Rose Garden, Bangkok

Rose Garden Riverside
Km 32 Pet Kasem Road, Sampran, Nakorn Pathom
T. +66 34 322 544

Rose Garden is to me the equivalent of Thai food heaven. Located just 45 minutes outside of Bangkok, its f&b outlets (so far, I have only gone to 4 out 6 of them) serves some of the most exquisite Thai dishes I have ever tasted. What stands out about the resort are its dishes made from recipes handed down over generations and its super fresh ingredients and herbs, culled from its very own gardens.

One of my favourite starters is this DIY dish comprising nuts, dried shrimp, cut lime, chilli, pork skin and a sweet spicy shrimp paste. Pack the different ingredients into a little parcel made of kailan (Chinese broccoli) leaves and you have a power snack bursting with flavour. My other favourite is the prik set – it’s a selection of four spicy dips served alongside a variety of fresh cut vegetables (cucumber, beans, baby eggplants, star shaped bean, etc). The best part about Indo China dishes is the proliferation of greens in just about anything. I usually order the local vegetables – either the sayadi (with leaves shaped like the money plant) or the pakachet (forget me not greens) stir fried in garlic and the little red chillis. This Rose Garden version is stir fried with mince, garlic and little chillis.
I also enjoy the more unusual salads they serve here – this is one made from a bean that has the cross section of the star, and the other with banana blossoms. Both equally delish.

Wong Chee Kei Noodle and Congee, Hong Kong

Wong Chee Kei Noodle and Congee
Wellington Street, Central (across from Wong Kee)

We came here specifically to try the won ton noodles with shrimp roe. Can't quite make up my mind about this dish – its basically noodles, topped with the slightly spicy roe mix that you toss with the noodles.

Golden Valley, Hong Kong

Golden Valley
The Emperor Hotel, Happy Valley

This is one of the better hot pot places in Hong Kong in my opinion. The meal starts with crushing up the sesame seeds before loading it with your favourite sauce mix.

We had the yin-yang pot, with part spicy and part clear broth. I also tried the most interesting of ingredients – this ball like looking thing that shrinks when cooked in the soup. As I found out later, this is actually made of soy and is quite a sponge, which works brilliantly in any hot pot.

Cova, Hong Kong

Cova
Branches islandwide

I made room also try these mango desserts – a mango tart and a mango cake. Yummy and just right for a “small bite”.

Breakfast, Hong Kong

Lan Fong Yuen
G/F Gage Street, Central (near the escalator)
T. 2545 3895

One breakfast dish I adore in Hong Kong, is the instant noodle with anything, at this hole in the wall joint in Central. This visit, I had it with the chicken chop. It was a tad heavy for me, first thing in the morning, but incredibly tasty nevertheless.

Mimosa, Ho Chi Minh

Mimosa
153 Xo Viet Hghe Tinh, P17, D8

We took a drive outside of the city to come try this local favourite. Good thing too since we had a really nice bamboo shoot salad and tried this really unusual hot pot where the broth was a tad fruity and it came with ladies fingers and some kind of local squash in the soup.

Quan An Ngon, Ho Chi Minh

Quan An Ngon
138 Nam Ky Khoi Nghai

We tried broken rice, a local favourite at this tourist haunt. I can't quite decide if I like the dish, but I do enjoy the multitude of dips that came with everything else! From the pho bo (beef noodle soup), other noodle dishes and more wraps!

Ngoc Suong Restaurant, Ho Chi Minh

Ngoc Suong Restaurant
19C Le Quy Don, F6, Q3

This place served loads of “clean” food – simple dishes with the freshest of ingredients and a side of flavour enhancing dip.

We had the sweetest of prawns – eaten with a choice of a fish sauce, chilli or sesame dip. We also had a very simple grilled calamari, clams cooked in a lemongrass broth, crab in a tamarind sauce and more warps, this time, with seafood.

