Singapore - Food

Hungry birds

As I was enjoying a smooth and spicy Chai Tea Latte in one of The coffee Bean & Tea Leaf branches (on Orchard Road) the persons at the table behind me picked up their belongings and walked away. No sooner had they left that a flock of birds flew onto the table and fought for the reamining bread crumbs in the plate. 

I had lunch at Balestier Bak Kut Teh at Food Opera (part of Ion Food Hall).

Set-lunch: Bak Kut Teh (means meat - bone - tea)
Pork ribs soup, salted vegetables, braised peanuts served with a bowl of  steamed white rice

 The pork ribs soup contains herbs and black pepper and is cooked in a clay pot.

I also ordered fried dough strips (You-Tiao - means oil and strip).
I soaked the strips in the spicy soup. It was so yummy!

We had dinner at Paradise Dynasty (also in Ion Orchard) upon one of my friends' recommendation. They serve colorful dumplings (xiao-long-bao) which she said were worth trying (if only for fun and pleasure for the eyes).

Paradise Dynasty setting

Basket of 8 colored dumplings - signature dish of the restaurant
8 flavours: garlic, crab roe, cheese, ginseng, truffle, foie gras, Sichuan, and original.



Sichuan style noodles

Cold appetizer: Silken tofu with thousand year old egg

2nd cold appetizer: Cucumber salad with garlic

Kitchen staff busy folding dumplings

I enjoyed the experience of eating the colorful dumplings more than their taste. I personally prefer the original flavour (pork or crab) of xiao-long-bao a lot better than the fancy-flavour varieties.

The following day I tried the famous Singaporean laksa dish for lunch. And in the afternoon, tired after a lot of walking, I went to Oriole Cafe & Bar, one of the best cafes in Singapore according to ladyironchef 's blog, where I had - I agreee with Brad - a very good coffee {with a couple of muffins!}.

Laksa: noodles in a rich coconut and curry broth. Yummy!

Cappucino and muffins at Oriole Cafe & Bar

  

For dinner we went to the Newton Food Centre where we enjoyed a few simple dishes, the best being the bbq sambal stringray.

  

Shellfish (kind of sea snails)

Stir-fried water spinach in chilli sauce

Fried-rice

Grilled king prawns

Bbq sambal stringray on a banana leaf



Singapore - art, buildings & street scenes

Here are a few photos I took in Singapore last May.

Singapore Art Museum

Singapore National Museum

I visited In the Mood for Cheongsam Exhibition!
I also visited 2  Living Galleries: Food and Fashion.
Very interesting!

Street scenes - Orchard Road

Performing mime artist standing on a bicycle transformed into sculpture

Artist playing a kind of long flute (?). A yellow sign stating: 'Music is my Life"

Ice-cream seller
Assorted traditional flavours such as durian.
Unique presentation: in sandwich between 2 slices of dried waffles or multi-colored bread

Scultpures on Orchard Road

Crowd reading newspaper and busy shopping

I took the HIPPO (Hop On - Hop Off) bus for a quick overview of the Lion City.

Singapore Flyer

Marina Bay Sands: landmark building

Marina Bay area

Saint Andrew's Cathedral

MITA Building, HQ for the Ministry of Information and Art

River Valley Road

 I did not go (this time) to Suntec City neither to the area (around Marina Bay) where the famous Merlion sculpture (half lion, half fish) is located.

 To conclude here are a few pics of the ION Orchard- a shopping mall - that has left a big impression on me:

Inside the mall:

TWG Tea - Tea Salon

Luxurious boutiques

ShaTin - Flower market 花市

沙田， 花市，

On Saturday (2 days before the 1st day of the Lunar Year) we went to Sha Tin Yuen Wo Playground 沙田源禾游乐场 NewYear Fair. The market is divided, as usual, in 2 parts: one part dedicated to flowers and plants, and the other to "dry goods" selling all kinds of trinkets, fortune wheels, etc.    It was my first time to visit this market. Smaller than the one we used to visit in Mongkok (Prince Edward).

We walked along the Shing Mun River. Cold weather, grey sky, some rain at times...

