Eating our way through Singapore

When my friend Badette and I went on a quick trip to Singapore recently, we had two things on our agenda: to meet with friends we hadn’t seen for a long time and to sample as much food as we can within the time allotted.



Badette is based in San Francisco where she works as a banquet chef at Starwood’s W Hotel. It was her first visit to Singapore. I, meantime, was a frequent visitor and had been to most of the sights, so I was glad that Badette wasn’t interested in visiting Universal Studios, Sentosa and the zoo.





We stayed at another Starwood property, St. Regis, which was classically Old World and tastefully furnished. Our Lady Astor room was fitted out with two extremely comfortable double beds (with plenty of pillows) and plush window seats. It was 56 square meters of elegance. Our marble bath had a tub with a view and its own glassed-in TV. I was disappointed when Badette found an open packet of Fererro Rocher chocolates with one piece missing at our mini-bar but the butler immediately set everything in order. Service was exemplary, from the doormen to the restaurant waitstaff to the concierge.

The hotel is located on Tanglin Road, and was just a building away from Orchard and a very short walk from Ion where we did most of our shopping.

Here are the highlights of our Singapore trip:

1. Reconnecting with old friends



Topping my list is meeting up with my cousin Maureen and dear friend Doyts. The last time I saw Mau was when I visited Singapore with the family to celebrate my dad’s 70^th birthday, which was almost three years ago. We had a laughter-filled chat over Chatterbox’s Hainanese chicken rice.



We also got to have brunch with Doyts who has been based in Singapore for 8 years but whom I’ve never had the chance to reconnect with in previous visits. She was her usual hyper hysterical self and we had our usual guffaws and belly-laughs while monitoring the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight over social media. We were joined by Doyts’s husband Paolo, their son (and my godson) Marco and newly born daughter Sabine.

2. Lunch at No Signboard

We wanted to eat at Makansutra in Esplanade but opening time was at 5 p.m., too close to dinner, which we had booked at W Hotel Sentosa’s The Kitchen Table. While walking around Esplanade, I
spotted No Signboard and instantly decided to stop by for lunch.



We wanted crabs for sure and we found a set menu for two that included specialties such as white pepper crabs, crispy squid, cereal prawns and mango tapioca at S$250 thereabouts. We went for
it.

Restaurant Review: Black Sheep

“Our goal is to capture the flavor spectrum of our people in one meal, one sitting. To fully understand what is good and comfortable but to push the limits of our skills and give everyone a unique experience.” - Chef Jordy Navarra

Black Sheep’s degustacion has got to be one of the best meals one can have in Manila. And that is saying a lot because there’s so much good eating to be had in this metro.



I would even hazard to say that its signature salad, the Bahay Kubo, is one of the best things ever produced by a Filipino chef. This salad deserves a medal for originality, for taste and for plating. It is Iron Chef material.

Underneath the “topsoil” made of eggplant and peanuts are all the vegetables named in the Philippine folk song from which the salad derives its name. Take your fork and really dig in in order to get to the bed of sauce and scoop enough vegetables and “soil” to enjoy a complete mouthful of this genius dish.

This is my favorite and the star of the show in my opinion, quite a feat for a salad for sure. I wouldn’t quite say it steals the thunder from the stellar main course, a perfectly cooked rib eye steak made of aged Kitayama beef served on a plate “glazed” with squid ink mashed potatoes, but it comes close.



The meal starts with chicken-n-egg (free-range chicken, mandarin and beer), which gets five points for originality and plating. I need to shave off a point for taste because the crunch that I loved when I first tried it was sorely missing the second time.



This was followed by the macaron with laing. When served, the waitstaff will remind you to let the whole morsel melt in your mouth. It is a necessary detail. I gobbled the entire thing during my first visit, and dismissed it as forgettable. The second time around, I took the advice and ended up really delighting in this effervescent creation as it unraveled its sweet, creamy goodness onto my tongue.



