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Archive for the ‘Food’ Category

They say that one can’t judge a book by its cover. However, that’s certainly not the case when it comes to menus in restaurants. A lovely cover is, after all, a perfect introduction to a lovely menu, and it does hint very strongly about the quality that’s promised in a meal. Nice covers also give a very special touch to the experience, and they suggest that this moment is important enough to encase in special materials, if only to suggest that what’s at the beginning is only a taste of what’s to come in the near future.

The link between menu covers and book covers may be more intricately connected than is usually considered. In today’s book market, the dust jacket has become an art form again. In the early part of the 20th century, book jackets were reserved for only very special editions, providing one more layer of protection over a valuable object. They have evolved over time, to become objects in and of themselves, with careful attention to both design and text.

Both of these, menu covers and book jackets, then, are precise counterparts to the objects that they contain, suggesting a priceless value contained within. And the most exquisite meals do sometimes come close to the feeling one gets when reading a great work of literature.

There are a hundred good reasons for eating pho, and it’s something that becomes a bit of an obsession after one or two tries. There’s something kind of magic about the soup, so much so that, in a pinch, just about any kind of pho will do. Las Vegas has the air of extreme excitement, late night fun, early morning adventures, and a general good time waiting to be had, and that makes a particularly perfect city where the cravings for pho might come on strong, and always unannounced. However, there’s lots of good news.

There’s not just one or two places where one can find good pho in Las Vegas, but actually it’s closer to a dozen. For most of the cases, one can eat a very hearty meal for under ten dollars, which is something that can come in handy if the casinos get the best of you. They get the best of everyone, however, so there’s no need to feel bad about it, and a nice big bowl of pho will always take the sting away. Pho is a dish with origins in Northern Vietnam , which combines elements of local indigenous cuisine with Chinese and French influences. The Northern version is very simple, no bean sprouts, and easier on the meat side, so the Southern one is what you’ll find in most restaurants.

In Vegas, Pho Hung, Pho Nhu Y, and Pho So 1 consistently get good reviews, but the city favorite still seems to be Pho Saigon 8 . These all offer excellent meals that are very easy on the wallet, and it’s worth stepping away from the luxury of the Vegas hotel , or to make a special trip over during a long night on the town. Generally speaking, it’s not considered a fine dining kind of experience, but it’s always nice to act as if that were the case, because the local restaurant owners and workers do appreciate it when courtesy and respect are high.

I arrived into Singapore and exchanged my Malaysian Ringgits into Singapore dollars. Then I found the subway and was off to my short adventure, or so I thought. I arrived at one station and noticed people getting off, and then noticed that the train started back the way we came. So, I got off at the next stop, which, fortunately wasn’t far from where I was supposed to get off in the first place. Ahhh…the trials and tribulations of being a foreign traveler.

My stop landed me at the historic district where I took a walking tour of an old firehouse and a church. There was a park next to the church, so I headed into the park, which was very beautiful and well maintained. There was a fortress wall with cannons sticking out of it and all the trees and plants were absolutely stunning with the city sticking straight up in the background. This made me hungry, so I pulled out my Blackberry to see what might be a good Singapore restaurant . I found one that seemed very interesting, called Eleven on Bussorah located in the Arab quarter. I found the Arab quarter and wandered for a bit, doing some window shopping and taking a gander inside a mosque. There were worshippers practicing inside, so I decided to head on down to the restaurant and get some lunch. The restaurant was not bad, it had an international menu, fusion is more like it. I ordered the special of the day, which was a lentil soup served with lamb chops. The meal was perfect and the price was even better, with tip $20.00.

After lunch, I wanted to head for the Raffles hotel to try one of the famous Singapore Slings . I found the bar, which was very long and ordered the drink. It was nice and tasty. I also snacked on some peanuts, which I could throw the peanut shells on the floor! Shocking for such a classy place, but that was the custom, so…toss the peanut shells I did.

Coming to Singapore is like visiting multiple worlds at once. There is a splendid sense of the past, where old temples and old traditions still survive, and co-exist with some very contemporary art forms. There is also an amazing sense of style and design, where the creative energies of the populations here contribute to make a city-state that has an enormous visual appeal, and there are also plenty of other senses that are woken up here. It’s difficult to spend any time here without realizing that the incredible smells in the streets are capable of evoking a ravenous hunger. With a generous offering of excellent places to eat, it’s quite easy to find a great vegetarian restaurant here.

There is a long tradition of vegetarianism here, because of the great mix of cultures that each have their own vegetarian customs, and their own ways of spicing and styling the cuisines. A meatless meal is a wonderful way to begin an adventure that might find a lot to admire in the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple . Visiting here can easily turn into an all-day affair, as there are so many different rooms and floors to explore, each offering a glimpse into Buddhist tradition and history.

