the Arriviste

Cold Brewed Iced Coffee

 

So I like coffee a lot. It's a recurring theme on this blog, you may have noticed. And Singapore is so damn hot, especially lately, that I often like to have my coffee over ice. Several years ago in the culinary wonderland that is Oakland, California (dead serious on that one, Oakland has spectacular food) I had an iced coffee epiphany: Blue Bottle Coffee's cold brewed iced coffee. Cold brewing calls for steeping the grounds for 8-12 hours in room temperature water, a method that brings out the beans' mellow chocolate and caramel flavors and results in a super smooth, super strong cup. It's a revelation.  

I've only found cold brewed iced coffee at Oriole (see here and here), which is a little out of the way for me for daily consumption (and also a little gasp-inducing at $7, or something like that). But the good news is that it's dead easy to make, and if you start on a Sunday night and brew a round each evening after that then you've overcome the biggest hurdle, the long brewing time, and will have a fresh cup ready every morning. (I realize that doesn't solve the instant gratification problem, sorry.)

Brew away!

Cold Brewed Iced Coffee

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup fresh-ground coffee beans
• 2 cups water
• Simple syrup (optional)
• Milk (optional)

This will make 2-4 cups depending on whether you take your coffee black or with milk.

Instructions

• Add the coffee grounds and the water to a jar or pitcher. Stir. Cover and leave for 8-12 hours.
• Strain through a coffee filter. You can also use a french press.
• If you take your coffee strong, mix the cold-brew with ice and/or milk (strong). Add 1/2 to 1 part water to the brew to for a less robust cup. Sweeten with simple syrup if desired.

The cold-brew will keep in the fridge for a few days.

 

My little black book. Or, where to find a decent dry cleaner, haircut, manicure...

Among the most daunting things about moving to a new place is establishing a roster of trusted services. Who's really going to be able to get that stain out of my accordion-pleated Marchesa gown without ruining it? Why do I have to pay $25 for a manicure, for godssake?? Is there anyone in this country who can cut curly hair properly??? The answers are you don't and yes, to the last two questions at least.

It has taken some time to assemble it, but I finally feel pretty confident about my services lineup and so I’d like to share it with you. My Most Valuable Players...

DRY CLEANER

Jeeves

http://jeevessingapore.com

Multiple locations

More expensive than independently run outfits, but still not exorbitant and worth every penny for the care they take with your clothes.

NAIL SALON

Elegant Nails

Tanglin Mall, 163 Tanglin Rd, 247933

Tel. 6235 8235

An express manicure goes for $12, less if you buy a package, and the manicurist called Orange does a particularly nice job. Be prepared for a postage stamp-sized shop. Call ahead.

HAIRDRESSER

Andy Ong at Kim Robinson

#02-12 Ngee Ann City, 391 Orchard Road, 238872

Tel. 6738 8006

www.kimrobinson.com

You may need to refinance your home to pay for a cut with Andy (a heart-attack inducing $248, as of this posting), but your hair will look expensive.

WAXING

Pink Parlour

www.pinkparlour.com.sg/

Multiple locations. I like Rachel at the Far East Plaza location, although it's tiny and not very luxe.

While I wish the decor were simple—the moody colors and boudoir-theme always leaves me feeling a little like I'm at a one-woman bachelorette party—the wax is gentle and aestheticians thorough (yay!). A bikini wax starts around $40, but you can get a considerable discount if you buy a package.

 -------

And some other favorites...

REASONABLY PRICED ESPRESSO

McDonald's McCafe

Multiple locations 

Yes, don't scoff! I was sceptical too, but their small cappuccinos cost only around $2 and are BETTER than other chains’! Just think, you'll never have to pay almost $6 for a tall S'bux cappuccino ever again! The joy, the sheer joy!

CROISSANTS

Paul

03-16/17 Ngee Ann City, 391 Orchard Road, 238872

For a delish mini croissant to go with your McCafe. (You'll have to eat it elsewhere though. For some reason Paul doesn't like it when you try to drink your McCappucino in his cafe. Paul can be so uptight...)

ELEGANT CAKES, LICKETY-SPLIT

Canele

Multiple locations.

www.canele.com.sg/

An easy stop for lovely cakes and macarons to take to that dinner party, even at last-minute, thanks to Canele’s many locations.

