DimSumDolly* - the different morsels of the life of a foodie

Bliss

It's been awhile since I last updated about my life - for those interested in knowing, read on. Otherwise, skip this! Work, freelance work, and paddling have been the main things that I have been preoccupied with. I haven't had the time to really sit down and write, and I've been paddling quite a bit. People who don't understand why I love outrigger canoeing think I, and my teammates, are insane to be making our way to Sentosa's Tanjong Beach on Tuesday and Thursday mornings at 6 to paddle. We're out of the water by 7.45am and usually I'm off the island by 8.15am. After which I head to work. Morning paddles are so refreshing and what better way to greet the start of a new day than to see the sunrise as you paddle in the sea with a fresh, cool breeze blowing against your face? Such little pleasures in life are priceless.

The trip to Korea was FANTASTIC. Loved the food, got to meet up with a friend and made some new friends. More photos will continue from the previous two entries.

Well, speaking of little pleasures in life that are priceless, I now have to mention last Tuesday 16 June. That day will always be a special day for me and will be one of the most memorable days of 2009. It's been a long while since I've had such an absolutely wonderful day and on that day I could say I was truly happy. The day started out with a morning sunrise paddle which is always lovely. Instead of having to rush off after the paddle, I lingered around in Tanjong Beach as I had taken the day off. Monoceros and I had agreed to spend the morning and afternoon as beach bums.

The paddle finished at 8.15 and so I lay on the beach and waited for monoceros to turn up. While waiting, I revelled in the quietness and tranquility of the scene that lay before me. For once, the beach was pretty much empty save for a person or two who was walking along the beach or who had come for a morning swim with a dog. Still, it was a big difference from the beach I know at the weekend. Monoceros arrived at the beach at about 9.30am. She took a dip in the water while I lay on the beach to dry off from my morning paddle. At mid-day we walked to Palawan Beach's food court for lunch and then headed back to Tanjong Beach for more beach bumming. I swear I was born to be a beach bum.

Bliss is when there's a quiet beach lying in front of you with the morning sun kissing your skin with warm rays and the morning sea breeze caressing your face. Bliss is when you lie on the beach and look up at the everchanging fluffy white clouds floating past against the backdrop of a massive blue canvas. Bliss is when you hear nothing but the sound of waves lapping up the shore. Bliss is when you're spending a weekday as a beach bum when everyone else is in the office. Bliss is when you're stretched out on the sand with a book in hand. Bliss is when your best pal is lying beside you on the beach and the both of you are talking about anything and everything, laughing and lamenting together about life, men, love, movies, music, books, tan lines, hair, fashion, etc. Read monoceros's account of the day here.

Tanjong Beach may not be the nicest beach in the world, but it is a beach that is very special to me. I've spent countless hours there because of a sport (i.e outrigger canoeing) that I love and I've forged many friendships there as well. At 3.30pm, monoceros and I finally left Tanjong Beach. When we left the beach, I had transformed myself from beach bum to lady. I was wearing a dress and a pair of green high heels and had put on make-up. I then drove myself to One 15 Marina in Sentosa Cove where an ex-classmate from junior college was going to have his marriage solemnization ceremony. There were other ex-classmates in attendance and the wedding was an elegant, simple and intimate affair with only about 40 guests - very tastefully done.

At 8pm, I found myself at Pinchos, the bar and restaurant located at 8 Rochester Park. I was there to join my teammates for pub quiz night! I love pub quizzes. I love being tested on trivia - it's the nerd in me. Yes, my brain stores all sorts of useless information. The night was filled with good conversation and lots of laughter and I felt so blessed to have such great friends. I'm not the most sociable paddler on the paddling scene, but it's enough that I have this small group of paddling pals whom I can really call my good friends.

So yes, Tuesday 16 June 2009 was a day that was filled with many wonderful moments. It was a day that I felt truly happy and blissful especially when I was at the beach. It's one of those rare days when everything goes right and nothing in the world could spoil it. Such moments in life are truly rare and it's a day I'll always look back upon with fond memories. When monoceros and I left the beach, I think a tinge of sadness and nostalgia lingered in our hearts because we were both aware that it'll be a lllllooooonnnngggg time before we get to do something like that again. Why? Well, we'll both be starting new jobs and it'll be difficult finding time to do something similar in the near future. Tanjong Beach at the weekend is just not the same as Tanjong Beach on a weekday.