The temple was started in 1980, when monks gathered and decided to find a way to enshrine the Buddha’s tooth that was discovered here over 200 years ago. This is the main attraction here, and it’s said that seeing this relic is the same as seeing the Buddha himself, and it’s an experience that can be enormously overwhelming for devotees. You don’t have to be a practicing Buddhist to visit however, but appropriate dress with respect is required. Common sense would dictate that shoulders should be covered, as well as a little attention to refrain from clothes that might be considered too casual. There is also a museum of Buddhist art and artifacts, a wonderful tea shop, and multiple use spaces for cultural performances and lectures. A splendid way to spend a day, and re-connect with the ethereal in an ethereal place.

Visiting Singapore is always an adventure in embracing an idea of the world that is so much larger than previously imagined.  It even seems that, with subsequent visits, there must be one time in the near future when it will be possible to determine what the next trends might be, or what the next development in the art scene will look like.  But the truth about the future, when human beings, especially artists, are concerned, is about as predictable as love or money.  Every good fortune teller knows that they have to talk about these things, but they also know that they are more elusive than the phantasmal forms that sometimes help us to find them.

It has happened, and it keeps happening, being one of the premiers places for new and experimental art in the region.  These were very difficult shoes to fill, because being the artistic director means to be able to hold up in reputation to its founder, but also to be daring and innovative enough to take the reigns and move it in a way that the art community could admire.  It’s a tough task.  It certainly is a relief, then, to see Noor Effendy Ibrahim taking up the post.  This new director, a performance and visual artist of Indian background, seems to have not only the chops, but the drive, and certainly a sense of humor, and that might be the most important thing of all.

Being on assignment here, in this crazy labyrinth called Singapore, where strange angels are haunting every doorway, reminding you of that delicate balance between the living and the dead, there’s always some questions.  Why would they choose me to write about this particular festival, and how do I find out the best Chinese restaurant in town without becoming larger than some of the statues of the Buddha?  The answer to both of these questions live somewhere in an ether that I’ve certainly never tried, and perhaps never will.  I understand that there are certain Nirvanas that are not accessible to just anyone, and my own record will stand as it is.

They wouldn’t let me in to most, I would imagine, although here, at the Hungry Ghost Festival, it’s looking like this might be a possibility.  This is the festival that happens every year, during the seventh lunar month, when all the ghosts that haven’t been remembered properly come to the surface of the earth.  It’s origins are Chinese, but just as important right here, where Chinese culture is a large part of the city-states’s identity.  The people have been here for a long time, and the ghosts, it seems, for much longer than that.  This is becoming my favorite holiday very quickly.

I understand why I’m drawn.  I’ve always liked the idea of feeding the dead, because it speaks to a metaphorical idea I have about history.  Here, however, there’s no metaphor at work.  The thing that you see happening is exactly what it is.  They place plates of food on the ground so that the ghosts can eat.  Good luck to you if you happen to walk on one of these plates accidentally, because although not everyone can see ghosts, they can certainly see us.  I would imagine that after a few more visits here, and a few more ghost festivals, I might even be able to start making out these forms in the air, because there are times that I certainly see something.

Romeo, and yes, that is his name, grew up in Atlanta, Georgia. He was a cute kid, which for him made it even worse. As could be expected he was frequently kidded in school, though luckily for him it was mostly by his friends and was in good nature. He was called lover boy before he even knew what the phrase meant and by the time he was old enough to understand it, it had become one of his common nicknames. He also played baseball from the time he was six years old. And it didn’t take long for the phrase to be heard by opposing teams who taunted him with it every time he was up to bat. This, in part, inspired Romeo to be the best he could be and he practiced hard and was able to knock many balls across the home-run line, which was usually enough to silence some of his more vocal opponents.

Baseball quickly became one of Romeo’s favorite sports and activities. His grandfather had been a huge of the Atlanta Braves every since they first arrived in the city in 1966. In fact, it has his grandfather that first took Romeo to Turner Field. He frequently thought back to that day when he was eight and the cool breeze of the afternoon and the great hot dogs they enjoyed while they watched. Romeo and his grandfather frequently watched the games together and it was a ritual to eat corned beef sandwiches with a pickle and chips on game days. This only occurred when they watched them from Romeo’s grandparents’ house. His grandmother made the best corned beef sandwich in the world and they always had hot dogs at the stadium.

It had been ten years since Romeo had last visited Atlanta. As he flew in with his wife and son he thought about his grandparents and greatly missed them. He was headed there for a business meeting and it was his wife’s idea for the two of them to go with him since that’s where Romeo had grown up. While they were there the Braves happened to have a home game against the Minnesota Twins. Romeo was suddenly struck by a great idea and when he returned to one of the hotels Atlanta to meet his family he presented them with tickets to the game. That ended up being the first baseball game his son had attended in person, and you can be sure that the family enjoyed a hot dog while they were there.