A Bit of Food Trip in Singapore

It took me a long time to come back. 14 years ago I first visited Singapore. A lot has happened in the city-state since then. Which is not surprising. Pint-sized Singapore is huge when it comes to developing things. There's always something being built. Including expanding the country's diminutive shoreline.

But more than what's visible in the skyline, Singapore is a threat to the waistline. There's food, lots of cheap good food. The Singaporean passion for food is so ingrained that it comes naturally as part of a greeting. Instead of "how are you?", Singaporeans ask "have you eaten yet?". Even immigration counters at Changi Airport have boxes of free candies for anyone with a sweet tooth.

Max's Restaurant

It took a bunch of friends from New York to drag me all the way to Jersey City in New Jersey to have dinner at Max's Restaurant - the East Coast's very first franchise of this popular restaurant chain in the Philippines. It opened only three months ago and from all indications, this Pinoy food mecca is going in the right direction. First of all, its location is right smack in the heart of Little Manila in Jersey City's thriving Five Corners district. On the very same block are at least two big Pinoy businesses, the Phil-Am Food and the Red Ribbon Bakeshop - which make this restaurant a great addition for Pinoys hankering for some familiar dishes.

Eating On The Air & On The Ground

My journey back to New York began with a breakfast at the hotel. Our new Pinay friend Editha was there, overseeing meal operation since early in the morning. Kudos to her and her staff, Mercure Hotel's buffet spread didn't disappoint in this most important meal of the day. We helped ourselves to a plateful of pastries, cheese and some cold meat, gulped down by a glassful of mixed fruit juice. Editha  later on came to our table with steaming cups of cappuccino which really helped perk us up - this on a long day of travel.
 

Lenten Delight

It's Lent which means many of us Catholics are on a "diet" once more, abstaining from eating red meat at least on Fridays. For me, this calls for seafood. In my neighborhood, there's plenty of Chinese fishmongers who sell all variety of oceanic creatures. But one thing I sorely miss is eating grilled fish. And not just any fish. Growing up in Davao, I was exposed to the grilled specialty of the region: Inihaw Na Panga or grilled tuna jaw. That's what I want.

Red Ribbon Bakeshop

It's been 3 months since Red Ribbon opened its first New York branch on Roosevelt Avenue in Queens, a mere two blocks away from Jollibee. This being a gorgeous spring weekend, a friend and I decided to check out this popular Filipino food chain for the first time and see if this temple of tempting carbohydrates still live up to what we've enjoyed back in the Philippines. However, the bakeshop was still packed with Pinoys, many queueing for their orders while all the tables were occupied. Business is apparently doing good.

Flying Food (Part 3)

Cathay Pacific menu

My love affair with Cathay Pacific began in 1999 when I flew with the airline for the first time. It was a Jeddah-Manila flight. After enrolling in their Asia Miles program, I continued flying and amassing miles to the point that my membership was upgraded in 2004 to the Marco Polo Club as a Silver Elite. There were perks - business class check-in, priority baggage handling, access to the lounge, priority boarding, preferential seating and even a personal greeting from the purser once seated onboard!

Flying Food (Part 2)

British Airways

A few years ago, all it required to snag a free business class ticket between New York and London using my Marco Polo Club miles with Cathay Pacific was merely 60,000 miles + taxes (about $150 or so). That's when I went on a redemption spree, using miles I have accrued to fly Club World on British Airways twice in 2005. To maximize my award, I went the farthest I could go to Europe that's still within the redemption zone - flying to Zurich in February and to Rome in November. It helped that I traveled off-peak as I got the tickets easily. But had I been rich enough to pay for a New York-London-Zurich roundtrip on business class, that would have been $8,000 at the time!

Flying Food (Part 1)

American Airlines

Over the years of flying several airlines, particularly those belonging to the Oneworld Alliance, I've taken photos, lots of digital photos, of meals served to me 36,000 feet up in the sky. Even before I get to eat, I discreetly focus my camera on what's in front of me (while my seatmate's eyes probably roll in disbelief hahaha!). Some were good, some were bad.

Seafood Binge

Seafood is teeming in the Philippines. In Siargao island, I feasted on the freshest catch of the day. When I got back to Davao, my brother-in-law and sister brought me to this no-frills, open-air Liza's restaurant on Times Beach where the bounties of the sea reign supreme. It's cheap, it's good, and I'm not supposed to complain. But if this is the way I'm fed while I'm here - including carbs masquerading inside coconut leaves called puso, I'm afraid I'll be gaining weight faster than an American on a McDonald's diet.

Turo-Turo in Manhattan

Who would have thought that turo-turo, the Pinoy version of fast food, is available in Manhattan? Elvie's Turo-Turo, a diminutive cafeteria-style operation, has actually been around since 1993. If it's longevity is any indication, it could only mean they're doing something right. As many already knows, New York is notorious with new restaurants that doesn't even see the light of day, closing their doors after only a few months.

Indian Food Trip

TANDOORI CHICKEN

I've been warned. It's either I get sick from eating carelessly or I get addicted to the food. Indian cuisine, just like the country itself, is so varied and so diverse. It's a cuisine defined by its many religions and its vast geography. Indian food can be very good but in my attempt to try vegetarian food on the train to Varanasi, I ended up taking a dose of Ciprofloxacin for dessert.