And oh, one more piece of news for the friends who read this blog and whom I've failed to inform - I'm relocating to Hong Kong for work come 2 August. It was decision that was made three weeks ago and things have been progressing fast in preparation for the move. On a personal and career level, this will be a good change for me and something that has come at the right time. It's something I need at this point in my life. Wanderlust is stirring again and I could do with a change in my social scene. Career-wise, it's also time for me to move on as where I am currently isn't a place I can, or should, stay for long. As monoceros wrote in her entry, "We're horses whose thirst for life and light and landscape is too seldom slaked." Indeed, I'm a bit of a wild horse.

Like a wild horse, the restless spirit in me needs to find new pastures to run and graze upon. DimSumDolly will be continuing her adventures in Hong Kong, the land of dimsum! Hooray! Wish me luck!

Gangneung - Part 2

A few more snapshots from Gangneung...

This is the touristy Seaside Train that runs along the coast for about 1 hour 20 minutes from Gangneung to Samcheok. The day that I took it was a lovely one so it was a scenic ride down the coast. Sometimes soldiers and students wave at you from along the road as the train chugs along the tracks. :)

The middle carriage with all the hearts is supposed to be the carriage for couples. Apparently men like to propose there. That's what I read on some website anyway.

Do you believe me now?

The seats are refitted so that they are face the side and the windows are made bigger so that people have an unobstructed view of the sea. How smart! There is a running commentary by a train staff but obviously I couldn't understand a single word.

The train journey is made interesting by making passengers wave at the cameras (and then you see yourself on the monitor perched in front) and there's also Bingo! Passengers are each given a Bingo card and numbers appear on the monitor. About 30 numbers are thrown up and there is a high chance of Bingo-ing. But I wasn't so lucky. A Korean lady in her 50s sitting three seats (the one on the right in the picture) from me Bingo-ed and her prize was a bag of snacks which she very generously shared with her two friends and me!

Jeongdongjin station where a hotel in the shape of a cruise ship sits atop a hill.

Barb wire fencing stretches along the coast to prevent North Korea defectors from entering South Korea. Gangneung is in the northeast of the Korean peninsula and is close to North Korea.

Rooftops of one of villages along the coast

Pine trees along the coast - Gangneung is an area in South Korea known for its pine trees that are unique to the region.

Gangneung - Part 1

The first three days of my trip to Korea was spent in Gangneung, a seaside city in Gangwan-do province in the north east of South Korea. Here are a few snapshots from the place.

The bed in the pension (similar to a motel but that's what they call it in Korea) I was staying at. I thought I had walked into a Strawberry Shortcake cartoon. WAY too pink for my liking.

Mirror image

The curtains were made from the same cloth as the bedsheet. Pink overkill. There's a small stove, sink, and mini fridge in the room as well. The balcony outside also comes with a small grill for those inclined towards a mini BBQ.

The pension faces Gyeongpo Beach, a popular beach that Koreans go to in summer to enjoy the sun and sea.

Market in the city centre

Grains and millet for sale

Women line the streets with their fresh produce. Many old ladies were selling fruits and vegetables by the small lanes. The men were the ones selling meats.

A truck full of garlic

Couldn't quite figure out what these were, but they looked like baby eels to me. Many stalls were selling them.

Different varieties of dried fish

It's almost as if these fish are singing in unison.

Why I'm not Korean

Hello! I'm writing from Seoul...am having a good time exploring the city, eating and doing touristy stuff. I'm staying in a traditional Korean house called a hanok near the area called Insa-dong. It's a lovely area filled with small shops...pictures to come after I return to Singapore.

Meanwhile, after some observation over the past week and a half, here's why you can tell I'm not Korean:

1) I don't have long hair - every Korean woman seems to have long hair. Very few have short cropped hair.