ORCHIDS

Hawaii Landscape

559 Thomson Rd, Tel: 6251 3963

http://hawaiilandscape.com.sg

While the orchid plants you find here will already be in full bloom, I've found they still last for weeks, and at $12 a stem, how could you not? Read more here.

 

Closing the deal: Lucha Loco

A few things have and haven't happened in Singapore since I've been away. On the face of it, Singy seems to have gotten hipper with the addition of some new restaurants and bars (28 Hong Kong Street and Jigger and Pony are notable picks). But what hasn't changed is how many of these places emphasize style over substance, making you think, on first glance, that they'll become regulars on your rotation. But you soon realize that like so many other slick, design-y establishments, they just can't close the deal. Prices are exorbitant, food is underwhelming, cocktails aren't made properly, blah, blah, blah. I'm not going to point fingers here, but you know who you are, overpriced, average, OZ-American-Western-expat magnet bistros.

My continual dissapointment with these places is why Lucha Loco, perched on happening Duxton Hill with its rowdy tables spilling out onto the sidewalk, is such a welcome addition. Not only are the setting and decor are as cool as you'll find, but, and this is key, the food is great. (Tostadas! Beef tacos! Ceviche!) And it's that rarest of rare species: Mexican food! Good Mexican food! In Asia!

My only suggestion (and I strongly suggest this--the bartender and I have discussed it at length) is that they add a traditional Margarita to the menu. The house Margarita is made with agave syrup, and this offends my purist sensibilities.  But even that I am willing to overlook, because Lucha Loco closes the deal.

Is that a pink xiao long bao?!?

 Sichuan xiao long bao at Paradise Dynasty

Why, yes it is.

If you're an early reader of the Arriviste, you may know that I am a devotee of Chinese dumplings, but you're probably not aware of my deep love for spicy Sichuan cuisine, formed in Chengdu in 2009 on a panda-hugging excursion with Mr Arriviste.  We thought it was exceedingly amusing, and useless, that the local tourist map listed among its useful Chinese restaurant phrases "no mouth-numbing peppercorns, please." Let's just say that at our first lunch the joke was on us. But once we had recovered the feeling in our mouths, we actually developed a real appreciation for the tangy pique of Sichuan chili.

This pink dumpling, my friends, is the sublime marriage of two things I love, sichuan spice and xiao long bao.  Brimming with soupy, porcine, spicy peppercorn goodness, Paradise Dynasty's sichuan XLB is more than a gimmick, an accusation I leveled at it when the restaurant debuted its rainbow colored XLB in 2010--purple truffle! yellow cheese! green ginseng!  I was highly skeptical of any tampering with the XLB, which was already in my pantheon of perfect foods.  

But it turns out all of the flavored XLB are quite good, and the sichuan XLB is so good that I eat it once a week.  Head on over to Paradise Dynasty in Ion Orchard to try it for yourself, but expect to wait 30 minutes for a table at busy times.

2 Orchard Turn 
#04-12A ION Orchard 
Singapore 238801 
Tel: 6509 9118

11.00am – 10.00pm (Mon – Fri) 

10.00am – 10.00pm (Sat, Sun & PH) 

Last order 9.30pm

 

Tanjong Beach Club: Hollywood chic Sentosa retreat

  Images courtesy of Tanjong Beach Club.

Oh the sun, the sand, the sangria, the cabanas! Stepping into retro-chic Tanjong Beach Club on Sentosa is like happening upon a very cool 1950's Los Angeles poolside retreat, and this arriviste, for one, cannot help but imagine herself a silver screen starlet lounging in Hollywood luxury the minute she settles into a beach bed. (Active imagination, I know!)  

During the week, the restaurant-slash-beach club is every bit the calm idyll you see in the pictures above. From Tuesday to Friday you can saunter right in, take your pick of spots, and order a fresh salad to go with that pitcher of mojitos.  But if a beach-side, DJ-fueled party is more up your alley, head to TBC on the weekends when Singapore's pretty young things come out in full force (and call ahead to reserve a comfy spot).

Whatever your preference--a quiet movie-star-off-duty day by the pool or weekend carousing with the party set--TBC doesn't disappoint.

Tanjong Beach Club

120 Tanjong Beach Walk, Sentosa, Singapore 098942

One day, two neighborhoods: Little India and Haji Lane

Top three pictures: Little India; the rest: Haji Lane. Second from bottom: A Thousand Tales. Bottom picture: Piedra Negra.

