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Saturday, July 21, 2012

Indian Rojak, Roti Prata at Shafeek Indian Food

Shafeek Indian Food (Terminal 2 Changi Airport Staff Canteen)


Have a taste of Singapore Indian food at Changi Airport and at a cheap price.


Visit the Shafeek Indian Food stall at Changi Airport Terminal 2 Staff Canteen.


They are not the best Indian Rojak or roti prata in Singapore, but surely it will satisfy your craving for Singapore Indian food.


Choose your choice for the Indian Rojak!


Indian rojak contains fried dough fritters, bean curds, boiled potatoes, prawn fritters, hard boiled eggs, bean sprouts, cuttlefish and cucumber mixed with a sweet thick, spicy peanut sauce. 


Here is my Indian Rojak and the sauce!


They look colourful!




Dipped it with the spicy sweet sauce


Most of the rojak ingredients are deep-fried dough....

Here is the Roti Prata and its curry!


Roti prata is a fried flour-based pancake that is cooked over a flat grill. It is usually served with  curry and is sold all over Singapore in food centres. Prata is also commonly cooked (upon request) with cheese, onion, banana, red bean, chocolate, mushroom or egg.


This Prata is also cooked with egg.


Dipped the prata with curry!

 Shafeek Indian Food at Terminal 2 Staff Canteen
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Movie about Falun Gong 有关法轮功的电影 


DONQ - a 106 yrs old Japanese-French Bakery opening at Takashimaya

Established for a remarkable period of 106 years, Donq is a popular bakery chain in Japan whereby it has 180 outlets. With branches in Taiwan, Hong Kong and China (run by franchises), the newly set- up bakery located at Takashimaya Food Hall has been drawing sizeable crowds and many locals have been snapping up its crusty baguettes and savoury buns, all of which are renowned for their light and airy dough.


Bread draws the crowds...

DONQ draws my attention too...

DONQ at Takashimaya

This bread draws my attention - it is called Macha Dainagon Roll! 抹茶大納言紅豆瑞士捲
Green Tea Bread With Red Bean and Sesame Seeds.



DONQ breads are pretty and elegant, but they are expensive. Each bread usually costs more than $2.



You can see the bakers at work. ^o^

Macha Dainagon Roll! 抹茶大納言紅豆瑞士捲 (Green Tea Bread With Red Bean and Sesame Seeds)
1 roll (5 pieces of bread) costs $5! That is expensive!
 Tart Bresson Fruit -  is a soft buns tart mixed with berries and custard toppings ($2.80)


I bought these despite the price.





 
It seemed that they have good business!
  
The receipt...

DONQ's plastic bag has a paris design on it. Paris Map! 
DONQ seems to be half Japanese, half French... 
  
A close-up look again


The berries look really big and fresh! This tart tastes like berries with egg custard. Quite nice, although I do not really like custard.


I love the red beans! I cannot taste the Matcha (Green tea) though.

BON APPETIT , make your way to DONQ at Takashimaya one day for a Japanese-French sensation!

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[Video] A Book which Singapore Should Know

一本新加坡应该知道的书



Where to find the best kaya toast in Singapore

CNNGo reader 365days2play rounds up the best spots to try this simple and sinful local snack


The humble kaya toast, along with its counterparts the half-boiled egg and kopi, have come a long way, having been around for many generations. It is difficult to find a Singaporean that dislikes something as simple and comforting as a piece of toast spread with kaya. 

Kaya: More than just a jam

Kaya toast used to be the breakfast staple of the average Singaporean, but nowadays, eating Kaya toast has become something of a communal must-do activity. After lunch and in the evenings, office workers flock to coffee shops all over Singapore to gossip over a cup of coffee and some kaya toast.
On weekends, families and couples plop themselves into the coffee shops for a kaya toast snack after a hard day’s shopping or to fuel up before going for a second round. Where else in the world do you see people eating jam sandwiches or peanut butter sandwiches together for fun?
Kaya is more than just something you spread on some toast. It is an event in itself. People meet to have kaya. People boast that they know the best kaya spot in town.
Kaya is basically a bread spread. It is best described as a coconut egg jam to those who have not been lucky enough to sample any.
Use it as you would peanut butter, strawberry jam or marmalade. However most Singaporeans would agree that kaya is best savored on freshly toasted bread, onto which a generous amount of kaya will be slathered, along with a thin slice of cold butter to add richness.
You can always tell how generous an establishment is by looking at how much kaya has dripped off your toasted bread slice onto the plate.