2) I'm not fair. All Korean women seem to be fair of skin. I think they must think I come from the countryside or something...I spend my days in the field farming hence I'm so tan!

3) I'm not thin nor skinny. I think all Korean women and men are born with a skinny gene. They can eat a lot (in fact I've noticed that most can really eat) and yet remain so thin! It's amazing...I'm jealous. Maybe it's all the chilli keeping their metabolic rate up.

4) I don't own or carry around a pocket mirror. It's bizarre...Korean women love checking themselves out in mirrors. The phenomenon is so prevalent that it is even mentioned in The Rough Guide edition for Korea. I've noticed that they all carry a pocket mirror in their bag and they take it out after a meal to check every corner of their face at the table. Even the subway stations have big mirrors along the pillars...I guess it's for people to check themselves out (and they actually do so) as they walk past! I think it's rather bizarre...this obsession with looks. But hey, this is the land of plastic surgery, so I guess i shouldn't be too surprised! I propose that the Korean Tourism Board make the mirror the quintessential Korean souvenir.

5) I don't dress girlishly...every woman is so feminine. I'm like a total tomboy. I hate all those frilly dresses and skirts that the women here are so fond of.

6) I don't put on a lot of make-up. Been noticing that many slap on lots of foundation, powder, mascara etc. But OK, still nothing compared to Japanese women!

7) Korean women love taking photos of themselves with, most commonly, their mobile phone. They are posing for pictures left, right and centre. According to a Korean friend, one of the most important features of a mobile phone is the camera feature. That's the first feature they test out when buying a phone. It's known as 'self-camera' but in Konglish, they call is 'cel-ka'.

Anyway, am enjoying the foreign-ness of the place and what the city has to offer. More when I'm back! ,

Ode to the Potato

For those of you who adore this tuber, here's an ode I came across. Personally, I don't really like potato. I don't eat French fries, chips or crisps as the British call it. Don't like baked potato either. It's ironic that sometimes I'm called kantang (Malay term for potato) by some Singaporeans I meet, by virtue of the fact that I come across as so English-speaking and Westernised. Anyway, not a big fan of potato in general but like this cute ode to it.

Ode to the Potato

by Barbara Hamby

"They eat a lot of French fries here," my mother
announces after a week in Paris, and she's right,
not only about les pommes frites but the celestial tuber
in all its forms: rotie, purée, not to mention
au gratin or boiled and oiled in la salade niçoise.
Batata edulis discovered by gold-mad conquistadors
in the West Indies, and only a 100 years later
in The Merry Wives of Windsor Falstaff cries,
"Let the skie raine Potatoes," for what would we be
without you--lost in a sea of fried turnips,
mashed beets, roasted parsnips? Mi corazón, mon coeur,
my core is not the heart but the stomach, tuber
of the body, its hollow stem the throat and esophagus,
leafing out to the nose and eyes and mouth. Hail
the conquering spud, all its names marvelous: Solanum
tuberosum, Igname, Caribe, Russian Banana, Yukon Gold.
When you turned black, Ireland mourned. O Mr. Potato Head,
how many deals can a man make before he stops being
small potatoes? How many men can a woman drop
like a hot potato? Eat it cooked or raw like an apple
with salt of the earth, apple of the earth, pomme de terre.
Tuber, tuber burning bright in a kingdom without light,
deep within the earth where the Incan potato gods rule,
forging their golden orbs for the world's ravening gorge.

To Seoul to Feed My Soul

'You're crazy!' / 'Mad!' / 'Nothing's changed with you. The flighty horse.'

So these were some reactions I got from a few friends when I told them I had booked myself on a flight to Korea on the spur of the moment. I had the thought Monday night before going to bed. By Tuesday afternoon 3pm, I had redeemed a ticket with my KrisFlyer miles to Seoul. I couldn't not make use of the SQ 50% discount on miles redemption.

For the month of May, the cities eligible for the 50% promotion are Zurich, London, Auckland, Seoul and Sydney. The first three were out 'cos they are too expensive. So it was a toss-up between Seoul and Sydney. I decided on Seoul because I had just enough miles for it, whereas for Sydney I would have had to top up with money (seeing that I have at least 70% of the required miles) or redeemed my credit card points for miles.

