‘Live to eat’ at Singapore

Whatever the reason or the occasion, dahlings, vi-siting Singapore will always be a thrill.

Since it’s been seven years since I last visited Singapore, moi jumped at the chance when the world-renowned Singapore Tourism Board (STB), known for their endless promotion of Singapore (with astronomical success, palanggas!), invited moi and moi adorable palangga Ethel Soliven Timbol, Manila Bulletin’s Lifestyle editor, for Singapore’s month-long Fashion and Food Festival.

"Live To Eat!" was the invitation’s come-hither temptation, one to which moi readily succumbed.

We arrived right on time via Singapore Airlines and were met by our tres courteous guide who was assigned exclusively for Ethel T. and moi, Russli Bin Har who is of Indian descent and who would become our companion and friend for a week.

As we drove along, it amazed me how a city like Singapore could change for the better in such a short time. Singapore is so sleek, so clean, so absolutely modern and prosperous. Ethel T. pointed out interesting sights like the Gallery Evason, which opened less than a year ago. It has been sweeping awards with its ultra-modern look and ambiance, among them "The Happiest Hotel" from the Singapore Institute for Architecture. But more on this later.

The Food Festival’s sounds, sights, heavenly smell and excellent taste will completely overwhelm you. Yes, Ethel and I went all out to experience everything, rushing through the ethnic quarters, food stalls, the Night-Safari, Jurong’s fabi Bird Park. We also shopped and dropped by every resto in town.

That night we were treated to a culinary experience at the tres chic, upscale Blue Lobster restaurant, quaintly located along the riverside. Greeting us was our host, the tres charmant and so accommodating Gabriel Tseng (who we jokingly call one of Ethel’s "Spice Boys") who used to be STB’s Philippine country manager.

This resto, famous for its seafood, literally floored us. The starters consisted of humongous treasures from the sea – crabs (already cracked); mussels; clams; prawns; lobster’s meat; shrimps; succulent oysters; sashimi; and salmon. They were all to-die-for! Gabriel T. had ordered a main course for us but we declined because we couldn’t wait to stand up and walk after all these heavenly delights.

The next day we enjoyed another gastronomic treat at the Imperial Hotel’s tres popular Metropole Restaurante, renowned for its superb Chinese herbal cuisine. Its master chef is no stranger to us, dahlings. For the past years, the elegant Mandarin Oriental Hotel Manila, has featured their chefs’ know-how on Chinese herbal cuisine.

This resto offers over 100 gourmet selections of the finest Chinese cuisine in town. And in this resto, the finest cuisine is not just defined by how good the food tastes, but also what the food does for your health.

STB’s vivaciously nice mega marketing manager for Asia, Shirley Yeong was our host. We decided to stick to healthy vegetables and the steamed 10-course lunch. Moi drooled over the quick fried egg-white with dried scallop, said to promote the production of body fluids and improve one’s complexion; double-boiled fresh water fish with American ginseng soup, said to nourish the lungs and kidney and relieve cough and asthma; the double-boiled "Geri-Fei" tonic soup with black chicken, an ancient Chinese beauty enhancer, plus other excellently prepared dishes.

This is definitely a super must-go-to resto while in Singapore. It is located at the third floor of the Metropole Hotel on 41 Seah St., right across the Raffles Hotel. You may reach the resto at tel. no. (65) 337-0491.

We had dinner that night at another hip and very "in" resto simply called Red. It is located on the fashionable Club Street which is known for its row of glamorous boutiques and bistro-restos. Renowned local fashion designer Allan Chai and his partner Ross Ching run this Sichuan resto.

The name Red was chosen since it is the color used in many of Allan’s exquisitely embroidered evening gowns and cheong-sams. Red is also a predominant color of many of this resto’s spicy Sichuan cuisine.

Black, gold and red mark the resto’s interiors. The main "stars" are the various dishes: The crispy Rice Square with minced Chicken Salsa; the Sichuan Crispy Duck with red wine and kiwi sauce; and the gently poached Tou Miao with wolf berries. The last had Ethel and I completely enthralled, along with their excellent exotic desserts, dahlings.

Apres dinner we went next door to Allan’s famous boutiques. He showed us pieces from the collection he presented during his show at the Grand Hotel in Taipei where he wowed the viewers with his fabi opulent collection of beaded gowns and embroideries. He will open another high fashion boutique and resto in London latter part of this year.

"Live To Eat" continued right through the opening of the three-day "Food: Our Way of Life" festival, which featured 40 colorful stalls at Singapore’s largest mall, the Suntec City.

Stepping out of the car, we immediately felt the urge to experience the flavors and tastes offered by the various stalls. We sampled Indian "Pizza"; briyani saffron rice topped with chicken at the Dragon Pearl Restaurant; Hong Kong-style dimsum; and something really new for us, "haw fruit," something like candied berries on a stick.

There were so many other stalls we had to forego because of lack of time. Still, moi was convinced that "eating to your heart’s content" must have originated in Singapore, since it is a melting pot of Asian taste buds and cuisine.