Jollibee In New York

It's not unusual when there's a long queue outside a new restaurant opening its doors in New York. Not so in Woodside, Queens, dominated mostly by immigrant businesses and restaurants. But this is Jollibee, the Philippines' most popular fast-food chain, opening its first fast-food temple in the East Coast on a Valentine's Day. As expected, the buzz spread like wildfire to hungry Pinoys who braved the winter chill just to get a bite of something familiar: a crispy Chickenjoy or that sweet Spaghetti or Palabok with that piquant sauce.

Tavern On The Green

Nothing beats eating at a fancy New York restaurant when it is free (and during working hours at that!). After all, no one among us at work would have lunch at the Tavern On The Green under normal circumstances and pay for the price of gold. But this restaurant, featured in several movies, is an undisputed New York legend since 1976: over-hyped, overrated and overrun with tourists - how could we possibly say no to such an offer? When the work memo stipulated a choice between joining this lunch or staying at work for a couple more of hours, everyone knew that eating is the best option.

Tavern On The Green is right at the corner of Central Park West, the only fine dining restaurant afforded with such a fine location. There's a gorgeously manicured garden for al fresco dining, one of the seating options in this Victorian Gothic style restaurant. Today, we have reserved tables at the Crystal Room - a cavernous room filled with crystal chandeliers and glass walls overlooking the park. It's one of those Versailles Palace moment where I half-expected Marie Antoinette to appear. Though this display of ostentation is almost gaudy, I didn't expect much from the mostly contemporary American fare on their menu.

We were served by waitstaff that seem in a hurry and at times, clumsy. The food, served for a large group of about 450, came expeditiously without much fanfare: a pasta for starters, a choice of fish or chicken for entree and ice cream for dessert. Sparkling French wine was served. Our lunch was capped with brewed coffee. There's nothing sensational about the food but it wasn't forgettable either - fish was so-so, chicken and pasta were good and ice cream was great. Overall, it's more the visual than the gustatory delights that get the attention.

STARTERS: PASTA

CHICKEN STUFFED WITH YUCA & MASHED POTATOES

ROAST ATLANTIC SALMON WITH ARAGULA & COUSCOUS

CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM WITH RASPBERRY & VANILLA SAUCE

Cendrillon

My friends and I recently discovered a gem in Manhattan. For a long time, we've been looking for a decent place that celebrates Philippine cuisine, somewhere we can bring uninitiated friends and visitors into. Our cravings for Pinoy food has usually brought us to the uninspired ambiance and the mass-produced offerings of the restaurants in Woodside, Queens. This one in Manhattan - in Soho at that - doesn't even sound Pinoy at all. It's been called Cendrillon (French for Cinderella) since the day it opened in 1995.

New York has seen many restaurants that close for business as soon as it open. If the 12 years behind Cendrillon is anything to go by, then the husband and wife team of Romy Dorotan and Amy Besa has certainly made a strong foothold in downtown Manhattan. This despite the other fact that Filipino food, unlike other popular Asian cuisine, has not really found its niche among New Yorkers unless someone is married to a Filipino. With its good location, one is inclined to think that Romy and Amy is wooing the snooty Manhattanites into eating Pinoy food.

Interestingly, the couple has authored "Memories of Philippine Kitchens", a coffee-table style cookbook with photos by renowned photographer Neal Oshima. This book is available at Barnes and Noble bookstore and online through Amazon.com.

Cendrillon's interior is long and narrow with exposed bricks on one side and a partially open kitchen running parallel to the wooden booths. There are more tables at the back which has a loft-like feel due to the high ceilings. The decor is thankfully not an Asian overkill. The lighting is soft and funky but one will hardly miss the gorgeous Oshima photos hanging on the wall - they're there as if to whet your appetite. I'm famished anyway, having just stood the whole day watching a parade on 5th Avenue.

A quick look at the dinner menu shows a rather limited entree. One realizes here that not everything served in Cendrillon is traditionally Pinoy. We settled for the Chicken Adobo, Kare-kare and Striped Bass with Hijiki Crust. For starters, we ordered Ukoy - vegetable and shrimp fritter - and Lumpia Shanghai. If not for the fresh pineapple sweet and sour sauce that came with the Lumpia, I wouldn't have been pleasantly jolted. It was a nice counterpoint to something that has been deep-fried.

Adobo is undoubtedly the Philippine's most popular dish. I've eaten Chicken Adobo all my life and I was surprised at Romy's own rendition. With a kick that renders the vinegar as sublime, Chicken Adobo comes with a dramatic entrance to my palate. The chicken is moist, soft and chewy and that unmistakable blast of vinegar proclaims this isn't another chicken food you find elsewhere.

The Kare-kare is the high point. Romy made sure he only used peanuts ground in his kitchen. The effect is that the peanut sauce took a backstage to the tartness of the shrimp paste that came along with the dish. I truly wonder how Romy's Caucasian customers deal with this blend of flavors.

I was disappointed with the Striped Bass with Hijiki Crust. Though Japanese inspired, I somehow expected it to shine but the fish came soggy, having drowned in its own soupy aquarium. Not even the contrasting seaweed crust could spring the fish back to life.

We got Halo-halo and Bibingka for dessert. I find nothing memorable with the iced dessert but the Bibingka is divine. Romy's version of Bibingka is not overly sweet and it sweeps your palate subtly like cotton rubbing against a cheek.

Given its pricey location, Cendrillon is surprisingly affordable. Main courses start at $18.50. Atypical of most Asian restaurants, both Romy and Amy will drop by customer's tables for a little chat. Service by the wait staff is quick but not-too-intrusive. Overall, this restaurant is highly recommended.