First, sorry for the lack of posts.  I've been waylaid by deadlines, illness, parties, etc, etc.  You know how it goes.  But I have managed to do a little exploring, and have just the thing if you're feeling the itch to experience more than obscenely-priced restaurants (I'm talking to you, Marina Bay Sands) and slick shopping malls.  A great way to absorb Singapore's famous multi-ethnic culture is to walk around Little India and Haji Lane, which both harken back to Old Singapore with their narrow lanes and shophouses in atmospheric decay.  In Little India, jewelry, saris, and knick-knack shops sit chock-a-block on the neighborhood's bustling streets. And in the Arab Quarter, the quaint Haji Lane has become host to lots of little boutiques. Though mostly stocked with dime-a-dozen "vintage" goods, there are some gems among them, like mid-century inspired furniture atelier A Thousand Tales. 

Start your day with lunch in Little India and then head over to Haji Lane for some browsing and an afternoon margarita.

1. Lunch is first on the agenda: Head to the fittingly-named Banana Leaf Apolo at 54 Racecourse Rd, one of Little India's most famous restaurants, for an Indian feast served on banana leaves.  If vegetarian is your thing, head instead to Kailash Parbat at the corner of Belilios and Serangoon roads.  This cool and inviting gem of a restaurant was introduced to me by none other than the lovely Notabilia, knower of all things interesting in Singapore, whose mother has been a fan for years.  Opt for the buffet.

2. Next , wander over to Serangoon Rd and walk against traffic to the corner of Dalhousie Lane, peeping into gold shops and sweet stalls as you go.  At Dalhousie you'll find the Little India Arcade, a maze of Indian goodies, from crafts to medicine. Done with the arcade? Walk around the surrounding lanes until you've had your fill.

3. Now you're off to Haji Lane.  Hop in a cab and have the driver drop you directly there.  The little street doesn't span more than a couple of blocks, so pick an end and start exploring.  Keep an eye out for hipster-ready clothes at K.I.N. and covetable furniture at A Thousand Tales.

4. If you're not totally exhausted after all the browsing, wander around the neighborhood a little more for a look at carpet shops and shisha spots and over to Singapore's oldest mosque, Masjid Sultan.

5. But if you're ready for a break, then trot on over to Piedra Negra for one of Singapore's best margaritas. You've earned it!

 

The Disgruntled Chef = Laid back drinks + serious food

 Top: Bloody Mary Chaser

I do like the Disgruntled Chef so very much.  In my humble opinion, they do both food and drink memorably well in their hip, unpretentious Dempsey spot.  Classic cocktails get an update, like the Bloody Mary Chaser shown above, a mix of vodka, homemade tomato sauce and mozzarella-stuffed olives.  And the DG's own bar creations, like the sea salt and chili margarita, are sophisticated, grown-up drinks.  What's more, the DG hasn't succumbed to the siren call of the obscenely priced $20+ cocktail, seen all over Singapore, which is practically bankrupting a certain arriviste. (Ahem, Nektar.)

And if the cocktails weren't enough, the DG's modern, Western fare recalls the New American cuisine of San Francisco or New York, which precious few restaurants here do well, in my view, that is when they do it at all. Be sure to order the crackling pig and lamb short ribs.

An Itinerary: The best of Orchard Road

 On Pedder  

I generally try to avoid Orchard Rd at all costs.  The crowds, the overwhelming amount of merchandise, the underwhelming quality of it all.  But chances are if you're visiting Singapore, you'll find yourself here at some point.  So here are my suggestions to steer you away from the stores you see every day of your life and toward the Arriviste's top Orchard picks.

First rule: Do not go on a weekend afternoon, especially a Sunday.  You have been warned.

1. Get off to a pleasant morning start at TWG in ION Orchard, which sits atop the Orchard MRT stop, for tea and exquisite pastries.  Do not leave without trying the Napoleon macaron, lovingly described here.  But don't eat too much...

2. ...Because Thye Hong in Wisma Atria is your next stop for hokkein mee, fried Fujianese prawn noodles. On my first visit to Singapore I asked my wise friend Sue which hawker to choose, and she wisely replied, pick the one with the longest line.  And so began my love for Thye Hong's $4 hokkien mee.  If you like spicy, the sambal adds great flavor.  NB, other outlets are not as good as this one. 

