Singapore Food Festival

Singapore Food Festival - Making Popiah
Originally uploaded by Taking5

This year the Singapore Food Festival was held from 17-26 July, with a Peranakan theme. I went to the Clarke Quay Food Street on 18 Jul and also to the Spices Cafe (at Concorde Hotel, the former Le Meridien) for a peranakan lunch by veteran (82-year old!)chef Baba Jolly Wee.

I must say that I was not too impressed with the Food Street. It's not so much the food- the food was ok. But after all, if I want to eat Hokkien Mee, Poh Piah, Kim Choo kueh chang or Nonya food I can just walk down East Coast Road (my personal food street). And there is Prawn Noodle, Katong Laksa some more. So why fight with the crowds on Read Bridge, queueing up for ages for a bite of pohpiah or looking for a small table to stand at to eat?

On the positive side, after the Food Street, we went to One Fullerton where we had a great view of the fireworks being set off after the National Day Parade rehearsal.

I much preferred the Spices Cafe buffet, with a good range of dishes including certain Singapore specialties such as chilli crab, satay. The desserts were good - there was some nice apom but unfortunately by then there was not much spare capacity left in my stomach! My only gripe is that the satay was so popular that every time I went it seemed to be out. I only ate 2 sticks! But I had no camera with me so for photos and a much better review, ck out this blog.

Sunday morning snacks

What a long absence from this blog! Sometimes, unfortunately, work and other activities have to take priority. So many apologies and hope that I can make more regular updates in future.

I've been trying to wake up earlier on Sunday mornings, and go for the early (9am+) mass. After all, I get to work around 9am most weekdays, so why can't I wake up early Sundays too? Progress, however, has been patchy. But to reward myself when I do make it on time, on my way back, I try finding something for my elevenses. That's when I pop into Katong Antique Shop for some nonya kueh-kueh - varieties not necessarily available at other places.

So here are two examples of Katong Antique Shop's products: Pulut Inti, and Apom Baukwa. Pulut Inti is a glutinous rice dessert, where the rice is coloured with the butterfly pea flower and topped with a little grated coconut seasoned with gula melaka and sugar. I must admit it is more likely that the blue colouring in the picture above comes from artificial colouring, though. Apom is a mini-pancake made of rice flour and eaten with a sauce made of gula melaka and cooked banana - the sauce is really an integral part of the dish. I heat everything up just before eating - yum!

Hope that you have an opportunity to try these two kuehs.