Following this was the Today’s Catch course. I was able to sample the oysters during my first visit. It was nothing special. On my second visit, I was served a dumpling on a spoon. I took the whole thing in my mouth, took a bite and almost choked as the sudden burst of soup flooded the back of my throat. The bisque-like liquid was packed with the flavor of prawns. The second item on the plate was an ebi tempura with prawn-flavored mayonnaise on the side. It was prawn on prawn on prawn. And it was delicious.



For my main course during my second visit, I opted for the pork and chicken, which certainly paled in comparison to the beef. I think Chef Jordy Navarra can certainly produce something more badass from a sublime raw material like pork.



The desserts are not quite there yet in terms of flavor but get top points for presentation. Maybe in my next visit, and there certainly will be one.



Budget from P1900++ per person
Monday - Saturday +632 478 4498 | +63917 871 4388 dine@blacksheepbgc.com
(Update: Black Sheep recently announced the closure of its BGC location. News is the restaurant will be moving to a new location in Makati CBD. Unfortunately, Chef Jordy will not be joining the move. I'm eagerly awaiting his next venture.)

How to choose a vacation rental or an AirBNB home

Since I booked my first vacation rental in Honolulu six or so years ago, I’ve become a fan of this type of accommodation. Online, I chanced upon a dreamy place in Waikiki that had plantation-style architecture and a partial view of the beach, and at $150 a night, it was a steal. I was a bit disconcerted upon arrival when I saw that work was being done in the hallway but when I stepped inside the unit, I was relieved to find the studio as I had imagined it to be—perhaps even
better, because the owners were thoughtful enough to leave a basket of Hawaii-made goodies on the table and stock up the cabinets with helpful guidebooks and DVDs of movies shot in Hawaii (50 First Dates!). When I opened the closet, there were foldable beach chairs, snorkeling gear, beach towels and toys—things you’ll most likely need if you were to spend a family holiday in Hawaii with kids in tow.

Since then, I made it a point to check out apartment rentals whenever I have an extended trip (i.e. longer than five days). Hotel rooms are worth the splurge for short stays where I can’t be bothered to carry my own luggage or I expect to spend days in bed in blissful languor sustained by room service and in-room massage. Otherwise, rentals are a practical choice, and some are so lovely you’d wish you lived in them.



Good rentals are not easy to find. I remember spending hours of research on the computer before finding something worth shortlisting. This was years before AirBNB came into the scene and changed everything.

I used AirBNB for the first time last September when I went to France and Italy for a vacation. As a first-time user, I didn’t know if I was getting the real deal but I found the registration process reassuring. You can’t fake your identity because you have to submit an official identification, which is
authenticated by a software.

Of course I still had to scour thousands of listings, especially in Paris, which is a big city. But there were filter tools that made the process more manageable. In Paris, for instance, I knew I wanted to stay at the Left Bank, in the area of St Germain de Pres. So I applied the filter and used the map to
check out every listing in the area. I also filtered the price and number of rooms to cut the list down further.



Model and blogger Kim Jones stayed at the above AirBNB rental in Paris. Isn’t it a dream?

Lola Illang's Sikulati de Cacao: Worth Melting For

One of my fondest memories of Lola Illang is of her pretending to trip over some blooms at the Botanical Gardens in Baguio where we were spending the summer of my 10th year. A whistle went off because visitors were not allowed to touch the flowers. We helped her to her feet as she discreetly slipped a clenched fist into her pocket, hiding what I can only guess to be sprigs or seeds.

She had plenty of room for her spoils. Our family compound included an expansive orchard, where she’d often be found tucking something under the soil. The yield, in time, found their way onto our plate.

She was a retired Home Economics teacher. It was my belief that she could make anything by hand—from straw doormats to fruit preserves.

Back when I had yet to discover the pleasures of coffee, my drink of choice was lola’s sikulati (hot cocoa). Not only was it made my hand, the main ingredient was grown in our backyard. Lola would gather the pods from our cacao trees and prepared the seeds following the process detailed below.

Erming gathering cacao pods

Erming and Victor

The cacao tree grows tall. Dummo climbs up to pick more pods.