Home Cooking, Ho Chi Minh

I had the good fortune to be invited to lunch at a friend’s place. The star that afternoon was the kangkong (an Asian vegetable) salad. The stalks are thinly sliced, served raw, with spicy stir-fry beef. The taste is simply incredible I was told that this is readily found at home and less so at the restaurants.

And of course we had to complement the home cooking with loads more bought at the shop!

Dessert was this ever so tiny banana which had a very fragrant bite when eaten.

Ben Thanh Market, Ho Chi Minh

Ben Thanh Market

My favourite thing to do when in Saigon is to grab a meal at the Ben Thanh market. I particularly enjoy the multitude of d-i-y wraps. All you have to do is to pick the filling – roast pork, chicken, prawns, meatballs; the accompanying ingredients are generally the same – herbs, rice noodles, green veges, rice paper and the piquant spicy fish sauce dip. Delish.

Tan Nam Vietnamese Restaurant, Ho Chi Minh

Tan Nam Vietnamese Restaurant
60 Dong Du, D1

The concierge suggested we try this local haunt which was around the corner from the Caravelle. The single outstanding dish here was the lotus root salad. This is not the usual lotus root but some part of the plant that was soft yet crunchy and had the most interesting texture. It came accompanied with prawn crackers. Quite an interesting mix.

We also tried a local soup - what was evident was that most of the soups had a sour base, fairly similar to Thai soups, only much milder and not spicy.

Brodard Delicatessen, Ho Chi Minh

Brodard Delicatessen
Throughout the city

Ah… the French influence is evident here with the pastries and breads that are readily available at most bakeries.

Lien Hua, Ho Chi Minh

Lien Hua
381 Vo Van Tan, P5, Q3

This kicked off my feasting in Saigon – kueh teow (thin flat rice noodles) soup for brunch. It was served with a nice clear broth and a generous serving of the usual sides of beansprouts, lime, a variety of greens.

To further add to the selection, the owners had left little plates of snacks that you can pick on while waiting for your order. We tried the “tennis ball look alike” pastry which was a tad like our version of the ham jin peng (a fried dough pastry).

Penang Street Eats

Islandwide

I spent four days and most of the waking hours during this visit, eating my way though this island, famed for its chilled out lifestyle and the most incredible street eats.

What is hidden beneath all that fresh lettuce is a very tasty pot of ba kut teh, a pork rib dish cooked in a fabulous herbal soup. Unlike the versions served in Singapore which are clear and peppery, the Malaysian style uses a dark soup base and is chocked full of herbs. Yums!

There is no such thing as "bad food" in Penang. Even the most ubiquitous looking stalls serve the most amazing meals. We stopped by this food centre on Ferringhi Beach and found the most amazing prawn noodle soup, fishball noodles and Penang style fried kway teow (flat rice noodles stir fried with sprouts and seafood).

I am not a fan of lor mee - noodles served with a dark sticky sauce and eaten with a dash of vinegar, fresh garlic and chilli paste, but a taste of this dish at a roadside stall (where else?!) made me a convert.

We had what the locals called Hokkien char - thick noodles stir fried with a sweet dark sauce with veggies and seafood. It was pretty fragrant, and tastes even better with sambal blachan (a spicy chilli dip).

We stopped by this roadside stall that serves fresh coconut - of the drink variety - the coconut is just cut up with a very deft hand and parang; and sea coconut - which you carve out with your fingers!

A drink that I was just introduced to - a pickled nutmeg juice. Part sour, part sweet, but altogether great for that hot afternoon. Aha! The Penang version of chee cheong fun (steamed rice sheets) is served with a prawn paste sauce unlike the sweet sauce in Singapore. It's somewhat of an acquired taste. The savoury flavours work pretty well with the silky soft rice rolls.
A fresh skin popiah (roll stuffed with stewed turnip and flavoured with sweet sauce, chilli and garlic), only the Penang version is eaten quite damp, with a little soup at the bottom of the dish.
The most refreshing ice kachang - shaved ice coloured by a variety of syrups (including sarsi!) and the freshest of corn, with many other hidden delights under the ice. Delish!
As you can tell, this is an extremely late post since I had lo hei (Chinese salad tossed with raw fish), which is typically served over Chinese New Year. And in true Singaporean fashion, I had to combine it with nothing less than a chilli crab dish, of course!
Nasi Lemak (rice cooked in coconut milk) often served with fried ikan billis (anchovies), a fried egg and sambal blacan (a chilli dip). Fab meal for breakfast or lunch (and some say dinner!)

