The voice of the people

Did an interview with Wild Rice’s artistic director, the lovely Ivan Heng, about a month ago. We spoke about the re-staging of their highly popular play, “Cooling-Off Day” and I was really curious to see what all the fuss is about.

Why do you vote? What issues influenced your vote? What does your citizenship mean to you?

Based on the colourful 2011 General Elections, this simple yet poignant piece of verbatim theatre written by celebrated local playwright Alfian Sa’at, was based on actual tedious interviews conducted with Singaporeans from all walks of life. The result is a delightful portrayal of characters we are all too familiar with – the outspoken taxi driver, the zealous undergraduate, the frustrated writer, the Malay retiree, the Chinese teacher, the hawker, the white-collared professional. All uncannily depicted by a versatile, energetic cast. Jo Kukathas, in particular, was absolutely brilliant.

My favourite part of the play has got to be the final segment as inspired by Grand Emeritus Blogmaster himself, mrbrown. Complete with none-too-subtle comparisons of the Kate Spade-toting Tin Peiling and Nicole’s “nonya kueh” (?!) and the bold allusions to the party with the “lightning bolt”. This one ended with such a bang (quite literally) that the audience was still in stitches by the time the lights came on.

Entertaining, audacious and simultaneously heartwarming, this play while boasting political overtones could not be more effective in making me love being Singaporean.

Definitely a must-see.

Mozart’s Don Giovanni by SLO

Went for my first lyric opera performance yesterday evening at the Esplanade and loved it to bits!

The Singapore Lyric Opera invited us to catch their Tuesday performance of the at once hilarious and tragic “Don Giovanni”. Witty, ironic and funny enough to have us in stitches, who knew opera could be so entertaining?

 

Of course, in the first place, you can barely go wrong with Mozart. But the voices, the passionate performances, the set and costumes – far exceeded my expectations.

Giovanni himself, the licentious, utterly unrepentant womaniser, was very convincingly played by Song Kee Chang. The opera itself showcased beautiful arias and lovely duets, but the storyline really captures the imagination.

Looking forward to catching SLO’s next performance! Score one for local talent.

Who says magic is dead?

Caught the dream team of modern magic moguls from all over the world at the Sands Theatre at MBS last Friday evening. The spectacular performance shows us magic is definitely not all pulling rabbits out of top hats and in Dan Sperry’s case, not for the faint hearted.

The organisers were generous enough to give us fantastic seats after our interview with Dan “Anti-Conjurer” Sperry and James “The Gentleman” Dimmare. Both of whom could not possibly be more different. At 10am in the morning, Dan (sans Marilyn Manson makeup and huge mohawk) definitely came across as tired, bored and a far cry from his wacky, Joker-like persona on stage. James, however, still retained some of his sleek, old charm. But with their jaw-dropping sleights of hand and baffling stunts, who really cares if they can’t make interesting conversation?

If you’re a fan of grand illusions, this will definitely not disappoint.

Watch the escape artist’s nail-biting exit from being handcuffed upside down in a water tank, random audience members getting their minds read, leggy models and shiny motorcycles vanish into thin air and more.

I was particularly impressed by “The Mentalist” Philip Escoffey. Razor sharp wit and wry sense of humour aside, this guy really had us wrapped around his little finger. Nothing like messing with people’s minds.

Even if you’re a skeptic, it’s great fun just racking your brains trying to figure out just how they manage to fool you so exquisitely (good luck with that). All in all, fantastic showmanship and excellent entertainment for everyone.

First foray into French theatre – Cyrano de Bergerac

After interviewing the cast of French Stage’s “Cyrano de Bergerac” on the show, we were invited to appreciate one of the most iconic plays in French Theatre. Written in 1897 by Edmond Rostand, the play tells the tale of a talented, strong-willed nobleman who because of his extremely large nose, harbours a deep-seated insecurity. He does not express his love for the beautiful Roxanne because of this, and instead assists the handsome Christian to win her hand.

Despite being performed entirely in French verse (albeit with english subtitles), this turned out to be very enjoyable. Not least because of the very universal themes, flamboyant costumes and dramatic swordfights, but also because of Quentin Bernard’s convincing portrayal of the protagonist.

Another random bit of trivia about the play: It actually introduced the word “panache” into the English language, referring to a flamboyant manner and reckless courage.

Took mummy along for this one last Thursday after a nice afternoon at the spa (steam bath, body scrub and full-body aromatherapy massage) and a yummy sushi dinner. One of the best things about finally bringing home some bacon is being able to pamper your parents after two decades of hard work!

Valentine’s Day at home sweet home

Decided to try something a little different this year and whip up something simple at home for dinner instead of jostling with the crowds just to have a nice meal together. Not big on the whole overpriced bouquets and standardised menus thing they do every year, but I’m definitely no Valentine’s Day grinch either. It’s just another day we get to take time off work and spend quality time together!