Eru's turn to climb.

Lola Illang left the seeds to dry under the sun in a bilao (woven winnowing tray), after which they were roasted, peeled and ground, and formed into balls. I would stand by to watch and she would put her chocolate-stained hand to my face so that I could inhale the warm, earthy smell.

Gathering the seeds

Washing off the pulp

The seeds are then spread on a bilao to dry

The trays are left on the roof of the outhouse to dry under the sun

The sun-dried seeds

The seeds are transferred into a claypot for roasting

The traditional wood-fed clay stove

Roasting the seeds

The seeds after roasting

Winnowing the roasted seeds

After which, the shells are peeled off

To reveal the cacao beans

The seeds go into the heavy-duty stone mortar, owned by my great-grandmother's family

Pound away

Until the seeds turn into powder

Spreading the powder onto a flat grinding stone, another heirloom piece from my great-lola’s family

The powder is spread onto the grindstone, another heirloom piece from my great-lola's family

Roll away until the powder turns into a fine paste and the oil comes out

The paste is shaped into balls by hand

When the surface is slick with oil, set them aside for melting.

The beans, the paste, the balls

Bring out the lomonilla (commonly called batirol)

She cooked her sikulati in a clay pot, over a clay stove fed with firewood. Let the water boil, drop the balls, whisk, add sugar, whisk, pour milk, whisk. Using a lomonilla, she would stir the mixture until it thickened and the flavors melded.

Away from fire, she whisked some more by briskly rubbing the handle of the lomonilla between her palms. She was a spare woman but she could work every single froth out of chocolate. She served this brown liquid in tiny cups called escudilla reserved solely for this purpose and I would enjoy every drop.

Until now, when this luscious beverage coats my tongue, I see her face. It transports me to better days.

See Lola Illang's recipe.

Down Under with Gusto (Last Part)

Arriving from Auckland the night before, we had only one full day left to enjoy Sydney before taking an early flight to Manila the following day. Our main agenda was to catch South Pacific at the Sydney Opera House. But first, I had to look for triple brie cheese for my sister-in-law, Joy. I found it at David Jones. I made arrangements to pick it up after the show.



With the cheese business settled, we proceeded to the ferry terminal area and looked for a place for lunch.



The opera house was a short walk away so we took our time. The sun blazed happily and so did we.



When we arrived outside the theater, we still had enough time for a latte and some people watching. The attendees were mostly old white people so we looked a little out of place.

The theater was small, more like the Ateneo college auditorium, but it felt cozy. Too bad we weren’t allowed to take pictures. It was my first time to see South Pacific and I thought I wouldn’t enjoy it because the theme is a little dated but I found myself humming the songs Dites-Moi and Carefully Taught. I found myself swooning over the male lead who was such a dreamboat that even the old ladies in front of me looked moonstruck every time he sang.

It was a perfect way to end the trip. I will be back.

For a recap of my trip, please visit the links below:

Part I
Part II
Part III
Part IV
Part V
Part VI
Part VII
Part VIII
Part IX
Part X

Because my flight was in the evening, I still had a full day in Auckland and I made sure I put it to good use. I made a mental note the day before to go to Devonport, which was a 15-minute a boat ride, according to guidebooks, but I wasn’t sure if the weather would let me.

A blazing sun and blue skies greeted me so I went to the Fullers office at the ferry terminal to buy a ticket.  

(Above) Devonport from the boat

I wanted to ride the buggy with cute horses

Devonport has all the requisite clapboard homes and flower-paved roads that define charm.

I looked around the stores first before settling at the Stone Oven Bakery and Cafe for lunch.

I took my time, reading a local newspaper and magazine while enjoying the food and coffee.

To burn off some of the calories that have piled up during this trip, I hiked to the highest peak of Devonport, which offered a sweeping view of Auckland. As I walked up, I looked back and saw the view above. Lovely.

From the top



A playful touch



Going down, I took another road and saw beautiful and bountiful blooms.

Next time, I’d really like to spend a night at a bed and breakfast here.