Sydney would have been the easy and cheaper option actually. I would have free accommodation and it's a city I call my second home. I'm familiar with it, I have family and friends there. But Seoul won out because I decided I needed a bit of adventure. I need to see something new, discover new places and cultures. I need the challenge of being in a place where I don't speak the language. I want to be put out of my comfort zone and have my senses heightened. I need to feel alive.

So this is another one of those last minute, on-the-spur-of-the-moment decisions that my friends have grown accustomed to me making. It's going to be solo travel and I'll probably find myself lonely often during the trip, but nevermind, I'll deal with it. I'll survive 13 days on my own. I just desperately need to get out of Singapore. I haven't been out since end October. I'm going insane.

Actually I know NOTHING about Korea. And as of now, I have no clue where I'm going to go or what I'm going to do, or where I'm going to stay. I'm shitting in my pants. Haha. But nevermind, it'll work out somehow. I'm sure.

If anyone knows any cool people I can possibly contact to take me out, or have any suggestions as to what I should do, go, where I should stay etc, please drop me a note!!! ANY help is appreciated 'cos this crazy dolly's agenda here is like a blank canvass at the moment and is completely open to suggestions! I'll be in Korea 12 - 24 May.

Thank you!!!

Blueberry

Blueberry

by Diane Lockward

Deep-blue hue of the body, silvery bloom
on its skin. Undersized runt of a fruit,
like something that failed to thrive, dented top
a fontanel. Lopsided globe. A temperate zone.
Tiny paradox, tart and sweet, homely
but elegant afloat in sugar and cream,
baked in a pie, a cobbler, a muffin.

This is what I want to remember: my mother
and me, our quilted robes, hair in curlers,
that kitchen, that table,
plates stacked with pancakes, blueberries sparkling
like gemstones, blue stars in a gold sky,
the universe in reverse,
the two of us eating blueberry pancakes.

It's amazing how Diane Lockward manages to wax lyrical about so small a fruit. After coming across this poem, I felt compelled to post it on my blog as I adore blueberries. It's a pity that they are so expensive here in Singapore. If they were less expensive, I'd be buying punnets of them, and stuffing my face.

In London during summer when blueberries are in season, I used to buy blueberries and strawberries every other day from the fruit stall stationed just outside Holborn station. My office was near there and every day I would walk past the stall. My breakfast consisted of fruits most of the time - strawberries, blueberries, nectarines, grapes, and clementines were the usual suspects. My English colleagues deemed me to very healthy for eating fruits for breakfast every day. I don't think anyone else had the same habit. Anyway, when blueberries were in season, they were cheap - something like £1.50 for a small punnet of fresh blueberries. I would down all of them in one sitting and get my antioxidant boost. Perhaps that's why I was pretty healthy the months I was in Europe.

Like Lockward writes, I love how blueberries are so easy to eat. You only have to wash them and then they can be popped straight into your mouth. When they are nice and fresh, there's a slight crunch as you bite into them. For me, I like blueberries best fresh. I would only ever bake them if they were overripe. I feel that it's a waste of the fruit if one bakes or cooks them when they are freshly harvested. That said, I have a weakness for blueberry pancakes.

Fresh blueberries and strawberries go well with desserts such as pavlova or some other really sweet dessert. Their tartness helps to balance the sweetness and makes the dessert go down easier on the palate. Blueberries are also great additions in fruit salads. I would be one of the culprits picking them out in a salad bowl. ;p

I guess blueberries should be in season very soon and I'm hoping prices of blueberries in Singapore will come down a wee bit so that I can at least indulge in them a little more!

Saizeriya

Went to Saizeriya, the Japanese chain of Italian bistro, at Liang Court about a month ago and wasn't impressed by the food. I mean, the food's OK for the prices you pay but don't be expected to be blown away.

I had the seafood risotto. Actually I had requested that the chef replace the squid some other form of seafood, but I was told by the waitress that they do not entertain special requests on Fri and weekend nights because the kitchen is too busy. I think that's a lousy excuse. If McDonald's can do it, why can't they? But anyway, it arrives in about five minutes. The fast service is good for hungry vultures like I was that night. But like I said, not impressed by the food. It's food that I'd ate only for sustenance and not pleasure. Sauce was too watery and the rice didn't seem like proper risotto rice.

