Singapore 360 - Day 25: Marché At 313 Somerset

A few months ago I posted an entry on Marché Restaurant in Vivo City. It really has been one of my favorite places to dine since a friend took me to its original branch in Orchard Road back in 2005.

Last December, I heard from another friend that there was a new Marché in 313 Somerset as we made plans of treating to dinner one of our mutual friends who came here to participate in the Standard Chartered Marathon. Everything was set but when we came on the actual day to eat, we found out much to our dismay that there was a private function being held and the restaurant was closed to the public. We ended up dining in another of our favorites — Din Tai Fung.

This January, we didn't pass up the chance to visit Marché at 313 Somerset for the first time. We had a bit of trouble finding it because it was listed in the mall directory under B1. We searched the entire basement 1 but couldn't find it. Luckily we found the information counter on the ground level, which pointed us to the right direction.

At first glance, the place seemed a bit too small. But we soon realized that we weren't seeing the entire picture. Apparently, what we were looking at was just the bakery and the people who had gathered there were queuing to buy — if that's any indication of how good their breads and pastries are.

The restaurant is actually situated one level below, no wonder it was listed under B1! (I disagree however, because there is no entrance at this level.) The staircase leading to it was decorated to depict the typical Swiss farm life. The lamb sucking milk from its mother almost looked too real.

Pretty soon we concluded that the ambiance was really nice, way cooler than that of their Vivo City branch.

We ordered, among others, an entire pan of Paella and was a bit disappointed when the server told us we had to wait for 50 minutes. He said he didn't want to keep other customers who would order smaller portions from waiting too long. I thought it should have been done on a first come, first served basis. And yes, there were no pending orders that time. We came to a mutual agreement that he'll do his best to cut it down to 25 minutes.

We ended up waiting for an hour. Also, the guy ended up serving other customers in the midst of giving our orders. He looked like he could have used some help. Oh well, we didn't let that dampen our mood and had ordered enough other food to keep us calm until the paella was fully served. I remember we had fried chicken, oysters, mushroom, salad and rosti. I'm surprised we even had room left for coffee and desert!

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Singapore 360 - Day 18: Dining At Din Tai Fung

Not all Chinese restaurants were created equal. Proof to that statement is Din Tai Fung, which was once hailed by the New York Times as one of the Top 10 Restaurants in the world. But before even learning about that fact, we had already visited their Tampines branch a couples of times and vowed we would keep coming back on a regular basis.

In the beginning, we ate there once a week. Later on, we'd visit at least once a month. When friends visited Singapore, Din Tai Fung was always an option we'd consider to take them for lunch or dinner. Our admiration for their food has brought us to their branches in Raffles City and Wisma Atria. Maybe it'll bring us to its main branch in Zhong Xiao, Taiwan someday.

The Vegetarian Delight, a concoction of seaweeds and other vegetables, lives up to its name and is an appetizer we could not go without whenever we dine in Din Tai Fung. Their specialty is of course the dumplings (a.k.a. xiao long bao) and is also among our favorites. I think after all this time I can safely say that we have sampled all their dumplings, although I would not dare try to name which is our favorite.

We've tried other items on their menu as well, including the Steamed Chicken Soup with Noodles and Deep Fried Pork Chops. We have yet to try their deserts as we usually have no more room in our tummies left for them. As for the drinks, we're usually contented with the free-flowing tea. As a side note, I remember that last February they tried to launch a new drink but we didn't find it pleasing and regretted paying to try it out; but I don't think they continued with the launch as I haven't noticed it as part of the menu.

The fact that the servers wear number plates instead of name plates should be enough to give you a clue to the kind of the service they provide. But let me spell it out anyway. The service is very professional, mostly efficient. It was only during our last visit that they forgot about our appetizer (I'm sure you could guess what that is) even after I pointed it out to one of their staff. The caveat is that the service is quite impersonal, but that in itself is not an issue. Even the language barrier, for a few of them don't speak English, is not a deterrent for them to serve you well.

Their restaurants are generally clean. Among the branches I've visited, the one in Wisma Atria is my least favorite. But this is only because I feel that diners are exposed to the people doing their shopping in the mall for there are no walls that surround the dining area.

