An Education

Another weekend of culinary and cultural delights, but this time I've decided to get deep (ish)

More on this man in a min 

Singapore, as we know it today, is not all that old. Gaining independence in 1965 this world we have emerged ourselves in is pretty shiny and new, to the extent where most high-rises are ripped down and rebuilt after 5 years and cars over 10 years old are banned. However its not all high flyers and trophy wives (or Titis as they are known here), like the residential streets of Clapham you can still find a stark clash of cultures, they just don't show it on the postcards. Behind its pristine glass and marble facade there are still the underpinnings of local traditions, in the form of food (at the Hawker markets) Architecture (streets of listed buildings) and the language often being spoken within earshot. 

This got me thinking, is there much history around us at all that we are actually exposed to every day but are completely ignorant to it? Well my friends over the next few weeks I aim to find out, I will try to google the places I go in a semi-educational exposé of modern Singapore, and in turn you can add these little factoids to your pub quiz arsenal. Deal?

My Mate Jim

After a long week at work, interrupted by the Dr experience, I was very much looking forward to Friday night. About 16 of us were going for a big group meal at a Thai restaurant called Jim Thompson. It was a great group, we didn't all know each other but all had mutual friends so we were all chatting away happily. The cocktail list was thicker than the menu, to the extent where after finally settling on a Lychee Daquiri (Icey alcoholic dreams) I didn't even make it past the Starters page. I did however learn that Goong means prawn, you know your on safe ground (if you like prawns) when the miscellaneous Thai food has 'Goong' in the title. 

This Little lady threw some shapes

By the end of the evening, in proper playground style, we had split into a boys table and a girls table, where we remained until long after the restaurant closed. We discussed gellish, cocktail bars and ladies nights...I wouldn't be surprised if the boys did too. 

The Restaurant itself was beautiful, we sat outside submerged in serene surroundings of linen sashes, human sized birdcages, traditional dancers, and water features. The food was traditional thai munch with a contrast of funky modern glasses distracting from the potency of the cocktails, and food arrived in silverware straight from Aladdin's cave.

(Pictures courtesy of jarofsalt because, well, I forgot)

Curry fishcakes, i didn't have these because they didn't have Goong in the title.

He dead

I want one of these for my cereal

This is how all Curry's should come!

Lychee Martini (not a candle)

So who is Jim?

I asked this very question in the restaurant, in my naivety I though 'Jim Thompson' was a very odd name for a Thai restaurant. Turns out I couldn't have been more wrong. 

In the same boat? You may know the film 'The King and I'? well then you're sort of half way there...

Jim Thompson was an American architect and retired army officer who breathed new life and revitalized Thailand’s silk industry but one day just vanished of the face of the earth. Jim's post-war contributions to Thailand are pretty big time, giving women a chance to weave from home and raising people out of poverty after establishing the Thai Silk Company. His biggest breakthrough came in the form of the musical by Rogers and Hammerstein, “The King And I” where costumes were created out of Jim Thompsons’s jewel-toned hand-woven fabrics.

According to Wikipedia (valued source) Thompson visited friends in Cameron Highlands one day to stay at the Moonlight Bungalow. Then on Easter Sunday in 1967, he heads outdoors to take an afternoon stroll. He never came back. The Mystery has never been solved.


So boys and girls next time you buy a beautiful Thai silk scarf, tie or any other silk garments you sway towards....you know who to thank.

Some of Jimmy T's Fineries 

...

On that Cryptic note, I'm off. We have a proper sunday lined up, Super market, Gym, Cinema. Struggling to get out of bed so time to blare some tunes through our snazzy new internet TV (we have become proper Asian Techno Geeks) here's a tune below to get you out of bed.

Happy Sunday, 5 days till the weekend!

XXX

Doing Chinese like the Chinese do

My first experience of Chinese (food) in Singapore was NOT one to be repeated. It was from a hawker market and even thinking about makes me want to sick in my mouth a bit. I boldly ordered what looked like Teriyaki Chicken and green beans, thinking this was a safe bet. What a fool. I don't think there was any part of that chicken left out of my meal, everything, innards, skin, feet you name it, it was hidden in there drowning in sauce, and the one saving grace- the green beans, turned out to be spring onions. Massive Fail.

Hawker market 1- Sian 0

Due to this experience I was understandably sceptical about Chinese food round 2, when we got invited out by friends of Brads. Fortunately it was a dramatically different experience. We met up with Brads friend and his wife at a Restaurant after work on Friday night, I clocked a McDonalds on the way there incase a similar sequence of events would unfold. My spirits were lifted and expectations raised by the glass of champagne at the bar on arrival- maybe this wouldn't be so bad.

The Restaurant's signature dish was the peking duck (also the restaurants name) and it was the first place I have been to where it is not served all puled apart by forks on a plate.

This is what comes first, really crispy duck skin which you dip into sugar and plum sauce.
Due to my lack of chopstick prowess, I only got one bit :(
need to work on my skills, think i'll practice next weekend with grains of rice.

Once you have eaten the ducks skin (or in my case prodded at it with 2 sticks) the whole pancake shabazz begins which we are most familiar with.I am not actually a big duck fan but they cook and present it beautifully so i gave it a whirl. Not bad China, not bad, I will eat this again.

The duck didn't finish there. When the rest of the meal was brought to the table a typical mix match of meat and fish dishes, the rest of the duck (I dread to think how big it was) was prepared on the bone in a sauce with ginger and pak choy. Waste not want not. Again I struggled to get fully involved due to my amateur chopsticking, I am however a dab hand at poring wine, so after clocking the waitresses unacceptably slow refill pace, I releived her of this duty and took it upon myself to keep us all (myself) topped up. I blame Saturday mornings hangover on the fact I did not have a fork. From now on I will carry my own fork.

I will continue to update on the rest of the weekends events, but in the meantime I strongly recommend finding your nearest Chinese restaurant that serves duck this way, preorder a whole one and book a massive table. Oh and bring your own cutlery.

Random Fact: Here they refer to an unprepared chicken breast in a supermarket as "chicken with hormones" If ever you find yourself in a situation similar to I did where they ask if you would like your chicken "with or without hormones" go with a firm "No" do not let curiosity get the better of you.

Speak soon

XXX