Archive for January 2009
baguette: the viet inspired deli
I have a love hate relationship with Baguette.
I love them for their crazy good Vietnamese sandwiches and tasty lime soda. I hate them because they are supposed to be open until 7:30 but the two times I’ve gone for dinner – once around 6:45 and the other around 7:00 – they looked at me like I was crazy for trying to get a sandwich and then told me they were closing. When I asked what time they closed (so that I could better plan another trip) they said 7:30. This is where I glance at my watch and raise an eyebrow. Both times they claimed that they close at 7:30 but were closing early ‘just for today’.
Just for today, Baguette? What about just every damn day? Ugh.
My love for them and my craving for a Vietnamese sandwich won out last week. An all too willing Sarah accompanied me on the 15 minute trek past LPS to the small storefront.
mack’s chicken inasal atbp
Atbp is one of my favorite abbreviations. It’s the Filipino version of ’etc’ and is short for ‘at iba pa’ which translated means ‘and other stuff.’
When it comes to the Filipino joints at La Pau Sat, I’ve been pretty loyal to Panyeros which gives you two ulams (viands aka things to pair with your rice) and rice for an easy SGD5. Sadly, their dinner menu is pretty sparse so on a recent dinner trip with Jay, I opted to try out Mack’s.
crystal jade hong kong cafe
Don’t worry I’m not in Hong Kong again. 
This past Friday the gang got together to bid adieu to Selene as she heads back to (strangely enough) Hong Kong. We had aspirations of First Thai but were denied since they’re closed for Chinese New Year. Not one to be discouraged, we trekked a little further to Liang Seah Street and settled on Crystal Jade Hong Kong Cafe.
I was a bit confused at first. I had been to Crystal Jade before but their speciality was xiao long bao and la mian. This CJ was all about congee and milk tea. Apparently the Crystal Jade peeps have their fingers in lots of different pots and this is a different flavor of the same chain.
super secret sashimi saturday
Ah. Nothing like a little alliteration to start a story.
This is a weird post. I’m not allowed to divulge the location or name of the restaurant we ate at as my accomplice agreed to take me here only if I kept my big mouth shut. She has been previously sworn to secrecy by the orignal discoverer. We waited 40 minutes plus to finally get a chance to eat here. It’s sushi bar style and at any given time the place can hold about 18 people. The queue is long and moves slowly so should you stumble here only commit if you’ve got nothing better to do and aren’t low on blood sugar.
This place has got rules.
- Each person has to order a dish.
- You have to order everything you want at once. If you make a second order they charge you a 20% surcharge.
- Each seat costs $2. The fee includes a drink – Japanese tea, mineral water, or a soft drink.
ham cheese pretz
That’s right these are ‘ham cheese’ and not ‘ham AND cheese’.
Muk had these on her desk awhile back. I took a picture because I was shocked at how hammy and cheesy they tasted. Who knew that the flavor could be so easily capture in stick cracker form?
Be amazed.
ryan’s place, hanford, ca
I can’t recall ever making a post about a restaurant in my hometown. If you haven’t read the About page it will be news to you that I’m from the Central Valley. People like to ask me fun questions like – are you from Northern California or Southern California? Erm. Central. Central – where is that exactly? Like, in the center. Pull up a Google map of California, close your eyes, and aim for the center. There. That’s my adopted hometown.*†
I like to round up the High School bffs every once in awhile. It’s nice to catch up and laugh about how lame high school was and how terrible we dressed and how cool we thought we were. We don’t see each other often but it’s easy to get together and pick up right whereever we left off last.
summer frost, east coast
You’ll recall the shaved milk ice love from Taipei 2008. When I got back to Singapore I thought to myself, “I’m in Asia. There has GOT to be something similar here.” Lo and behold a blog I frequent did a post about the very dessert I was looking for. Sadly, they didn’t mention an address so I had to do a little stalking on my own. Luckily a fellow Eastie, Pearl, found the place and sent along directions.
The place is very cute and is located on East Coast Road across the street from Roxy Plaza. You can get shaved milk ice plus one topping for SGD2.50 or a combo bowl for SGD3.50. Additional toppings will set you back fitty cents. Not bad, right?
My first visit was right before my trip back home for the holidays. I ordered the grape rape (thumbs down on the name) which was champagne grape ice with blueberry syrup and fresh grapes.
eat eat eat all the way home
Unless you’re a major NSync fan, the post title is strictly informative and not funny.
I had a fantastic 2 1/2 weeks at home in California. Two of those weeks I spent in Hanford with the family vegging out, eating lots, and hanging out with the brothers. Not too many new meals but lots of old favorites.
I spent 3 days in the Bay Area catching up with good friends. The grand finale there was a meal at Pho Vi Hoa. I ordered the sliced pork meal. It was as good as I remember it. (Thanks to Jane and Jlin for housing me while I was in the Bay!)
how to get to singapore in 40+ hours
Yah it’s kind of lame of me to not update for a month and then update with a non-food post. I’ll try to pay the internet world back in spades with plenty of food pictures from the holidays after I get this rant off my chest and outta my head. For strictly food fans, you can skip. Here are the chronicles of my journey back to Singapore.
5:22am PDT: Leave Hanford by car with the fam and head to SFO to catch11:55am flight. We leave super early since my parents are those lets-get-to-the-airport-4-hrs-early types. It’s still pitch black and cold as all get out. I give two big hugs to Brother #1 who has work and can’t come.
6:13am PDT: Give in to the sleepies and take a nap in the car. On long haul flights I generally don’t sleep the night before. The car nap was the first shut eye of the day.
6:48am – 7:30am PDT: Wake up periodically to tell Dad that his speedy driving is freakin’ me out.
8:22am PDT: Arrive at SFO 1 hour earlier than expected. Whoops. We’re super early. I check in and we grab overpriced breakfast at the airport.
10:30am PDT: Notice that my monitors say my flight is leaving 10 minutes early. Decide to trek through security and say goodbye to the fam – hugs for everyone. Blink away goodbye tears. Give extra big hug to Mom bc she worries a lot when I’m faraway. :(
11:45am PDT: Not boarding yet…. weird.
Feed your reader! 