Just for fun, we decided to make things a little romantic for the occasion. All it took was some dimming of the lights, a scented candle or two and some Chet Baker to set the scene.

On to the food!

For starters, we had smoked salmon salad. Mixed greens with chopped red and yellow capsicums topped with premium black pepper smoked salmon and dressed with concentrated basalmic vinegarette. This one definitely whet the appetite.

Decided to get a little fancy with the appetisers and what better way to enjoy wine than with delicious water crackers topped with some gourmet Brie and lungfish caviar.

For our main course, we had some Rosti fried till crispy golden brown on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside. Not forgetting, of course, a huge dollop of sour cream. Hearty potatoes go best with some meat and I pan fried some pork and cheese bratwurst to complete the dish.

And for dessert, I’d initially prepared some strawberry ice-cream, but Jose surprised me with a MUCH better offer – chocolate fondue!!

Paired with fresh, luscious, unbelievably sweet Korean strawberries, fluffy marshmallows and this super yummy cake bread, this was one indulgent way to end the meal.

And what better way to conclude a wonderful evening than with some sweet, chilled Moscato and great conversation. Hope everyone had a fantastic time too!

Super Sentosa Staycation

Who says you need to get out of the country to enjoy a thoroughly relaxing weekend of sun, sea, sand and lots of doing absolutely nothing? After a hectic week at work, I couldn’t be more thankful for that surprise staycation thanks to the sweetest person ever.

We spent the weekend at the eco-themed Siloso Beach Resort at Sentosa.

The resort was all landscaped gardens, crystal clear infinity pools (filled with ionised water instead of chlorine. apparently better for hair and skin haha) and dramatic waterfalls. Reclining on cushioned deck chairs enjoying the cutting wit of Christopher Hitchens aka “Hitch”… ah, what a treat.

Strolling through the roof garden where there were gorgeous blooms and greenhouses was quite a novelty considering we were right by the beach.

That impressive designer waterfall and the water slides we couldn’t resist having a go on.

The view from the rooftop was stunning, especially in the sunset.

The Wine Company at the Sentosa Boardwalk was such a wonderful place to spend the evening. With some fine Rose Wine, French Onion Soup and hearty Seafood Marinara Spaghetti with not one but two baskets of Nachos and Sour Cream, we stuffed ourselves silly while watching ships go by at the harbour.

Jazz By the Beach on Friday was rather enjoyable as well. We settled at Coastes/Sand Bar with some wine, beer and good old oven-fired thin-crusted Margherita Pizza and Fish & Chips.

All in all, super recharged and all ready to face the new week. It’s nice to know a slice of heaven can be found right in our backyard.

Love is in the air

165 metres above ground, to be exact.

Backdrop: stunning city skyline. Plush white leather couches, two flutes of sparkling golden Moet & Chandon champagne and your choice of that soundtrack d’amour.

If you’re lucky (like we were), you’ll get the whole lush Singapore Flyer capsule to yourselves. Apparently, this is usually the case unless it’s a special occasion or on public holidays. Suspended in mid-air above the bustle of the city of lights, this is definitely something worth splurging on if you’re looking to surprise that special someone.

Enjoying the breathtaking panoramic view of the city with bubbly in hand.

At just $70 per person for a 30-minute flight (they do have promotional prices from time to time), I’d definitely recommend trying out the champagne flight on the Singapore Flyer for luxurious privacy and pure magic. Good luck!

Awesomest Truffle Fries (so far)

Absolute guilty pleasure! That huge platter of fries deep fried to golden perfection in aromatic truffle oil. Topped with grated Parmesan and parsley, and served in obscene portions, I haven’t seen anyone finish this yet. Except greedy old us, of course. I can’t see how it is possible to stop until they’re gone.

ladies of leisure for the day

Absolutely adore quality time spent with the best friend talking about everything and anything under the sun over coffee and dessert. Today we sashayed in to PS Cafe at the Palais Renaissance like taitais for the afternoon — a rare treat on a weekday.

Really loved the Vivaldi in the background, the sunlight streaming in through the glass and, of course, the splendid company. Here’s what we had. Cappuccino for her, freshly-brewed tea for me and our carrot cake topped with a yummy cream cheese frosting. Love the adorable cupful of brown and white sugar cubes!

Our carrot cake topped with sweet blueberries (which I greedily hoarded muahaha).

The cake wasn’t too bad, loved the frosting. But we’re definitely going to try their signature truffle fries the next time we head down. Smelled. So. Heavenly.

