It has been 3 weeks since I left the US. Not technically 3 weeks in Singapore as I didn’t land until Wednesday August 6th. Whew just thinking about that flight makes me shudder. 30 hours of traveling with no leg room, no comfortable sleeping position, and airport food (well minus the delicious sushi from Narita Airport). Don’t worry mom and dad, that doesn’t mean I won’t be making the trip back home in November and then February. But until then I’ll treasure a good night’s sleep and a good meal.
While I haven’t been extremely homesick these 3 weeks, I have been craving certain “Western” food. Salads, grilled chicken, spaghetti and meatballs, pizza, mom’s homemade sticky buns, and Mexican food. I think more of what I’m missing is the prices of such dishes back in the US. Does Singapore have most of the items I listed? Yes, with the exception of mom’s sticky buns, though most of these come at a cost and aren’t just on any corner. Will I survive without these things for a while? Most likely, though Mission Cantina in Amherst better have fish tacos, a margarita, fresh salsa, and guacamole waiting for me come next spring!
Let’s talk about this weekend. Friday night Ethan, Glenn, and I met up in Clark Quay for dinner and drinks. (See my past Food Friday post for more about dinner.)
Clark Quay
After dinner we headed to Holland Village (or Holland V as the locals call it). We walked around the main strip where there were tons of open air bars. At night they shut down the road to vehicles and the restaurants pour out onto the open street with tables and chairs, easily doubling their occupancy. There were a ton of people, music, and cool sights to see. We enjoyed our ginger beers then headed to a more quiet street where foodies go to enjoy great dining options in a more low key setting. We stopped and had ice cream, salted caramel for me! It was a good sweet treat to end the night.
Saturday night was a dining adventure for Ethan and I. A co-worker from my internship back in Connecticut, (shout out to Brian!), got me in touch with his friend and Singapore expert, Joyce. Joyce and her husband graciously took Ethan and I out for a traditional South Indian dinner in Singapore’s very own Little India. The main attraction of our meal? Fish head curry. And our whole meal was eaten off of a banana leaf. Now unfortunately today is Tuesday so your curiosity for the meal will have to wait until this week’s Food Friday post. It was quite the new dining experience for us and I have never experienced anything like it before. The meal was excellent, though my tummy will need some getting used to the intense spices and flavors with Indian cuisine.
Sunday was Niles first day in Singapore. We were up early to go grocery shopping and run some errands. We then headed downtown for a simple lunch and some exploring. Our walk was quickly restricted to underground tunnels and covered walkways due to the rain. Lucky for us, the rain can’t hurt the views of Marina Bay! After a lot of walking we headed to Level33 brewery for a mid-afternoon beverage and the BEST view of Marina Bay and Marina Bay Sands we've had (so far).
Though the rain had stopped the gray cloudy sky was definitely enhancing the sleepiness of our group. As we headed back to our apartments, we stopped at our MRT’s fruit stand to get some local fruit including mangosteen, rambutan, dragon fruit, and passion fruit (ok the last two came from the grocery store). And to top off our day, I enjoyed my favorite coconut smoothie from Mama Coconut. Though Ethan and Niles had their eyes on another sweet treat…
Introducing iced kachang (Ais Kacang is the Malaysian official name)
This massive dessert starts with a bed of red beans, grass jelly, agar agar topped with a pile of shaved ice flavored with some type of syrups and finally creamed corn is spooned on top. Please see Wikipedia for a full explanation of what else might be in it. This blogger chick didn’t have any ounce of desire to try a bite but if it does happen you can look for it on my Food Friday posts.
Exciting news!! Our first trip is booked. Destination: Bali, Indonesia
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