?!

True Blue Cuisine (117 East Coast Road) ~ The atmosphere is assuredly Peranakan, the food is rich and tasty, but it is the tea alone that is enough to make me return. However, DO NOT bother with the fraudulent AMEX 1-for-1 promotion, and be careful with the automatically-served starters which you will need to pay. $4 for the crispy prawn crackers may be worth it but $3 for the prawn rolls is a no-no. I’ll try declining the starters the next time I go. Nevertheless, an excellent choice to bring the older generation.

Highlander Bar (Clarke Quay) ~ If you are looking for game that’s not to be played, stop by Highlander Bar to try the yummy Highlander Game Pie. Ouchly expensive though. This place also has an impressive collection of whiskeys. The price of some bottles are in the thousands!!

Peng Lai Ge Taiwan Delight (520 North Bridge Road) ~ I decided to try this place without knowing it was associated with its other outlet at 456 Joo Chiat Road, at which I had a good experience before. But as I ate I had a sense of déjà vu, and confirmed my suspicion with the waitress. My current preferred choice for Taiwanese 小吃.

Blue Lobster Seafood Restaurant (87 Frankel Avenue) ~ This place is a keeper especially since it has regular promotions. It has a warm and relaxed country atmosphere that will welcome you back again and again and again. The 4 course set lunch is at $25++.

Coffee Club ~ Wasabi Prawn Salad, Triple Chocolate A La Mode, Crusted Dory Gremolata, Iced Earl Vanilla, Garlic Prawn Pasta.

Just Noodles (Suntec City) ~ Just avoid.