Food-trippin’ in Singapore … almost;)

Am I glad none of my friends told me to eat at Pepper Lunch in Singapore. I’ve really had enough of Pepper talk awready. I honestly think the blog is more entertaining than the food 😛

We got to eat at No Signboard Seafood resto instead. It was good that their branch in the Esplanade Mall was just a short walk from my hotel. Every implanted Pinoy in Singapore recommends tasting their crabs which is heavenly. We ordered the one in chili sauce which didn’t taste so spicy but looked like it had been mixed to perfection with some egg sauce or such. No Signboard is so called because it started as an obscure hawker stall.

No, we didn’t eat rice with the crabs. The house recommends pairing with the divine steamed buns which you can dip in the sauce, if you hate the idea of licking your fingers. Hah. The texture of this bread is just amazing. They remind me actually of similar buns in Filipino Chinese restaurants like My Home Deli or Wah Yuen. Next time you’re at a Chinese resto, order the fried buns, with condensed milk to go. Bread and condensed milk is actually a fave childhood memory for some of us 😉

My cheapest thrill while in Singapore was eating ice cream from the ambulant vendors. See? The sign says “Magnolia,” but we don’t seem to have durian-flavored ice cream blocks in our shores. If New York had their $1 hotdogs, Singapore has their S$1 ice cream, which you can eat on a piece of biscuit, or a slice of multi-colored bread.

Trying out the hookien mee at Thye Vong in Wisma Atria’s Food Republic was one of the ‘touristy’ things I did, following a guidebook. The fried noodles are still traditionally placed in some sort of palm leaf called opeh leaf. One also gets to see the cook make the noodles from scratch in a giant wok, adding one ingredient after another.

Buffet at MELT World Cafe, Mandarin Oriental. Because I just find their food exquisite, and this was one place where the nosh didn’t taste like bland hotel food. Even the room service didn’t disappoint.

Cookie creations at The Cookie Museum. Passing by this place which was decked in full Venetian splendor, I couldn’t help but make a turn-around. A bit on the pricey side with cookie tins starting at S$35. But it wouldn’t really hurt spending a lazy sunny afternoon with platter of exquisite cookies and a cup of English tea for a taste of the good life. Their papaya cookies are highly-recommended.

As in previous trips, I had a list of things to see and places to eat in on my maiden visit to Singapore, but wasn’t even able to accomplish half. I blame this on my hectic schedule, and the fact that I preferred shopping to eating. One can only do so much at any given time, right? I did miss out on a lot and it just makes me dream of visiting again soon.