It’s been nearly ten years (a decade, imagine that!) since our first foray into coffees and long heart-to-hearts at Coffee Bean at Junction 8 back in Secondary 1 before our Japanese Classes at the MOE Language Centre. Back then, four bucks for a cup of coffee was a pretty big deal haha.

It made me feel all fuzzy inside knowing that ten or twenty years down the road, when we get married, have children and start growing old, we’ll still be having these long chats about love, life and everything in between. No one can replace old friends who know you inside out and see you more clearly than anyone else ever will. Love you, bestie! xoxo.

Taipei: Shih Lin Night Market yummies

True to its reputation, Shih Lin Night Market is every foodie’s wonderland – stall after makeshift stall of very affordable street snacks, desserts, bubble tea and sweet fruit with absolutely no end in sight. If you’re greedy like us, be prepared to buy new pants.

The first dish we tried there was Liang Mian or cold noodles in sesame sauce. The noodles was springy and cooked al dente. The sauce was creamy but not too rich and fragrant with a light sesame scent, topped with light, crunchy and very refreshing cucumber strips. This was one dish we kept going back to in our time there. They usually serve this with wei zeng tang or what we thought tasted like light miso soup. Other variations came with a cracked half-runny egg and diced tofu which went perfectly with the noodles.

Next up was this dish called Tian Bu La (literally translates into sweet not spicy haha). It was basically assorted fishcake-like morsels mixed with some vegetables and topped with a thick, sweet and spicy sauce that was oh-so-addictive. We went a little heavy on the chilli (to the shopkeeper’s surprise) and finished every single bit.

Grilled Pork and Asparagus skewers. This one we queued for nearly twenty minutes! The smell of charred meat was wafting across the street into the clothing store we were in across the street and we simply had to try this. Juicy, succulent and oozing with lard-y goodness, the asparagus packs a refreshing crunch and really compliments the fatty pork wrapped around it.

Deep fried milk! I had absolutely no idea what to expect from this, except that I’d never tried any such thing in my life and how on earth do you deep fry milk anyway?? Curiousity got the better of us, and as it turns out, this lady basically takes solid milk cubes, coats them in a corn flour mixture and deep fries them till golden brown. What results is a crispy fritter coating a soft, liquid centre of thick, sweet milk. Very interesting.

Famous Corn Dogs. The Taiwanese surprisingly love this snack we usually associate with the West. The guy pictured here is apparently a famous corn dog seller who makes corn dogs in a whole host of flavours like cheese, wasabi, bbq sauce etc. And I must say, I’ve never tasted anything quite like it. The ones we have here are usually really dehydrated and soggy. But these… oh my goodness. The hotdogs are huge! And the flour coating outside it was not too thick at all. Fluffy, fragrant and deep fried to a fragrant, golden perfection, this was wonderfully savoury with a generous drizzle of mustard and ketchup.

Traditionally sold as Bing Tang Hu Lu (or candied hawthorne), the night market boasted a whole variety of candied fruits like strawberries, cherry tomatoes, prunes etc. I particularly enjoyed the strawberry ones since the fruit in Taiwan were just so amazingly sweet and succulent. Absolutely irresistable for those with a sweet tooth.

And of course, who can resist the world-famous Shih Lin Fried Chicken Chop? We were in exquisite pain standing in line for this. This stall was extremely popular — and with good reason. Instead of just deep-frying it like most other stalls, this one grilled the marinated chicken chops over a fire first till it was juicy inside and slightly charred outside, before deep frying it to crispy, honeyed perfection. People here don’t like their chicken chop cut into bits like back home. They sink their teeth into it whole, juices running down their chin. This one will leave our tummies in want forever.

Next, we tried the Grilled Oyster Mushrooms. You can pick from a whole variety of savoury or sweet flavours for this. Very juicy, springy and flavoured with your favourite topping, this one’s yet another addictive snack you just can’t stop popping. We picked lemon juice and pepper just for kicks, but there were other flavours like wasabi, bbq, sour cream, cheese, chilli pepper etc.

And last but definitely not least, behold the most gigantic bowl of Strawberry Shaved Ice dessert you’ll ever see in y0ur life. Pity mango wasn’t in season at the time or we would have wolfed down both. But this was a perfect sweet ending. Between us, we savoured the generous helpings of very sweet sliced strawberries, condensed milk, evaporated milk and shaved ice.

Oh, Shih Lin! Thou art a curse! My tummy shall never again be satisfied.

Of course on top of the fantastic food there, there are also a good many shops selling clothes, bags, shoes and accessories. Between browsing the racks, you could pop across the street or around the corner and grab a quick bite before hitting the shops again. You can find many a good bargain there if you look hard enough, but it’s really quite a feat fighting the inviting calls of the food vendors and the smell of gastronomic heaven wafting through the air.