I'd venture to say that Din Tai Fung is in a league of its own. Yes, there are other Chinese restaurants out there that we all love. I mean, who doesn't like visiting the likes of Crystal Jade every once in a while? But Din Tai Fung deserves special attention because of what it has to offer.

If you haven't tried their food, I invite you to visit one of their branches near you and let me know what you think. Apart from Singapore and Taiwan, Din Tai Fung has branches in Japan, China, Indonesia, Korea, US, Malaysia and Australia. Visit their web site for more information.

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Singapore 360 - Day 17: Marching To Vivo City's Marché Restaurant

I am a fan of Roger Federer, the Swiss Army knife and Swiss watches. I liked Toblerone as a kid too. If I didn't know any better, I would've said I liked Swiss Miss a lot as a child (I really did, except that it's an American brand, not Swiss). I am a fan of Marché too. If you missed the connection, Marché is a Swiss restaurant.

The first time I got to try Marché was in 2004 when I first visited Singapore primarily for work-related reasons (I ended up extending a week). They had an outlet along Orchard Road back then. I had an instant liking to the ambiance. More importantly, I thought the food was great.

It made such a positive impression on me that when I saw they found a new home on the roof deck of the Vivo City mall, a few years after my first sampling of their menu, I vowed to give it a try. I did and it has become one of my favorite restaurants ever since.

I like their version of the Spanish paella, which is one dish I keep coming back for more. I find it best to share the solo size with someone and get a portion of their salad and a grilled steak or hotdog. I also like the Rösti, a potato dish that must be a relative of the French fries and the hashbrown.

I'd say vegetarians and meat-lovers alike would enjoy Marché. Food for both the young and old are readily available. They serve fresh fruit juices as well as coffee and beer. For a snack, the combination of crepes and coffee is a good deal. It's really not a difficult restaurant to like, unless you're not fond of Western food in general.

I think it's about time I visit the place again.

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Singapore 360 - Day 13: Hog's Breath Cafe Toa Payoh

It was another serendipitous find. It happened one rainy Sunday noon while we were trying to find our way to the Toa Payoh Sports Center to collect the race pack for the upcoming Yellow Ribbon Prison Run. We took the pouring rain as a sign that we should indeed momentarily give up our quest. We had just discovered we had gone full circle while trying to follow a printed map and were buying an umbrella from Guardian — who happens to sell the ugliest umbrellas by the way, which is quite understandable because they're a health and beauty store — when the pangs of hunger hit us.

We didn't allow the rain to dampen our adventurous spirit so the choice of where to eat came down to two options: Hog's Breath Cafe and Sizzler Steak. We have been having Pizza Hut for the longest time and have sampled Crystal Jade at least three times so both quickly made it off our list. We were determined to try something new.

It certainly wasn't the first time that I encountered the name Hog's Breath Cafe. I used to come across the bold written words near the booth of the Sentosa Express in Vivo City, but I had never given it a try. I guess I felt weird about the name and my good imagination didn't help.

But a quick peek at the cafe and their menu changed all that. The interior looked cozy and inviting, with several wooden tables and chairs, a pool table, a huge screen featuring soccer of course, and walls adorned with steel sign plates from the glorious past. To my surprise, I learned it was an Australian steakhouse. I realize now I must have associated its name to the equally or even more popular (at least here in Singapore) Pig's organ soup.

Where to have lunch was decided the moment we had our sneak preview. What to have was the next question to answer.

I had the special of the day, which consisted of steak, fried fish fillet, salad and fries. My companion had the Tex-Mex special consisting of steak, chicken chimichanga, fries and salad. Having read that they slow cook their beef for up to 18 hours, I went for medium rare. I was not to be disappointed. The chimichanga was great too.

Apart from the steel plates, vintage items such as a phonograph and a fire extinguisher also formed part of their decorations. I liked the overall effect — I liked the whole ambiance actually. I guess that forms part of the bill, which ain't cheap.

It should be a good place to wind down on a Friday evening.

We'll certainly drop by every once in a while.