Drinking on Emerald Hill

 

Ah, what a disappointment to find that the really good cocktail bars are few and far between in Singapore.  (Tippling Club reigns supreme, but having said that I still have The White Rabbit, Baretto and Drink Culture to cross off my list.  So much to drink, so little time!)  The bars on Emerald Hill, all housed in pretty little shophouses--thanks, allegedly and disappointingly, to the work of one property developer--don't solve this problem, but they do provide a totally pleasant environment to have a glass of rose, as pictured above, after a marathon day on Orchard Rd or on your way out to dinner.  Friends of this arriviste stick to Que Pasa, but prices aren't bad at No 5 either. 

Bali: Seminyak Gems

Top 3 photos: jewelry and silk sarongs from  Namu.  Bottom photos: Carga.

If it's your first time in Bali, a drive through Seminyak's shopping throng will likely overwhelm you with shopping options.  But while there are many stores that aren't bad, few are standouts.  Namu and Carga, sitting opposite one another on Jalan Petitenget, away from Seminyak's heavily-trafficked main streets, rise way above the rest.  Namu carries the lovely accessories in the pictures above (a certain arriviste got those gorge agate earrings for herself and a silk sarong) and Carga stocks Bali-chic (not a prevalent enough combination, unfortunately) home accessories: cotton pillows, candles, vases, wicker baskets, beautiful toddler-sized frocks and more.  

When you're done browsing, pop into Potato Head, a beach club with a silly name but an inviting infinity pool, mid-century modern decor that oozes laid-back cool, and damn good drinks.  Feeling for a local lunch instead? Warung Kolega, a short taxi ride up the road, will satisfy that fix in a very good way.

- Namu: Jl. Petiteneget 234X

- Carga: Jl. Petiteneget 886

- Warung Kolega: Jl. Petiteneget 98A

 

An amble around Chinatown and its environs

 
   

Top: Shophouses in Chinatown.  Bottom: Thian Hock Keng Temple.

On my first visit to Singapore, having come from Hong Kong, I skipped Chinatown altogether.  What, I thought, would there be to see in Chinatown that I didn't already know very well from the real China? (Okay, Hong Kong isn't exactly real China, but you get my point).  Well, it turns out that Chinatown is one of the best places to see Singapore's distinctive shophouses.  The colorful low-rise buildings originated in 18th century colonial Singapore and traditionally housed the family business at the front and living quarters at the back. 

Here's a suggested itinerary that will give you your fill of shophouses and includes a food detor at the end (or perhaps the begining if you start hungry), as well as some distinctive shops and sights to pop into. 

The Chinatown MRT station is the closest stop to this itinerary. 

- Walk: Start at the corner of South Bridge Road and Temple Street and wander up and down Temple, Smith, and Sago streets, which are choc-a-bloc with food stalls, cheap market items and lots and lots of shophouses.  

- Shop: Head up Ann Siang Hill and around Club Street for independent boutiques, cafes and restaurants.

- Eat: If you're hungry (and not interested in your reward below), drop into PS Cafe, tucked at the end of Ann Siang Hill, for reliable, if pricey, continental food.  (New Yorkers: One look at the ground floor and you'll swear you stumbled into a Lower East Side bar, reproduction tin roof and all.)

- Walk and shop some more: Take a left out of PS Cafe and head through Ann Siang Park to Amoy St.  Wander up Amoy and over to Telok Ayer for a peep into the beautiful Thian Hock Keng Chinese temple.  Be sure to stop into Hide and Seek and the utterly sublime Doorstep Luxury for beautiful accessories from international designers (more on that to come!). [Update: Hide and Seek is now at 77 Bussorah St in the Arab Quarter.]

- And now your reward: the inimitable Chinese burger at Lau Pa Sat!

