the Arriviste

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

 

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!

 

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. 

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!  

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.