Tai O - Year of the Dragon's Eve

January 22, 2012 - Lunar New Year's Eve

Went hiking - usual Tung Chung to Tai O walk.

Pretty cold weather ~10 C. with grey sky and low visibility.
The villagers at San Tau, Sham Shek, Sha Lo Wan and Tai O were all busy cleaning their houses.
The streets of Tai O usually so crowded were almost empty. Most of the restaurants were closed.
Hardly any tourists and no queues at the bus stop.
A different Tai O, a quiet Tai O preparing to welcome the new year in. 



Happy New Year

龙年快快乐乐！

新年快乐，身体快乐，万事如意，新年进步！！！

Tung Chung 东涌 to Tai O 太澳

First hike of 2012 - 7/01/12

大屿山 Lantau Island - Tung Chung 东涌  to Tai O 太澳

Tai O

Tai O

Tai O

Direction of Sha Lo wan 沙螺湾
Toilet
Hau Wong temple 侯王宫
Soccer pitch

HK Playground Association Tung Chung Outdoor Recreation Camp
Monkey King Bridge 猴王桥
House, {path on left side with stairs going up to Ngong Ping 昂平}
continue straight

San Tau 散头村 45min later
Store closed, public toilet, San Tau Garden

Pavilion opposite airport 1h later - Pause break

Steep slope high, then reservoir
Then down slope, flat...
junction: if turn right to Sha Lo Wan pier沙螺湾码头 (right) 15min
We turn left: to Sha Lo Wan Tsuen (沙螺湾村)
At the junction a lady is selling rice flour cake{but-jái-gôu 缽仔糕}
Houses on right side,  Garden patches

Enter what looks like a walled village –inside indicate: Sha Lo Wan Large Camphor Trees  {Daaih-jèung-syuh 大樟树}
Toilets
Sign: Tai O 太澳- 23min (2nd part)
Uphill
Cross stream - still hear plane engines
Cross village abandoned houses on right
Garden with trees and dried leaves on floor,

Up, down. On the right: houses: former pigsties
Away from shore still bit noisy
Cross larger stream orange metal gate on left
On the left: The Temple of Kings of the Three-Mountains(三山王国庙)Groups of houses- sea-view - noise
Works – repairs - CEDD

opposite side: dogs
Stream
Bamboo bench- 50min
Place for worship incense
No view noise
Toilets
Steep uphill slope
On top worship place incense
Sham Shek Tsuen {深石村- deep rock village} Name of place
and down slope
Buddhist place & garden golden statue
Cross Stream bridges (there are a few all along the way)
Houses store newly opened close /Saturday today!
House renovated right side
Place where we bought tennis ball flower.
Path leading to Sham Wat 深屈 with handrails painted in brown, imitation wood 
Sound of waves
Bay {Sham Wat Wan}深屈湾}stores opened, but not crowded

Tai O

New bridge (Tai O)

3^rd part (still 1 hour)

the path is mainly cemented all the way except for the last ½ hour.
Cold 12C? Not many people, not many flowers, grey sky

Exit Sham Wat, Cross white bridge
Turn right to Tai O
(Left up Sham Wat Road going to Ngong Ping)
Bamboo trees
up.  Stairs!!
Up
Soil path stones up
Down
Low visibility (sea view from time to time)
Can see Tai O. 30min
Down.   

Orange colour soil – earthen path.
walk under trees

Large rocks grey colour
Close to seaside- sound of waves  
Orange-reddish rocks near the sea shore
getting close to water level
See temple. 45min
Flat trail no stone
Fire beaters for putting out fire
going down earth trail
Windy no more cover bushes only

winding path.~ 15min left
Low tide reddish stones much cleaner than before but still rubbish plastic stuffs
Improvement works are being carried out
Guardrails along bay facing temple

Bay - Can hear the rolls of the sea, soothing and pleasant.
Tai O metal stilt houses
almost arrived! A few min to reach restaurant
Cooler windy calm quiet
Noise engines but occasionally 

Nice cool beer!

Local food

Lihn Heung 莲香餐厅.

Fish maw (fried) with angled gourds, squid, shrimps, scallops, very earthy taste

Braised taro with pork belly!!!