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Singapore 360 - Day 4: Al Forno Italian Restaurant

Al Forno Italian Restaurant had long been recommended by a colleague-slash-friend. She was supposed to treat us there for her birthday several months ago. Regrettably, we declined because it was too far from the office and we were kinda busy that time. Now we'll probably have to wait next year for her treat.

One fine Sunday, when someone dear to us was leaving leaving Singapore for home permanently, we decided to have dinner somewhere in East Coast Park. Jumbo Restaurant came as the first suggestion, but somehow our Google search revealed it was somewhere in Changi. Remembering our friend's recommendation, I texted everyone and said we should just go to Al Forno Italian Restaurant along East Coast Rd.

I would later find out that East Coast Road is nowhere near East Coast Park. Half of our group had to take a cab again to get there from East Coast Park. But my mistake turned out to be a serendipitous one.

I could not remember our friend's tip on what food to order so with a tinge of hesitation I asked one waiter for his recommendations. He obliged, giving a few details on some of the food he recommended. There were only five of us, so we got two pizzas and two pastas. (I'd probably do a bit of research so I can edit this entry and name what we had). We also ordered white wine to go along.

The verdict? The food was great. The place was clean and comfortable. The service crew was efficient and friendly; the owner was there helping out and mingling with the customers. The $50-$60 share per person was well worth it. We'll definitely be coming back.

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Mass Food Poisoning Proves Hawker Centers Have Room For Improvement

Aside from the deadly L'aquila earthquake, the Geylang mass food poisoning incident is also another terrible news that we are forced to bear. The death toll may not be as high or the damage not as extensive as that of L'aquila's but there's reason to be concerned — with two deaths, a comatose patient, one miscarriage and dozens of others affected, it's Singapore's worst case of food poisoning yet.

As of this writing, a certain type of bacteria has been identified as the possible cause of the outbreak. But further investigations are underway.

I am a hawker center customer although I must confess I have avoided eating there as much as I could since early last year. Don't get me wrong, there are compelling reasons to enjoy dining in hawker centers. Take hawker center L for instance, I like it for its variety of choices. Also, a number of stalls serve real good food, not to mention they give good value for my money. But then, there are also substantial reasons to trade good, inexpensive food for equally good but more costly grubs. The huge number of patrons and the uncomfortable heat during day time are part of the hawker experience and I'm not referring to them. I'm talking about cleanliness or the lack thereof.

Just a few months ago, when I entered hawker center L at around 1:00 p.m., it was impossible for me to miss the the stink of garbage. The reason being, garbage is consolidated or taken in instead of being taken out. You'd see the uncles and the aunties wheeling the huge, green trash bins in and displaying them in the middle. It wasn't the best way to get customers to fast.

What about utensils? As much as possible, I go for plastic spoons when eating in food centers because it's easy to see that the dishwashers are not taking their jobs seriously. Even then, the plastic spoons and forks are not always clean. Friends and I have once tried to count the number of tries we had to take before we are successful in picking out clean spoon and forks or even the number of times the aunties and the uncles hand out the spoons properly, holding them by the handles. The results were frustrating. I'm bound to try it again and post the results here.

I have mentioned in a previous post, Of The Best And Worst Singaporean Habits, about what I termed as the irresponsible handling of food:

Now this isn't funny or annoying. It's sad.

I find it hard to believe that some things I consider common sense need to be taught. For instance, when a waiter brings your soup or desert, you wouldn’t expect to see his thumb dipped inside to provide additional flavor, right? What about when serving drinks and putting cups on the tray? Being able to hold several at once may seem like a neat trick but I certainly don’t appreciate it if the fingers go into the cup and touch the ice. Same goes for handing off straws, spoons and forks; shouldn’t the food server know by instinct that he shouldn’t touching the parts that go into the mouth?

Call me finicky or kiasu (I've learned that word late last year), but I believe good service means not taking such things for granted. Educating our food handlers will certainly lessen the risk of spreading disease. But how?

I have the same observations in my recent visits.

If it were a comedy show, this scene might have looked funny:

1. Customer orders two slices of papaya and asks for food handler to slice it even further into smaller pieces.

2. Food handler puts on a plastic glove on her left hand and takes two slices of papaya from the cold storage using the same hand.