How to sniff out the good stuff

First and foremost, a good kaya toast should have a generous spread of kaya. No matter how good the kaya is, if there is only a smidgen of it, the kaya will be drowned out by the plain taste of the bread.
Next, the kaya should be pleasantly sweet, with subtle hints of coconut and pandan flavor. Overly sweet kaya is a secret method employed to hide the fact that the quality and quantity of the expensive coconut cream have been compromised.
Kaya comes in major shades, reddish brown or green. The cooking method employed results in the color difference. Although all shades taste equally good, avoid buying kaya that has food coloring in it.
Some people like their kaya smooth, while other like theirs a little lumpier. Once again, which is better is based on personal preference, and in any case, smooth kaya is simply made by sieving the lumpy kaya through a mesh.
There is unlikely to be any aroma coming from the kaya unless you literally stuff your nose into the toast. But as they say, the proof is in the pudding.
Upon biting into the piece of kaya toast slice, the toast should be slightly crunchy. You should be able to feel the kaya enveloping the toast and the butter oozing into the hot toast. 
Coffee shops selling kaya toast are a dime a dozen. However, a coffee shop selling good kaya toast is hard to come by, and will have loyal fans traveling from all parts of Singapore just to savor this tasty treat.  Here are five establishments serving what I consider to be the best kaya in Singapore.

The coffee chain that makes the best kaya toast: Killeney Kopitiam



When people think kaya toast, they normally think of the ubiquitous Ya Kun, Killeney, ToastBox and Wang Cafe as these establishments have opened branches all over Singapore. In my opinion, the best Kaya Toast is from Killeney Kopitiam.
The French loaf that they use is crusty on the outside yet soft on the inside. The kaya tastes so fresh and there is just so much of it that I can even delight in licking the kaya off my fingers.
It costs S$1.60 for the normal kaya toast and S$1.80 if you want it served on French loaf.
Killeney Kopitiam (Killiney Road main branch): 67 Killiney Road, tel: +65 6734 9648 / 6734 3910; open Monday, Wednesday - Saturday 6 a.m.-11 p.m., Tuesday, Sunday & public hoidays 6 a.m.-9 p.m.

The most versatile kaya toast coffee shop: Tong Ah Coffee Shop



Tong Ah Coffee Shop is one of those establishments that uses lumpy green kaya in their kaya toast. I love the fact that their toast is charred on the outside yet still soft inside.
Tong Ah also serves kaya on steamed white bread, which is a rarity in Singapore these days. Some people insist on steamed white bread as it accentuates the subtle flavors of the kaya.
It seems that Tong Ah wants to capture a wide spectrum of customers because they also serve ultra crispy kaya toast, which involves toasting the bread on both sides several times. The normal toast goes for S$0.60 each, probably the cheapest in town.
Tong Ah Coffee Shop: 36 Keong Saik Road, tel: +65 6223 5083; open Monday - Sunday 7 a.m.-9 p.m. (Alternate Wednesdays off)

The Kaya toast place with the best coffee: YY Kafei Dian



YY Kafei Dian wins the award for the establishment with the best coffee. While the kaya here is not the best, YY wins lots of brownie points because of the wonderfully aromatic and strong coffee that it brews.
One can’t eat Kaya toast without having something to drink, and a bad coffee just spoils the meal.
I love the fluffy buns that YY serves up, which is quite different from the flat slices at most other places. The peanut butter toast here is extremely good too.
Each toasted bun goes for S$1.10 while the kopi goes for S$1.
YY Kafei Dian: 7 Beach Road, #01-01

The most old school and the best all rounder: Chin Mee Chin Coffee Shop



Chin Mee Chin is yet another establishment that has been around practically forever. The shop still retains its old charm.
I personally find that CMC offers the best tasting kaya of all time. This isn’t surprising when you realise that the kaya is cooked by hand over a charcoal fire.
The kitchen is unblocked, so you can view the old hands going about their preparations.
The coconuttiness and egginess of the jam really comes through. They aren’t stingy with their kaya either and their buns are also freshly made every day.
If YY Kafei Dian wins an award for the fluffiest buns around, Chin Mee Chin wins in that their dense yet soft buns add another dimension to the kaya itself. If there’s anything to fault, it is that their milk tea is sometimes too weak for my liking.
Each bun goes for S$0.90.
Chin Mee Chin Coffee Shop: 204 East Coast Road, tel: +65 6345 0419; open Tuesday - Sunday 8:30 a.m. -4 p.m. (closed Monday)

