Back in Jakarta after a long while....

The last time I was in Jakarta, I was speaking at a press conference, riots had broken out in the city center, and we were rushed in an executive car to catch the first plane out of the country. It was pandemonium., and I left with a bitter taste in my mouth. I am fond of Jakarta and the mellow almost sedate Indonesians. I share their preference for food with sweetness and chili – I am accused rightly it would seem for my tendency to rely on kecap manis for seasoning roasted meats. I can do without caramel or fudge sauces in sweets, but give me caramel sweet sauces or dressing for savory meats any day. I digress because I am sat in a food court perched on top of a shopping mall called “Bellagio” with “Vegas” in its tagline. This is a vastly different Jakarta – it is embracing western culture, wealth and the changes are stark in my mind. I am staying at the Ritz-Carlton and get dropped off at Oakwood next door, where Fitness First is located. I run 5 km in 30min 30secs. So I am famished. In Oakwood, there is a Starbucks and an up-market store like the type you would get in posh neighborhood, stacked with Kettle Chips and chocolate biscuits from Belgium or Switzerland. The influence of Singapore is quite disconcerting. In the “Bellagio” shopping mall, there is a Guardian pharmacy. In Oakwood, there is a Penang Bistro (nasi lemak for 59,000 rupiah, satay for 29,000 rupiah) with free Wi-Fi.

I choose the food court instead – how can my first meal be a western one? (Well technically, my first meal was the buffet dinner last night at the Ritz-Carlton but who is keeping track huh?) I choose Satay Ayam, Satay Kambing and Sop Kambing (i.e. Chicken Sate, Mutton Satay and Mutton Soup). The chicken sate was quite nice, came with pink mini-shallots, chili-padi, and what tasted like kecap manis. (See I told you they put kecap manis on everything). The mutton soup was a clear broth with mini-chunks of carrots and celery, served again with Kecap Manis! The Mutton Sate was a mistake to order – it is very tough and over-cooked. The mutton soup had a lovely taste but I am not sure why they served the bones, which were used to create the broth (which was chewy and inedible). The total price came to about US$6.00, which left me thinking perhaps I should have had the nasi lemak at Penang bistro. I am glad I did not – where is my credibility as a foodie journal if I eat Penang food in Jakarta??? Shot I would guess. (If you are asking where is my credibility now, I will smack you.)

Kopi Tiam, Girlfriends and Chin wag

Kopi Tiam really tries to bring local food to those of us who are allergic to sun and humidity. On a day when the temperature hit 36 celsius, and you still want hawker food, Kopi Tiam can be a pleasant surprise.

So for those of us who have spent the past 2 years at least in the Northern Hemisphere, Kopi Tiam is a lifesaver.

I met with Marguerita whom I have not seen for at least 10 years (perhaps more but that would give away our age wouldn't it, and girls don't reveal their ages) and Soh Chin whom I met in April (she who took me to the Star Trek premiere). What better way is there to spend an afternoon than catching up with long lost friends, girly chat and chin way, and pretty decent local food? Margerita certainly enjoyed her extremely lemak Laksa which came in a big claypot - certainly, the lemak soup is so thick it is more like a sauce than soup. Soh Chin has the Hainanese Chicken Rice which looked good although M and I thought the chili condiment wasn't quite so authentic. I had a second lunch appointment, so I ordered rojak to share. It was not bad, except i tasted onions in the rojak. Why would anyone put onions in rojak? Ugh.

M goes back to New York, lucky girl. Bon Voyage M! See you in NYC - i hope very soon for me!

Time Travel: Pandan Nasi Lemak, Tanjong Pagar (June 1st)

I met up with Seow Hiong at Tanjong Pagar to sample some Pandan Nasi Lemak last Monday. The Tanjong Pagar MRT station is set out very much like Raffles Place MRT station - a mini-labyrinth of underground retail shops, food outlets, etc. I have not been to Tanjong Pagar MRT station for years - it has changed so much. The Tanjong Pagar Food Court and market has not changed a bit. It looks clean and well-maintained. The fruit stalls are selling a brisk trade with fresh seasonal fruit currently longans and lychees. SH and I met at one of the staircases leading up to the food court. Of course, I was waiting at the wrong one! Thank goodness he found me and we walked up to my food heaven. I did my pupillage at Loh & Partners around the road at Neil Rd, so I have fond memories of the nasi lemak at this food court. SH recommended the soy braised duck with giblets. Nasi Lemak was good, and the duck even better. After placing my order for nasi lemak, I noticed there was a relatively long queue forming at a second Pandan Nasi Lemak stall. I hate it when that happens....

