From Lavender to Holland
The culinary tour of Singapore moved today to Lavender food center, where I met up with a good friend whom I’ve known since my days in green. On my menu today was a good serving of what I still consider to be the best Guo Tie (Fried Pan Dumplings) in Singapore, offered by the Beijing Eating House stall, located just adjacent to the dessert outlet. It's even better than those found in restaurants such as Lao Beijing or Din Tai Fung. What I had was crispy on the outside – not flabby, not oily – and succulent on the inside. In a word – perfect.
We also ordered a dish of Dou Sha Wo Bing (Bean Pancake) plus a plate of fried carrot cake from another stall directly opposite, washing everything down with a mug of iced milo. Wah lau. And all at wonderful hawker prices. What more could you ask for?
A word or two about Lavender food center as well – for I find it stands out from the crowd of run-of-the-mill hawker centers. I actually don’t know if or how the Environment Ministry carries out hawker zoning, but the food variety at Lavender go beyond what typical hawker centers offer, with less commonly-seen stalls around, such as those selling dim sum, and even the "organ" soup. It’s always worth a return visit.
Another gastronomic target on my list this time was the XO Crab Bee Hoon available at Block 40 Holland Drive. And joining me this time over dinner was an even older friend, whom I got to know during my days in white. His list of external pursuits never fail to impress me. His wife came along as well, a teacher too, and it was lovely meeting her again.
Many might consider the different Crab Bee Hoons in Geylang to be superior, and while I've eaten there before, I think I shall reserve final judgment, until I’ve been able to sample the different offerings. Meanwhile, I think what you can get at Holland Drive is still spankingly delicious, and more so when added with the fried kankung and egg fuyong.
Just before I headed to Holland Drive, I had gathered with some former colleagues at the Red Dot Traffic building along Maxwell Road for drinks. There are quite a few bars on the ground floor, along with a Pacific Coffee outlet, over which I retain fond memories, given the time (and money) I spent there while working in the area.
But the Boulevard Bar, which was were we convened, was new. At least it opened in the time since I left. A black colour scheme pervaded the entire place, with discrete and professional serving staff clad in the same shade. The background music wasn't too obtrusive. And as I took a swig of my pint of Hoegaarden, I’m reminded again of how fortunate I was to have worked once with this wonderful bunch of people.
We also ordered a dish of Dou Sha Wo Bing (Bean Pancake) plus a plate of fried carrot cake from another stall directly opposite, washing everything down with a mug of iced milo. Wah lau. And all at wonderful hawker prices. What more could you ask for?
A word or two about Lavender food center as well – for I find it stands out from the crowd of run-of-the-mill hawker centers. I actually don’t know if or how the Environment Ministry carries out hawker zoning, but the food variety at Lavender go beyond what typical hawker centers offer, with less commonly-seen stalls around, such as those selling dim sum, and even the "organ" soup. It’s always worth a return visit.
Another gastronomic target on my list this time was the XO Crab Bee Hoon available at Block 40 Holland Drive. And joining me this time over dinner was an even older friend, whom I got to know during my days in white. His list of external pursuits never fail to impress me. His wife came along as well, a teacher too, and it was lovely meeting her again.
Many might consider the different Crab Bee Hoons in Geylang to be superior, and while I've eaten there before, I think I shall reserve final judgment, until I’ve been able to sample the different offerings. Meanwhile, I think what you can get at Holland Drive is still spankingly delicious, and more so when added with the fried kankung and egg fuyong.
Just before I headed to Holland Drive, I had gathered with some former colleagues at the Red Dot Traffic building along Maxwell Road for drinks. There are quite a few bars on the ground floor, along with a Pacific Coffee outlet, over which I retain fond memories, given the time (and money) I spent there while working in the area.
But the Boulevard Bar, which was were we convened, was new. At least it opened in the time since I left. A black colour scheme pervaded the entire place, with discrete and professional serving staff clad in the same shade. The background music wasn't too obtrusive. And as I took a swig of my pint of Hoegaarden, I’m reminded again of how fortunate I was to have worked once with this wonderful bunch of people.
1 Comments:
oh the food looks soooo goooood...
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