The best kaya toast in the central business district: Good Morning Nanyang Cafe



Good Morning Nanyang Cafe not only scores as my favorite pick for the best kaya toast in the central business district, it scores for offering the most unique kaya toast. Most other coffee shops serve kaya toast using white bread or loaf bread (baguette).
If you want a posh version of the kaya toast, Good Morning Nanyang Cafe serves up kaya toast using ciabatta!
They don’t just stop at ciabatta kaya toast, they also have orange ciabatta kaya toast. The orange ciabatta tastes like a breath of fresh air, but traditionalists need not be distracted by this because the kaya is still made by hand every day.
They also take the trouble to butter the bread evenly for you, which is something many places do not do. The Plain Ciabatta Kaya Toast goes for S$2.30 while the Orange Ciabatta Kaya Toast goes for S$2.70.
Good Morning Nanyang Cafe (Shenton Way branch): 108 Robinson Road #01-00; open Monday – Friday 7:30 a.m.–7 p.m., Saturday 7:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m.
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绘画:希望 Painting: Hope


这幅画表现的是悼念被中共迫害致死的法轮功学员。
The painting shows a Falun Gong practitioner holding candle to honor the thousands who have died in the Chinese regime’s persecution of the peaceful meditation practice.

A Gallery filled with Truth, Compassion, Tolerance 真善忍画廊


Sunday, July 15, 2012

Singaporean food’s past and present

Cooking on Sentosa Beach
Chef Ken Hom cooking traditional cuisine on Singapore's Sentosa Beach. (BBC)