Wisma Atria: Thye Hong Hokkien Mee

We are such creatures of habit. Yes I am talking about you too. Don’t deny you are among the hundreds if not thousands who queue for Hokkien Mee at Thye Hong in Wisma Atria. Is it a sign of progress or sophistication - when you are embarrassed about enjoying a plate of wonderfully cooked noodles just because it is located in an air-conditioned shopping mall, it is part of a chain of food outlets (Food Republic) and it is a tourist attraction. Or is it just food elitism? Stalls with A grade rating cannot possibly make food taste good! This is a dilemma for foodies in Singapore – can clean and hygienic food taste great? Tasting good is not a problem, but great? So I am coming out of the closet and declaring that I have eaten many times at Thye Hong, queued up multiple times and I would continue to eat, queue, eat and queue. I am not ashamed to say that I really really like the Hokkien Mee at Thye Hong in Wisma Atria Food Republic! Ta-da! (By the way, the Hokkien Mee at Far East Plaza next to William’s rojak is quite good too, and it is cheaper than Thye Hong. And no queues.)

Time Travel: Back to Sun 31 May (P.S.Cafe)

Sunday brunch is always a treat in Singapore. Marmalade Pantry is a tried and tested Sunday brunch favorite – you are never disappointed. However, you are also never surprised and the café menu has not changed very much over the years. On this particular Sunday, we decided to try out P.S. Café in the same building (Palais Renaissance). I felt like a traitor, walking past Marmalade Pantry to get to PS. Café on the first floor. Surprisingly, Marmalade still had several tables open for lunch – perhaps we were still early. You may know the original P.S. Café’ is in Paragon neatly tucked behind a fashion retail outlet.
This is more spacious with high ceilings that create a contemporary remake of a colonial café. Nice atmosphere and creating some buzz. We placed three orders – Wagyu beef burger, Spaghetti and Banana pancakes. It was food cooked well and nicely done. I cannot rave about P.S. Café like I did with Delicious in KL. Their menu simply does not stand out, and does not excite like Marmalade’s menu of more than 6 years (plus or minus a year or two, who’s counting). It needs to be simplified, and punchier. Owners of P.S. Café, please take a leaf out of Delicious in KL. There is no reason for me to go back to P.S. Café otherwise.

Singapore (again): Whirlwind food tour resumes...

I am back again in Singapore for another round of catching up with old friends and colleagues, consuming more local food whether it is new experiences or revisiting old ones. The best cure for jet-lag is greasy stodgy food. At 7am, Sunday morning we walked to Killiney Rd (from Emerald Hill where we stayed) searching for roti prata or nasi lemak. We found the Casuarina Club - the name and brand looked familiar to me - perhaps somewhere in Dempsey Rd or Holland? John ordered Roti Prata with Cheese and Onion (he has this combination with omellettes and in a sandwich too). I was feeling really piggy so I had an egg roti prata and plain thosai (or dosai as it is also known). Perhaps it was the jet-lag, but it was quite good. The thosai was particularly good for me - more subtle in flavor and of course, it is not fried in lard. It is more like a pancake with a sour yoghurt tang. I like buckwheat pancakes very much but i think thosai beats it. There is clearly room for a thosai pancake house!

So you would think this is a good enough breakfast for me. But no! I spotted a curry puff stall right next door to the Casuarina Club. I bought a couple of curry puffs to try, and vadai, which is a south indian snack always served with a green chilli. Vadai is basically a dal based batter - lots of variations on the ingredients, but i like the prawn vadai with a fresh green chilli. I used to buy them by the dozens at the stall in Siglap - this indian lady makes it fresh and hot - she is sold out by 3pm each day. She always gave me extra because I went so often. It is a simple healthy vegan snack deep fried in vegetable oil. Who can resist deep fried? The fresh chilli is a superb accompaniment. The curry puff was very good by the way - thin crispy skin with half an egg inside. It is not fat and stodgy like the Old Chang Kee. but light and leaves you wanting more. I am definitely going back to get some on Weds next week when i am back in Singapore.