When my two friends arrived, we ordered Escargot for a starter. Hungry me had started on my risotto before they arrived! To be fair to me, they were late! Anyway, the escargots baked in garlic were actually pretty tasty. They were small in size but pretty tasty nonetheless...I attribute it to the magic of garlic.

We also ordered a piece of pita bread to soak up the garlic sauce. This was served warm and it was nice and soft. Seems like the side dishes were tasting better than the mains.

One of my friends went for the Hamburger set. As you can see, the beef pattie is pretty sinful, what with the cheese and gravy on top. I tried a little of the beef pattie and the first thought that came to mind was just 'it's edible'. The other friend had ordered a pasta in cream sauce and I remember she just found it 'OK'.

The place gets busy early in the evening but turnover is pretty fast because it's not a place where people sit and linger. So you wouldn't have to wait very long for a table even if there's a queue. Service is efficient and the food comes fast. It's not a place I would go to again though. The Italian fare here doesn't quite make the cut for me and I'd much rather fork out more money to eat better Italian food.

Saizeriya
Liang Court #02-22
Tel: (65) 6337 8948

The Secret Life of Lobsters

If I had to choose to be a female animal, I might want to be a female lobster. Why? Simple - because the male lobster, it turns out, is a most tender and passionate lover. Hey, any female could do with a tender lover or two. Well, make that as many as possible. :p

In The Secret Life of Lobsters, Trevor Corson brings readers on a journey to show how fishermen and scientists unravel the mysteries behind how lobsters procreate and to understand their population cycles in the wild of North America.

Male lobsters, as I've read, have double genitalia which are, erm, always hard. Any male readers out there envious already? Lobsters mate when the female sheds her shell. When a lobster sheds its shell, it is at its most vulnerable state as it has no protection and there is every danger of being attacked and cannibalised by other lobsters lurking around. But when a male lobster senses that a molted female is ready to mate, he very gently hovers and toes around her, flips her over with the utmost care and then does the deed without injuring her fragile form. And hey, did you know that female lobsters seduced males into submission by urinating into their faces? OK, something definitely not to be tried in the homosapien context.

By focusing on the small lobstering community in Little Cranberry Island, which is one of the 300 Maine islands, readers are accorded an intimate portrayal of this group of people and how scientific developments and discoveries, sustainable practices and government legislations have affected the livelihoods of these people. This microcosm in turn provides a more in-depth understanding of the lobstering trade and industry as a whole in the United States.

Delve into the dangers of lobstering, the habitats lobsters inhabit and how weather conditions affect the catchment yield. Learn also how the lobstermen ensure the lobster population is not wiped out by the employment of sustainable methods of fishing. Lobstermen do this by cutting a V-notch in the tails of egg-bearing females to mark them as protected breeders. Large dominant males are also thrown back into the sea when caught so that they can mate with these protected breeders.

Corson manages to explain scientific fact in a reader-friendly style and engages the laymen in his quest to uncover the ins and outs of lobstering as well as the secrets behind the lobster's anatomy and how its different body parts help it to survive, move, hunt and procreate.

It's a thoroughly engaging book and one I'd recommend for a better understanding of this crustacean that we occasionally find on our dinner plate. The Appendix also teaches you how to cook a lobster and you can find out whether a lobster feels pain when thrust into boiling water. I'm not sure if this book is available in the National Library (so far I haven't come across it on the shelves of the branches I frequent) as the copy I read was very generously loaned to me by David from The Importance of Salt. Thanks!!!

Food in the Mail

If only more advertisers advertised in this way...

It's quite a thrill receiving food in the mail even if it's just a small little packet of snacks. I think it's a brilliant way of advertising for food-loving Singaporeans!

The back of the packaging even comes with a calendar.

The advertised product which my mum said tasted pretty good. I didn't taste it 'cos I'm not really a fan of such snacks. You'll have to take my mum's word for it then.