“I eat therefore I am” is the creed by which Singaporeans live. Singapore’s food has as mixed a heritage as its people, a fact that comes to life at the country’s crowded hawker centres.
Hawker centres, or open air food courts, have come to define Singaporean food culture. Popular markets like Old Airport Road Food Centre in Geylang, Golden Mile Food Centre on Beach Road and Maxwell Road Food Centre in Chinatown offer the best of Malaysian, Chinese and Indian cooking, wrapped into foods that are uniquely Singaporean.
Singapore's lively culinary scene is gradually attracting renowned chefs from around the world. In the past year, Singapore won its first Michelin Star-rated restaurants: Santi and Guy Savoy. Like most fine dining restaurants in Singapore, these establishments focus on Western food. But a few upscale eateries are starting to experiment with Singaporean flavours, developing reinterpretations of classic, beloved dishes.
Such creations are taking old foods in new directions. Before we look toward the future of these dishes, though, let us look at how they came into existence in the first place. After all, each dish has a story to tell about Singaporean culture and history.
Looking backward
When British imperialist Thomas Stamford Raffles sought to convert Singapore into a trading post for the East India Company in 1819, writes Wendy Hutton in Singapore Food, immigrants from China, Malaya, India, Indonesia, Europe, America and the Middle East flocked to the island.
Chinese traders migrated from several different provinces of southern China, bringing with them distinct languages and cuisines. This can be observed in the dishes of modern day Singapore. Hainanese chicken rice, arguably the king of Singaporean hawker food, evolved from a Hainan dish made of bony wengcheng chicken. Hokkiens from Amoy and Fukien provinces brought with them Hokkien mee, or yellow wheat noodles, incorporated into many hawker dishes, a popular one being Hokkien char mee, pan fried noodles in dark soy sauce with squid, prawns, pork, cabbage and crispy pork belly.
Peranakan, or Nonya, cuisine was born in the late 1800s, Hutton explains in her book, when Chinese labourers arrived in Southeast Asia without wives. They began marrying Malay women and their descendants came to be known as Peranakan or Straits Chinese. Their food combined flavours from China, Malaya and the countries they travelled to as merchants.
One example is ayam buah keluak, braised chicken and black nuts stuffed with sweet pork. The nuts come from Indonesia, since many Peranakan families came through Java and Sumatra, while the pork is Chinese, since Muslims from Malaya and Indonesia did not eat pork.
Another is laksa, one of the several dishes both Singapore and Malaysiaclaims to have invented. Katong laksa is a vermicelli noodle soup made with coconut milk, prawns, cockles, fish cakes, bean sprouts, lemongrass, turmeric, homemade shrimp-chilli paste and the all-important laksa leaves. The turmeric and chilli suggest Indian influence, while the sprouts suggest Chinese influence. The rest incorporates a mix of Malay, South Indian and Eurasian influences.
Indians came to Singapore first as indentured servants and later as traders. Hailing from modern day Tamil Nadu and Kerala, they brought vegetables like gourds and seedpods and seafood like crab and fish, respectively.
One Singaporean dish with obvious Indian influence is the curry puff, created as a British friendly version of the samosa. Curry puffs are puff pastries filled with potatoes, Indian spices and meat.
Indian transplants also shared their love of spicy food, bringing heat to such dishes as the ever popular chilli crab and curry debal, or "devil's curry". Curry debal was created by Eurasian traders (of mixed Portuguese and South Asian descent) when they decided to stew leftovers from Christmas. The hodgepodge stew, made with pork, poultry, potatoes, candlenut, galangal, vinegar, mustard and homemade chilli paste, is commonly enjoyed on Boxing Day.
One of today's most popular Indian-inspired dishes came about more recently. Fish head curry is thought to have been created in the 1950s by a Keralan chef who balked at the idea of discarding edible parts of the fish. While fish head does not exist in Indian cooking, it does in Chinese, so the dish became a hit (as the story goes, anyway).
Looking forward
It is fitting that this merging of cultures would take modern day shape in Singapore's hawker centres. The country's multicultural dishes, though, are also making their way into the world of fine dining, with some restaurants re-imagining old classics and others simply upgrading traditional recipes.
At the Amara Sanctuary Resort, Shutters is pumping new energy into chilli crab, one of Singapore's national dishes. Its young chef Aaron Goh prepares a crab shell filled with crabmeat and roe, served with calamansi-Hollandaise sauce. The most unique part of this dish, which he calls "chilli crab gratin" is its topping of a cheesy gratin crust. Goh also takes a crack at laksa, replacing coconut gravy and rice noodles with seafood bouillabaisse and capellini, but holding onto laksa leaves and lemongrass.
Chef Willin Low at Wild Rocket has also experimented with laksa, transforming it into a linguine with laksa-pesto sauce, accompanied by prawns and quail eggs. Another clever invention is his boneless chicken wings: stuffed with rice soaked in chicken broth and then deep fried with brandy liver pate. The only thing standard about this innovative take on chicken rice is the chilli sauce that comes with it. 
Purists seeking traditional dishes prepared with high quality ingredients have plenty of options as well. Authentic Nonya fare can be found at TheBlue GingerChatterbox has become famous throughout Singapore for its chicken rice; and locals rave about the curry debal at Big D's Grill.
A country that cherishes food as much as Singapore is the perfect place for new chefs to experiment with ingredients and styles, whether in elegant restaurants or tiny hawker stalls. As the culinary scene expands, locals and travellers will soon have the best of both worlds.
Travelwise is a BBC Travel column that goes behind the travel stories to answer common questions, satisfy uncommon curiosities and uncover some of the mystery surrounding travel. If you have a burning travel question, contact Travelwise.

A Gallery filled with Truth, Compassion, Tolerance 真善忍画廊



How to stuff 5 Singapore must-eats and a few drinks into one day

For Singapore foodies: The perfect day out

CNNGo reader Calvin Lee shows us how to stuff 5 Singapore must-eats and a few drinks into one day

From - http://www.cnngo.com/singapore/none/perfect-eat-out-day-977498


One bite at a time, one big pau for mankind.
Most of us who travel in the name of business will try to make a stop in Singapore even if our event or meeting is not held there. We just want to enjoy the difference that is Changi and to have that one perfect day to eat and shop in this vibrant 'little red dot.'