A cooking competition for amateurs and professionals took place at the open-court. Among the celebrity chefs present at this Food Festival was the famous Martin Yan of the famed cookbook and TV Show, Wok With Yan.

For lunch the next day, we rushed to Suntec City’s huge food court. We opted for the Singaporean stall where Ethel had her "laksa," a spicy noodle dish with chicken, meat and vegies while moi dove into my vegetarian noodle soap from the Thai stall.

If you think that was it, think again, dahlings. Two days of "Spice Oasis" in Little India on Serangoon Road followed. First we went into an Indian Deli where we sampled "Suji", an orange colored jelly and the yummy milk basfi made of almonds. We also marveled at small restos with exotic Indian dishes as specialties, as well as shops where ready made Indian TV dinners are sold.

Smelling the exotic spices in the Indian shops made moi go ga-ga buying all the spices I could get my hands on, especially those ones one can’t find in Manille. Ethel also bought some for her son Alex, who like moi indulges in cooking the exotic! Naturellement, we went to the Indian Sari and Silk Shops where I had to stop Ethel from buying out the gorgeous silk she saw.

Other activities took place during this gastronomic festival: The Black and White series of dinners at the famous Jurong Bird Park, where the ambiance while eating is fantastic. Here you can feast on buffet of seafood while 200 Sub-Antartic penguins swim or frolic in their sub-zero aquarium; North Pacific prawns on ice; curried Alaskan crab; Norwegian Show fish; North Pole seafood hotpot chowder; or paella with anchovies, among others. Here too you can enjoy a buffet "egg-extravaganza" with exotic birds chirping around you.

There was the Great Wedding Feast at the Far East Square and the exciting cable car, or the Gourmet Express Safari and Potjie Safari in a tram car as you ride around the Night Safari. No other place in the world can offer such a thrill in dining, dahlings, as Singapore.

We also had lunch at the newly opened posh Fullerton Hotel. Showing us around the grand rooms was Vivian Koh, the hotel’s assistant communication manager, later joined by Susie Lim Kannan, the director of communications for lunch at the Escape to Town. The latter is a bar-bistro cafe with a terrific view of the river promenade and the historic civic district. The cafe offers Japanese, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern treats.

On our last day, Ethel toured me around the must-go-to Boat Quay and Clarke Quay areas. The food hawkers with their varied offerings amazed me.

Yes, dahlings, this food festival all adds up to a terrific food paradise unlike anywhere else in the world. As the saying goes, "Food is something appreciated by all Singaporeans and every visitor from the bottom of their stomach."

Remember, Singapore has this endless food promotions and food tours that runs throughout the year. Catch one of them sooner than soon. I assure you, you’ll be back for more.

Other upcoming festivals: The fabulous Jazz Festival from May 18 to 20; the Great Singapore Sale on May 25 to July; and the Singapore Art Festival from May 31 to June 24.

For more info, call Singapore Tourism Board at 0065-8313749 and 0065-8313717; or Singapore Airline Marketing Communication and Services Dept. at 810-49-60 loc. 2005 or visit the website: www.singaporeair.com.

All systems go for Singapore International jazz festival

All of Singapore is a-jazz, dahlings, for the first-ever Singapore International Jazz Festival, touted as Asia’s biggest musical event of the year.

From May 18 to 20, four giant stages set around the Singapore International Conventional and Exhibition Center at Suntec City will showcase over 50 performances from over 150 world-class jazz musicians from the US and Asia-Pacific Region.

The jazz fest kicks off on May 18, with the Thomson Big Ban, among others. The band will feature Grammy Award-winning saxophonist Ernie Watts and bassist-vocalist Eldee Young.

The night of May 19 is New Age and Contemporary Jazz Nite where Windham Hill stars with Tuck and Patti and superstar guitarist Lee Ritenour and his band will perform.

Those looking for jazz "potpourri" will enjoy the All-Star Variety on the afternoon of May 20. Our very own Tots Tolentino will take center stage with Red Holt, Eugene Pao, Jay Anderson and Jeremy Monteiro.

The festival closes on the eve of May 20 with an Acoustic Jazz Nite featuring the best of the East and the West. It will be led by versatile Japanese veteran trumpeter Terumasa Hino, the sensational Dizzy Gillespie Alumni with James Moody, Slide Hampton, Jon Faddis and Jon Lee.

This Singapore International Jazz Festival is solely presented by one of the best in the skies, Singapore Airlines, which flies three times daily from Manille. Passengers have a choice of morning, afternoon and evening departures, and can expect the airline’s renowned pampering.

Tickets to this fantastic Singapore International Jazz Festival is co-sponsored by Jeoneken and American Express, are priced at S$120, S$90 and S$60. Members of KrisFlyer, Singapore Airline’s frequent flyer program, can avail of a 15-percent discount on tickets. For inquiries, or to book on-line, visit the web site at www.singaporejazzfestival.com. For hotel accommodations, contact the SIA Tours Desk at 810-4960 local 4004/5/6.

Ah, Singapore. What a place to be, palanggas!