Hawker center standout: Rou jia mou, the Chinese burger

 



Above: Rou jia mou at Lau Pa Sat

We here at the Arriviste are no lovers of amateur food photography.  (And by “we” I mean “me”, because, after all, there’s only one person writing this blog. “We” does add an air of authority, though, and it seems to be a fashionable pronoun on the blogs these days, so I thought I'd try it out. Anyhoo.)  More often than not, non-professional, non-styled food photographs are utterly unappetizing.*

So I realize I’m taking a risk posting the above photo of rou jia mou, aka a “Chinese burger”, at the Lau Pa Sat hawker center, but its sheer deliciousness demands that it have its own picture.  I’m also about to festoon this post with clichés as I describe the said "burger", but that can’t be helped either.  These little sandwiches are bursting with flavor: piping-hot diced pork and herbs, drizzled with a light, savory sauce, and packed into a soft, floury bun. They are now on regular rotation on this arriviste's weekday lunch lineup.

Buyer beware: obsession may ensue.  Buyer also beware: If you get there at 1:30pm, they may be sold out and you’ll have to come back for the evening round.

Jia Xin Kitchen, #76 Lau Pa Sat Festival Market, 18 Raffles Quay

MRT: Raffles Place

www.laupasat.biz

*Arriviste muse and blogger extraordinaire Notabilia demonstrates food snapshots done right here, here, and here.

 

Freebie! I-S Singapore Restaurant Guide 2011

 Image courtesy of is.asia-city.com

Because they are as awesome as the free weekly they put out on the most happening of happenings all over Singapore, the editors at I-S Magazine are offering their Restaurant Guide 2011 for free until April 8.  Download it at their website, is.asia-city.com.  Allez-y, mes gourmands!  

A perfect cocktail

 

Going, going, gone

My new friend and Arriviste muse Connie introduced me to the Smokey Old Bastard at the Tippling Club on Dempsey Hill on Monday.  I made it ONE day before I had to go back for another...by myself!  But it was, after all, for research.

I developed my love of the creative and well-made cocktail in New York City as the speakeasy revival was getting underway (think Employees Only, Death & Co, and the departed East Side Company), and so I consider my standards pretty high.  And this is one unforgettable drink: fragrant smoke, like orange peels and tobacco in a fireplace, spills out of the bottle when you take off the cap, and the drink itself tastes like an old fashioned on a tropical holiday--gentler, mellower, and slightly sweeter.

Bartender, all I can say is bravo.  Bravo.

Afternoon tea, in high style

 
  
 

TWG is one of Singapore’s most recognizable, most elegant local brands and the fine tea house has a lovely, perhaps Singapore’s loveliest, afternoon tea at their boutique and salon in Ion Orchard.  You’ll find no gauche finger-food buffet here, but you will find a full menu, exquisite brews (naturally) and pastries, and a stylish afternoon tea. The Napoleon caramel macaron--chocolatey, caramely, and black tea-y--may be worth a visit on its own. There's often a wait for a table, so try to avoid busy times (and Ion’s roaming hordes of shoppers).

 

Peking duck may be addictive

 

Dumpling making at Din Tai Fung

Echoes of Art Deco elegance at Imperial Treasure Super Peking Duck

 

Probably more than anything else, Singapore is an eating city, and food writing—where, what, how much, the best, the worst, blah, blah, blah—abounds.  But not without good reason: Singaporeans are serious about what they eat and restaurants are serious about what they serve their discerning, vocal clientele. (Like food writing, strong opinion also abounds here.)

As a result Singapore has an overwhelming number of excellent restaurants.  But even the most gourmand arriviste can only eat so much, especially if you're short on time.  And as much as dining at hawker centers, smörgasbords of local street food, is hailed as a quintessential Singapore experience, this arriviste would say so is eating at a Chinese restaurant.  

Here are some deservedly famous places, both elegant and relaxed, that each specialize in dishes that you will not soon forget.

-       Imperial Treasure Super Peking Duck: This relaxed, elegant restaurant is famous for its Peking duck, which may be, quite literally, addictive.  You will be thinking about it for days after, I guarantee it.

-       Din Tai Fung: The hugely popular casual Taiwanese chain is famous throughout the region for its xiao long bao (Shanghainese soup dumplings).  But don’t let the fact that it’s a chain put you off—their xiao long bao may be one of the world’s perfect foods.

-       Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao: Another popular chain, and those who’ve never had the privilege should go for the fried pork dumplings (which in my humble estimation are even better than the namesake xiao long bao).  Immediately.  (NB, Crystal Jade has a number of different restaurants in its group that all specialize in different food.  Be sure to head to " Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao.")

Expect to wait for a table at all of these restaurants at busy times of day.