Siem Reap Eats

Though not a regular visitor to Cambodia, the very mild and delicate flavours of Cambodian dishes have left quite an impression on me. Being in the Indochina region, the dishes shares traits of Thai and Vietnamese cooking though in a very different way. The spices used are generally very delicate, and layed in flavours. Also, the curries tend to be milder and have a hint of sweetness in them. Lemongrass is predominant in most dishes. Here are some of my favourites ones.Noodles in a light broth.

The signature fish curry.

Chicken salad.

Bagels and Cream Cheese, NYC

One of my favourite ways to start the day in the Big Apple. Preferably toasted!

Lombardi’s, NYC

Lombardi’s
32 Spring Street, Manhattan

A SOHO institution I was told. Yummy slices of thin crust pizza just the way I like it. I am starting to get the impression that in NY, you simply have to queue for a good meal.

Burgers, NYC

Burgers

Le Parker Meridien
118W 57th Street

We spotted this burger joint tucked in a corner, hidden behind thick velvety curtains. But that which was unveiled was an absolute dive, complete with a “please order only from the items written on the board” and grab your own seat policy. The burgers were juicy though the fries were a tad ordinary. But it was delicious and very affordable for NY nonetheless.

Be prepared to stand in line for your lunch.

Norma’s, NYC

Norma’s

Le Parker Meridien
118W 57th Street

I had two very memorable brunches here. It’s not easy to get a seat and they don’t take reservations. The average wait is about an hour for the table but it’s well worth the wait.

Breakfast favorites are given a way delicious twist, just like the blueberry pancakes flooded with the freshest of blueberry sauces (homemade no less), enchiladas filled with piquant egg and mince mix with spicy salsa… The experience is made all the more enjoyable with its little treat before the dishes arrive of a mixed fruit shot and that never ending glass of fresh squeeze oj. I can have breakfast here, everyday.

Beach Road Food Centre

Beach Road Food Centre
505 Beach Road

I returned shortly after, following the wafts of the fragrant claypot rice that I had spotted on my last visit here. I am quite a claypot rice fanatic and am always on the lookout for the next better interpretation of the dish.

The smokey smells was just too enticing. The stall at the Food Centre, on the ground floor, offered a pretty good rendition. With chunks of chicken and salted fish and great value for money, this is one place that I will keep in mind when craving strikes when I am in the city.

Beach Road Food Centre

Beach Road Food Centre
505 Beach Road

Our next dining adventure saw us in Beach Road, led by the tempations of this stall on the second floor, run by a Belgium chap, serving waffles and fruit with chocolate (Belgium no less) dip. The chocolate was delicious alright, but the doughy waffles were far from ideal. I preferred mine with dip.

Just further up from this place was a fried kway teow (stir fried flat rice noodle) stall that claimed that they used no lard in their cooking. That to me was sacriledge especially with this iconic Singaporean dish. Amazingly, it didnt taste like it was in want of the fat. However, what was clearly missing was the lap cheong (waxed meats) which gives the dish an added dimension.

While we were at it, we also tried the soto (Malay style chicken soup) on the ground floor and some satay. All yums.

Wine Garage

Wine Garage
30 Merchant Road #01-07
T. 6533 3188

We wrapped the evening up with a stop for sweets at Wine Garage, just up the street from Central Mall.

The menu at the Garage is always yummy, especially with their small plates selection that goes great with wine.