3. Customer sees this and appreciates the food handler's sanitary practice.

4. Food handler slices the papaya into smaller pieces.

5. Customer asks how much and reaches into his wallet to get a $5 bill.

6. Food handler answers and extends her left hand, gloves on, to receive the cash.

7. Customer hands his money hesitantly and with great disbelief.

7. Food handler opens the cash drawer, puts in the $5 bill and takes coins to give as change to the customer.

8. Customer receives his change and walks away nodding his head.

It's not funny at all when it happens in real life. It happened to me. I should have told the food handler that the plastic glove wasn't supposed to be used to keep her hands clean.

The scary thing about unsanitary practices is that they're contagious and later on become the rule rather than the exception. There was a Filipino stall in the same place, hawker center L, that colleagues and I would frequently buy food from especially when it was new. During a recent visit, the same food handler was not as careful when handing out dishes. Her thumb went as deep as a centimeter into the sauce. She did it to me, the person ahead of me and the one following me. Three strikes. She must have observed this was considered normal practice in some neighboring stalls.

All the above examples are those that our senses can easily detect. What about those that we don't see, smell or even taste? Shouldn't we be even more worried about them?

Still, I don't think it's hopeless and I have an example from real life to base this conclusion from than merely saying "This is Singapore!" There was this small cafeteria chain that operated in a few corporate offices. In one of their branches, we regularly observed their staff following unsanitary practices. Taking the cue from a huge sign that said something like "for feedback and suggestions, to: xxxx@xxx.com", we sent an e-mail detailing our observations. We got a reply the day after sending out the e-mail and immediately noticed the change.

I often hear that Singapore has an obsession with being the best or being #1. There's no use denying there's room for improvement. Maybe it's high time Singapore puts having the best food centers not only in terms of taste but also in terms of cleanliness among its to-best list.

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Of Turning Japanese And Hi Sshou

Here's a theory: There are three kinds of people in the world -- (1) those who like sushi, (2) those who don't and (3) those who still don't know what it is.

It's not as bold or insightful as The Golden Arches Theory of Conflict Prevention by the Pulitzer Prize winner Thomas Friedman's, which states "No two countries that both had McDonald's had fought a war against each other since each got its McDonald's." But it pretty much sums up what I've learned about other people in relation to the now world-famous sushi since my own discovery of the delectable Japanese delicacy several years ago. By the way, the Golden Arches Theory has since been disproven.

My theorizing was a result of two seemingly unrelated events brought together by a common ingredient: my dining at hi sshou last Thursday and my reading of Sasha Issenberg's The Sushi Economy, Globalization and the Making of a Modern Delicacy.

Hi Sshou

The Land of the Rising Sun is a little over five thousand kilometers away. But a mere twelve MRT stations and three bus stops away from City Hall, tucked innocently in a corner of the Pasir Ris Community Centre lies hi sshou, a little Japanese getaway, if only for an hour of good food.

It was a good thing that my dinner date, who opted for a combination of sushi and sashimi from the menu, was also fond of Japanese food. I went for the bento set, which was comprised of miso soup, assorted sashimi, chawamnushi (custard steamed in a cup), fried chicken, mackerel, rice and a bowl of fruit dessert.

I was happy with my choice as it was as satisfying as I remember it. The bento set was really filling but the serving sizes for the sushi and sashimi were rather small in comparison to other restaurants and sushi bars. As for the ambiance, there is noticeable improvement from last year's; the lighting must have done the trick.

Would I be going back to this restaurant anytime soon? You bet!

Turning Japanese

I wasn't always a fan of raw food. I started out with the less demanding Japanese cuisines such as shrimp tempura, yakitori (skewered chicken), tonkatsu (breaded deep-fried pork), yakisoba (fried noodles) and agedashi dofu (deep-fried tofu) before eventually moving on to the maki, then the sushi and finally graduating to the sashimi. Once I had discovered the irresistably chunky, otherwise evanescent, juicy, fatty flesh of fish and had grown accustomed to the potent yet exhilarating combination of wasabi and soy sauce, I was hooked.

