DIN TAI FUNG

I was in Singapore for a week and spent most of my time at Mt. Elizabeth so I had to figure out where I could go that was nearby.  Lucky that I had just downloaded the new LUXE mobile guide for Singapore on my iPhone.  Using their map application, I found out that the famous Din Tai Fung dim sum restaurant was just at the Paragon shopping mall across the street from Mt. E.  I was looking forward to having lunch there as a friend of mine had also mentioned that this was her favorite dim sum place in Singapore.

We arrived at the restaurant at around 12:30 and the place was packed with a long queue of people waiting for a table and we were about to leave when we realized they have a fantastic seating system with a digital screen (take a number and wait to be called) as long as all the people in the group are present.  While we were waiting, we were given a menu checklist attached to a small clipboard so we could already make our choices.  We didn't have to wait long.  After about 15 minutes, our number started to flash on the board and we were led to a table.  The person who seated us took our clipboard order away and the food started to come one after another.  

As we were quite hungry, we ordered several dishes - steamed chicken noodle soup, fried pork chop, egg fried rice, stir-fried spinach with garlic, and of course steamed specialties - pork won ton in black vinegar, chili and soy sauce, prawn and pork sio mai plus their famous steamed pork dumplings (xiao long bao-style soup-filled dumplings).  Service was fast and our food came in quickly.  Hot and freshly made, some in steam baskets and some in little dishes that were set all over the table for all to be shared.

We enjoyed our lunch so much that day that we returned two days after for another dim sum fix.  This time, we knew what we wanted but we also decided to try a few new dishes.  My son wanted a portion of the exquisite black vinegar, chili and soy soaked won tons which he finished on his own while A and I shared another bowl of these won tons.  We still had the xiao long bao and the prawn and pork sio mai but we also managed to try the noodles with ground pork and tofu, steamed pork bun, sauteed sugar pea shoots and their special drunken chicken.  Again, service was efficient and quick and when you're done, you just go straight to the cashier and pay your bill.  This is stylish fast food dim sum and a must for lunch.

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Din Tai Fung

Basement 1 #03-06

Paragon shopping mall

290 Orchard Road, Singapore

Telephone: +65 6836 8336

*No reservations, take a number and wait to be called.  Remember that your party must be complete or you won't be seated.

Hungry for Paris

Aside from cookbooks, travel and guide books are what fill my shelves and every year, I add a few more to my growing collection. These are my favorite bedtime reading and are an entertaining form of vicarious travel.

In preparation for an upcoming trip to Paris, I've started researching on the internet for new places to try out. To help my search, I also ordered Hungry for Paris from Alexander Lobrano (Gourmet magazines' European correspondent) because I thought it would give me a more detailed review of the restaurants that were already on my list. It was a surprise to read the book and discover so many under-the-radar (not necessarily new but just not often written about) restaurants out of the 102 listed in the book. I was also pleased that quite a few of them were in the Left Bank (5th, 6th, and 7th arrondissements) and within walking distance of the hotel we usually stay at.

Since I'm meeting my mom in Paris for a few days before coming back with her to Marbella, we'll have almost a week to explore the city together. The last time we were in Paris together was for two days in October 2007. On that trip, she was too jetlagged from her flight and I was too tired from walking that we hardly went out. This time, I'm hoping we can try a couple of neo-bistros and some old favorites as well. As I don't want to spoil the surprise of where we'll be going, watch out for my Paris posts at the end of May. I'll have Alexander Lobrano to thank for the "new" places he's pointed out that are worthy of a meal. His book has definitely made me "hungry for Paris" all over again.

Spain - On the road again

Photo courtesy of bigMETHOD

I read about this television special - Spain, On the Road Again - in several magazines and was looking forward to seeing it but since I don't get PBS here in Spain, I was happy to find out that I can buy the episodes on iTunes. The show is hosted by Mario Batali, Gwyneth Paltrow, Mark Bittman and Spanish actress Claudia Bassols and shows them going all over the peninsula on a road trip tasting and experiencing Spanish cuisine.

I looked at the website earlier and from the photos, it seems that they're having a blast travelling all over Spain and having fantastic gourmet experiences. There are recipes and highlights of episodes plus blog entries from all four participants. Let's see what new treats I'll discover from their gastronomic stops.

Blurb.com

My sister just told me about a fantastic website where anyone can make a book. Blurb.com would be great for creating one's own personal cookbook or a travel book or even a memory and photo book. I 'm looking forward to making a guidebook of my personal favorites (recipes, food, restaurants, hotels) from all over the world. All one needs to do is download the blurb booksmart bookmaking software, upload photos, artwork and text and then decide on a layout for the book and before you know it, your own book is published. There are sample books on the website to see how what one can do. Check it out!

Mini-break: Madrid

We're off to Madrid this afternoon and we're taking the train instead of flying there. The last time we took the train to Madrid was in August, 2006 when the trip was still on a regular train that took almost four hours. Now, with the AVE (high-speed train), getting to Madrid only takes 2 hours and forty minutes. The best part is the train arrives downtown at Atocha station which is very near the Hotel Ritz, where we'll be staying.

Last Christmas, my husband and I agreed to no gifts except for token ones - he gave me a scarf and a picture frame and I gave him a World Grand Tour boxed set of eight LUXE guides which included: Madrid, Paris, Rome, Istanbul, New York, Dubai, Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Tokyo and Sydney. The slim accordion format of these guides make them really easy to stick into a handbag ensuring that the guide is always with you instead of left behind on the hotel rom bedside table.

This weekend instead of using our tried and tested Louis Vuitton guides, I'll be using our brand-new Madrid Luxe guide. Let's see what new places we'll discover with it.