And the requisite disclaimer!

'Steal Food' 偷吃

The other day I was reading the Chinese section of my paper 我报 and one of the headlines in the entertainment section screamed that Japanese comedian Tomonori Jinnai was caught 'stealing food', i.e. 偷吃. The article then went on to report how he apologised to his wife, Norika Fujiwara, and fans for his misconduct.

I'm not sure about other dialects, but I know for sure that in Mandarin and Cantonese, the term 偷吃 means that a man is fooling around behind his wife's or girlfriend's back. In Mandarin the two characters are pronounced 'tou chi' and in Cantonese 'tao sek'. It just occurred to me this morning as I was waiting for my bus to work that this is an example of how food is linked with language play. It seems that the Chinese people love food so much that even life's carnal pleasures has to be linked to food. Well to be fair, food IS one of life's carnal pleasures, to me anyway. Ha.

偷吃 is indeed an apt metaphor though. And one that, in my opinion, is subtle yet to the point in its underlying meaning. However the actor's apology for his lascivious greed came too late as Norika Fujiwara has decided to divorce him. Good on her! Guess real life isn't that funny for Jinnai after all.

The Green Room Cafe

I can't believe I haven't been to The Green Room Cafe located in the heart of Bishan Park after all this time. I live really close by, yet I never bothered to check it out until one Wednesday afternoon when I was on half-day's leave.

I met up with a friend there for tea, and we spent about 2.5 hours chatting and lounging around on the comfy sofa with the fan spinning above us. We chose to sit on the patio rather than indoors. After all, the point is to be surrounded by all that lush greenery.

It's a vegetarian cafe so maybe not a place for the carnivores. I only had the peppermint tea there so I can't comment on the food and drink.

It's a nice getaway from the hustle and bustle of Singapore and is perfect for a lazy afternoon. You just need to use a little imagination and keep your vision to a 10-metre radius, and you could almost believe you were in Bali or some nice tropical paradise.

Fook Yew T-shirt

I'm not normally a fan of the clothing line New Urban Male but I find their Lust Supper series in their vintage line really cute! It's cheeky and smart and has a lot of local flavour - in more ways than one!

I helped good friend, A, get this shirt and shipped it to Australia. He spotted the T-shirt while he was here on holiday but they didn't have this particular one when he was here. Later I saw the last piece in the outlet located at The Cathay and promptly bought it for him. There are T-shirts for Bak Kut Teh, Chwee Kueh, Ang Ku Kueh etc.

Check out more of the T-shirts out at their website.

Linguini

Whoever knew linguini could be something so romantic? I never knew one of my favourite types of pasta has been written about in such a lyrical and romantic way. If some guy wrote a poem like that for me, I'd marry him straight away. :p

Linguini

by Diane Lockward

It was always linguini between us.
Linguini with white sauce, or
red sauce, sauce with basil snatched from
the garden, oregano rubbed between
our palms, a single bay leaf adrift amidst
plum tomatoes. Linguini with meatballs,
sausage, a side of brascioli. Like lovers
trying positions, we enjoyed it every way
we could-artichokes, mushrooms, little
neck clams, mussels, and calamari-linguini
twining and braiding us each to each.
Linguini knew of the kisses, the smooches,
the molti baci. It was never spaghetti
between us, not cappellini, nor farfalle,
vermicelli, pappardelle, fettucini, perciatelli,
or even tagliarini. Linguini we stabbed, pitched,
and twirled on forks, spun round and round
on silver spoons. Long, smooth, and always
al dente. In dark trattorias, we broke crusty panera,
toasted each other--La dolce vita!--and sipped
Amarone, wrapped ourselves in linguini,
briskly boiled, lightly oiled, salted, and lavished
with sauce. Bellissimo, paradisio, belle gente!
Linguini witnessed our slurping, pulling, and
sucking, our unraveling and raveling, chins
glistening, napkins tucked like bibs in collars,
linguini stuck to lips, hips, and bellies, cheeks
flecked with formaggio--parmesan, romano,
and shaved pecorino--strands of linguini flung
around our necks like two fine silk scarves.