Going back to the theory, over the years I have found friends who also have a liking for Japanese food, the raw stuff included. One such friend is Odie. Together, we went around looking for authentic Japanese restaurants. We were quite successful at the endeavor that we were soon bringing other friends, especially those who have had a chance to live in the "sun-origin" archipelago for a number of years, to the restaurants we really liked. Most of the time, they confirmed our findings.

Of course, also all around us were people of the second kind, the ones who have declared they didn't like sushi, sashimi or even the California maki.

"I don't like Japanese food, particularly the ones with raw fish."

"Why?", I ask.

"I don't know. I just don't like them."

"Have you ever tried them before?", I try to probe deeper.

"Umm.. Not really."

Such conversation reminds me of a former boss's story who had taught his kids to try a particular food before saying they didn't want it. His advice to his kids, "It's stupid to say you don't want something until you've given it a try."

His advice backfired when once, they had a guest whom they offered some food but had refused. One of his kids bellowed, "Daddy, is he stupid? Because he hasn't tried the food yet but he's already saying he doesn't want it."

I can name a few people off the top of my head who initially thought they didn't like sushi but changed their minds after their first try. The most recent one was Chung Mon, who gave me a lunch treat at Sakae Sushi in Harbourfont a few days before I permanently left my former company of six months.

This is not to suggest that it's wise to try every food there is before deciding if one likes it or not. However, it might be a good idea to know the reason behind the disliking. Is it the taste? The smell, perhaps? Possible high mercury levels in sushi can be a real concern especially for those who are pregnant. Anisakiasis, a parasitic disease, might be another thing to be wary about but this has been more or less addressed by the process of freezing the meat before it gets to its final destination.

To complete the theory, there's the third kind. I really can't blame the guy if he's a vegetarian. But someone else:

"Hey! You wanna go eat sushi tomorrow?"

"What's that?

"Come with me and you'll find out!"

He'll either be among the first or the second kind after that.

On The Sushi Economy

It's a great book if you want to learn about how that Japanese delicacy made its travel all the way from Land of the Rising Sun in the previous century to the sushi bars of the present; all in celebration of globalization. Among other things, get to know about The Day of the Flying Fish, how the favorite part of the tuna nowadays was once saved for cat food and how General MacArthur might have had a hand in raising the price of tuna.

By the way, you might chance upon kids practicing their kung fu in the open area near the Pasir Ris Community Centre after your dinner at Hi Sshou. It's a delightful treat as well.


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Botak Jones, Darn Good Food At A Darn Good Price

Change is something a consultant needs to constantly deal with and gracefully adapt to. Moving from one project to another translates to meeting new people, encountering different sets of challenges and embracing a variation of scenery every so often. Of course, this also means making new friends, obtaining a wider perspective and discovering new things.

As consultants who are always on the move, the hunt for new places to eat in search of gustatory pleasures is among the things my colleagues and I take delight in outside of work. It's a perfect way to cope with future shock. Still, being new to a place and having no dictator in the group, it isn't always easy for us to decide where to go for lunch. So when Michael proposed Botak Jones, which was a mere "two bus stops away", a feeling of relief and excitement abounded in us.

We took bus 57 from the Bukit Merah interchange and got off at the stop opposite Yue Hua Eating House at 118 Depot Lane. With the blue neon sign on the roof of the hawker center, it wasn't difficult to find. I later found out the Botak Jones outlet in this area is just one of several they had in Singapore.

Botak Jones' logo, which consisted of an outline of a man that resembled Michael Jordan, save for the ears, told us where to go inside the food center. There was a queue when we got there -- a very good sign indeed. I found the offerings of authentic American food in the menu quite tempting and the decision on what to try first challenging. In the end, I opted to go with Michael's suggestion and ordered The Botak Burger set. There would be plenty of time to try out the others once the initial experience proved wonderful.

I was not to be disappointed. The beef was juicy and tasty, making The Botak Burger absolutely fantastic. I also found the coleslaw the way I had wanted it to be. I was too stuffed to finish the other side (I forgot the name and the menu isn't updated to reflect the available choices apart from coleslaw and fries) I had ordered.