From St Regis to Balestier Road

St Regis Singapore is where you should stay (an investment of S$300 for one night of pure luxury and heightened comfort). Skip the breakfast though and head straight to Balestier Road for some tau-fu-fa (soybean curd), yao-char-kuay (Chinese crullers) and soya milk. Perhaps you’ve been dipping your crullers in congee or black coffee all along but today, let’s follow the style in northern China and dip it in hot soya milk, or cold if you desire. Google ‘Rochor Beancurd’ and see why everyone says that no one does it like them in Singapore. There’s a full story on how they started and came this far, right next to the wall-to-wall of celebrity photos -- a real testament to this humble place.
St Regis Singapore: 29 Tanglin Road, tel:+65 6506 6888, www.starwoodhotels.com/stregis

prawn noodle
Singapore prawn noodle -- just one of the delicacies on offer.
Old Chang Kee puffs

Now, if you need a bit more carbo to turbo-start your day, worry not. Just cross the road and there’s a bus stop. Bus 131 will take you to Novena, the nearest MRT station. You won’t miss the Old Chang Kee stall when you alight. Get one or two of the famous curry puffs (S$1.20 each). This is the quintessential Singapore snack that you must try. Besides curry, they have chicken mushroom and sardine too! Once you’ve chowed down your puffs, it is just about right to accelerate head-on to Orchard for shopping. Catch the North-South Line towards Marina Bay and alight at Orchard station. ION shopping mall is the newest mall yet, housing designer brand names both local and global. One good local store to check out for amazing shoes is Pedro.
Old Chang Kee: Various locations, tel: +65 6756 4833,www.oldchangkee.com

Chicken rice at Tanjong Pagar

As the clock strikes 12 noon, it is time for lunch. Proceed to Tanjung Pagar for the most talked about Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice. It is not in a swanky air-conditioned restaurant but Anthony Bourdain (the famous chef) has eaten here and gave it two thumbs up, so it can’t go wrong, really. What could go wrong is the long queue, a mix of locals and tourists lining up for succulent rice and the amazingly tasty chicken to go with it. 
From here, let’s head off to Sentosa and play some poker in the newest casino in town. Using the MRT, go from Tanjung Pagar station to Outram Park interchange. Connect to the North East line and HarbourFront terminal is only 1 station away. You can then catch the monorail over to Sentosa Island.
Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice: Stall 10, Maxwell Food Centre, 1 Kadayanallur Street

Singapore prawn noodles

On the way back, don forget to eat a plate of Singapore prawn noodles at the Chinese looking food court one floor down from the monorail terminal. There’s dim sum and a fleet of other delicious Singaporean cuisines to keep you busy if you want more. As the sun is setting and the day comes to a close, Chinese Garden is a place to go -- basking in tranquility and away from the hustle and bustle of office clock out rush hour. Sit on a bench and just marvel at what you’ve eaten so far (or perhaps count the cash you’ve won from the poker game earlier). To get here, alight at the Chinese Garden MRT (Green line).
Chinese Garden: 1 Chinese Garden Road, tel: +65 6261 3632, www.jtc.gov.sg

Nasi India dinner

Now for dinner. If you fancy Indian biriani rice with mutton curry, head over to the Yishun food court (alight at the Yishun MRT station, Red line). Again, great food in Singapore comes hand in hand with long queues. You can be assured of one here, but the satisfaction at the end of the meal justifies the long wait for it!
Yishun Food Court: Northpoint Shopping Centre, 930 Yishun Avenue 2

Eski bar, Singapore
The arctic chill-out at Eski Bar
Eski Bar

Finally, cocktail hour presents itself. Time to head off to the Eski Bar where chilling out is easier than you think. This place is awesome as it transports you to the cold arctic, with temperatures ranging between minus five to zero degrees. Housed in an industrial freezer, you can be certain that the next time you wanna chill out when in Singapore, you will bring along your jacket (though they have jackets and sweaters available for you here). Eski Bar is located at 46 Circular Road, behind Boat Quay. If you’re using the MRT, alight at Raffles Place. Hear Hear, one more vodka cocktail coming up... let’s drink to a perfect day out in Singapore!
Eski Bar: 46 Circular Road (Behind Boat Quay), tel: +65 6536 3757; 46 Lorong Mambong (Holland Village), tel: +65 6469 6180; info@eskibar.com
About the author: Calvin Lee is a consulting linguist and a copywriter who alternates between Dubai, London, Rome, Athens and Bangkok. Out from the linguistic realm, Calvin reviews restaurants and spas in Thailand for several publications regionally. And when his imaginative mind takes over, Calvin will be weaving the chapters in his first attempt to complete a novel.

Calvin submitted this piece as part of CNNGo’s CityPulse section. To find out what other stories we are looking for, go to our CityPulse page

Chinese Communist Party's Organ Harvesting of Falun Gong Practitioners in China