This evening however, I had a chance to savour their desserts. We had a special selection of roasted spiced almond and the molten choclate cake. But what really intrigued me was the milk pudding. It had the consistency of almond pudding but only silker and more way lighter, topped with a dollop of nutella and fresh cherry sauce. The combination was simply exquisite and left was wanting more.

Central TomTon

Central TomTon
#03-88 Central Mall, Eu Tong Sen Street
T. 6327 7887

Next on the Central "menu" was this shabu shabu place (Japanese hot pot). We were enticed by its promise of black pork, a Japanese specialty that is made even better by the accompanying citrus dip.

The dish was very average. It paled in comparison to the same dish I had in Tokyo. The servings were tiny. The dip bland, and the price - very much more than in Japan. It was disappointing.

When dining in Singapore, my preferred shabu shabu spot would still be Ohsumi.

Marutama Ramen

Marutama Ramen
#03-90 Central Mall
Eu Tong Sen Street

I was thrilled to bits that my foodie pal was in town, at least for a few days, to put more eating places to the test and we decided that Central Mall was it for that evening. Touted as the new "Little Tokyo" its filled with many little Japanese spots including this ramen place.

We ordered the special, the aka-ramen which was served with a seven nuts soup base and meat balls. Quite yums. What I like specially is the noodles. Its hand made by the shop and does not come with the starchy strands that is common in most ramen places. I could eat it all without feeling stuffed midway.

Prices were affordable also - most noodles averaged S$12/US$8, and you can add on other ingredients to the bowl.

Fabbrica Restaurant and Wine Bar

Fabbrica Restaurant and Wine Bar
18B Dempsey Road
T. 6479 7808

I was so hungry I forgot to capture images of the main course. But the dessert was as good as the pasta. I had the panna cotta and the molten chocolate cake. Both were fab.

Not surprising, the restaurant is homed by an Italian chef and his wife. The fact that its set among the beautiful green surrounding of the Dempsey area, makes it all the more attractive.

Toast Box

Branches islandwide

Though available all day long, this is one of my favourite breakfast sets on the weekend. Half boiled eggs with thick toast slathered in creamy peanut butter sauce, and cup of traditional coffee shop style tea. What better way to start the weekend!

Z’en Japanese Cuisine

Z’en Japanese Cuisine
#01-75 UE Square
T. 6732 3110

I came by lured by the large Japanese crowd at this restaurant and also from bumping in a Japanese chef friend here. And my hunch was right - we ordered a set to share. The variety was fabulous - from seared tuna, and sashimi, to roast duck and daikon salad. Every dish was a pleaser. Well worth visiting again to try the other items on the menu.

Hong Kong Café

Hong Kong Café Marina Square Ground Floor

I tried this only because the combination was just too bizzare to not try - instant noodles with egg and pork floss. I confirmed my suspicion. It was just too strange. Works with pineapple fried rice, with bread, but with noodles...

Tong Po Siew Kun, Hong Kong

Tong Po Siew Kun
Across from North Point MTR

This is a really interesting find. A walk through a deserted wet market to the third floor unearthed this lot of eating places that was so packed to the brim you just had to see it for yourself.

We were recommended to try the roast chicken here, which was tender as can be, covered with a layer of crisp fried garlic. We also had the garlic crab, which was very fragrant. We had the roe cooked with egg which yielded yet another dish.

In our greediness, we also ordered the peppery intestine soup which was served in a bucket like dish. In that cool weather, it tasted exqusite. The selection here is just mind boggling.

Krispy Kreme, Hong Kong

I wanted to find out what the big deal is with this brand of dounts with so many people taking boxes of these round confectionary home with them whenever they travel to a location with a Krispy Kreme.

I ordered my usual - jelly filled donut - and find it no different from the Dunkin Donuts I used to hanker after every now and then in Boston.

Verdict (I am almost sure that I am going to get jeers for this)- its a nice donut but no different from any of the other good ones out there so long as its eaten fresh.