Everyone in our table seemed pleased with his or her food. We were happy with our new find. We agreed to eat there at least once a week.

We were back only two days after that. I had the Italian sausage and found it to be very pleasant. Everyone in the group had the same positive comments they gave previously. As for their staff, we found them to be polite and they looked happy to be doing their job. They sounded really interested in our answers when they asked us if we enjoyed their food. They even offered to replace the fries if we weren't happy with it. Turns out they've recently introduced new fries based on a different style of cooking. We actually like them; I just hope they're still cooking it with corn oil.

I think Botak Jones lives up to their slogan, "Damn Good Food At A Damn Good Price". And if I may add, "...At A Darn Good Service!"

More info on Botak Jones can be found in their web site.

Fisher's Tavern Seafood At Pasir Ris Town Park

I must admit this isn't the first time I discovered a good place to eat because of jogging. You can't blame me, this secret tavern sits in the middle of the Pasir Ris Town Park. What's a restaurant for when you're tired and hungry from running anyway?

Okay, it's not really in a very secluded area and it must not be much of a secret for Pasir Ris folks, as the place is always packed during weekends. I have been passing it by every time I jogged and on one occasion, the opportunity (or excuse) presented itself when it rained. It so happened that the tavern was the nearest shelter. :p

No need to guess where the place got its name. A huge fishing pond is right across Fisher's Tavern and is usually full of anglers also during weekends. There's even a cabin of sorts beside the restaurant where fishing equipment can be rented.

So what about the food? The salted fish fried rice is a winner. And so is the kangkong sambal. There's even a pork viand (sorry, forgot the name) that we've recently discovered, which we also liked. As for the barbecue chicken wings, they must be of some special breed to taste that good.

Since my initial discovery, I have been back to the place quite a number of times with family and friends. They absolutely loved the food. There's an awful lot of other items on the menu that we haven't tried so we're sure to come back soon. The price is easy on your budget so no need to worry about the bill.


Hmm... Maybe looking for good places to eat can serve as additional motivation to jog? Watchathink???

Fisher's Tavern is a mere 5 minutes away from the Paris MRT by foot. Cross the street from the place that sells bicycles beside Burger King. You should be able to see the pond and the restaurant when you get to the other side.

Singapore's Best Ramen, Men-Tei Ramen

It started with Pi (a.k.a. 3.141592654) who asked if I wanted to have lunch somewhere else other than the hawker centers we have gone accustomed to. I already had an answer before she asked and she already had a place in mind before asking. So we marched towards Robinson Road past the DBS towers and the Afro-Asia building. Along the way she warned me that the cost of the food would be higher than the usual hawker center budget but she also assured me that it was well worth it.

There were about five people ahead of the queue when we got there. There was a marker to show people where to line up and to make sure they didn't get in the way of passersby. It turns out people start queuing as early as 12:00 so it would be wise to either be there for an early lunch at 11:30 a.m. or have a heavy breakfast and be there by 1 p.m. At a few minutes before one o'clock, our timing was just right.

That day on my first try at the noodle hut, I had the Miso. My initial taste of the rich and creamy soup was enough to convince me that my $13 was well spent. I made sure that my next spoonfuls stayed in my mouth long enough for my tongue to savor the wonderful flavor before swallowing. The noodle was another delightful experience; it must be the potent combination of the unique taste and the right texture. Surely, the posters citing the preparations their food underwent were not just for show.

How could I not trust Pi's judgment when it comes to food after that? Not only was her choice a good respite from the all too familiar taste we had enough of, it was such a wonderful treat to the palate as well. And for those who like bonuses: the bottomless green tea and the good service provided by the staff ensure you find the whole dining experience enjoyable.

It was my turn to bring a friend there a few days after that. The Tonkotsu was also remarkable -- different taste, same delight. Since then, I have been to Men-Tei Ramen several times and the Miso and the Tonkotsu remain my favorites.

And yes, after having tried several other Ramen houses, I make the bold statement that Men-Tei Ramen serves the best in town.

Located at 61 Robinson Road (see map below), Men-Tei Ramen is open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. from Mondays through Fridays. Here's their website: http://www.men-tei.com