Singapore slinging - part 5: Newton Food Centre

This is the final post on my Singapore trip of late last year. After days of feasts of celebration, chilli crab, fine dining and more, as part of a large group we made a beeline to a locals' favourite outdoor food centre in the Newton area.

Newton Food Centre, also known as Newton Circus, offers extensive under cover seating and row upon row of hawker stalls, all plying their specialty fare.

Food stalls at Newton Food Centre, Newton, Singapore

It was a relatively cool, rainy night which may have deterred the usual crowds so we had no trouble finding a table for our large group and subsequently cover it with impossible amounts of food.

Food centres in Singapore tend to be filled with hawker-style stalls that specialise in a particular type of cuisine, much of it Singaporean and/or Malaysian.

Cage of crabs on display

As per Malaysian hawker stalls, you order food at a stall - or indeed, a number of stalls - then give them your table number (which you should 'bags' or reserve first before wandering off to order food), wait for the food to be delivered to you at which point you pay for it (cash only). It's not exactly a logical system to the Westernised diner but it seems to work quite seamlessly.

We had three separate groups disperse to make food orders and on return, it appeared double orders and eyes bigger than stomachs had completely filled our table with plastic plates of food - I'm not sure I've ever seen so much food outside of a buffet, and certainly not all on plastic plates.

Cockles

There was a rush on the cockles when they arrived, simply boiled and served with a kumquat or kalamansi lime like citrus fruit.

This is definitely hands-on food, with a trick to opening the quite pretty, small, textured shells: give the hinge-end of the shells a squeeze, pinched between two fingers. The shells seem to magically spring open, and the sea-sweet, just chewy cockle meat can be picked out easily with a toothpick.

Deep fried baby squid

I'd never seen baby squid before, let alone baby squid deep fried to a crunch and covered in a caramelly sweet sauce. Their crispness gave them an air of snack food crisps and they were downright delightful and odd.

Oyster omelette

There's something mysterious about the oyster omelette; quite possibly in relation to the source of the oysters. Freezer, jar or shell, it doesn't matter all that much as it's about the texture within the golden cooked egg which covers most of the soft, squishy molluscs, while the tart, spicy sauce is the dominant flavour.

Char kway kak - radish cake

Also cooked with egg was the char kway kak radish cake dish: wok fried and diced pieces tossed to a near scrappy but deliciously moreish pile.

Grilled chicken wings

Simply but perfectly executed were the grilled chicken wings: sticky and tanned brown on the outside - easily making the skin the best part - with meat full of spiced, marinated flavour.

Rojak

We thought we'd add a rojak fruit and vegetable salad to up the nutrient count of the meal, and did it ever in a huge serving size.

Apple, cucumber, pineapple and fried tofu all came slathered thick in dark, sweet sauce pungent with belacan shrimp paste and a hint of chilli, garnished with thin, dried squid or cuttlefish ribbons.

Hokkien mee

The plainest dish on the table of almost 20 plates was easily the Hokkien mee: soft Hokkien noodles in a simple sauce flavoured with soy, tossed with bean sprouts and a couple of prawns, and with a fiery sambal chilli on the side. This was pure comfort after quite the evening's gorging on big flavours and exotic food.

But while Singapore does have the exotic, it's the simple stuff that's most pleasing and the source of most cravings. Fine dining would struggle to challenge a good Hainan chicken rice in satisfaction and comfort, but Singapore certainly makes the best of both worlds.

So long, Singapore, I look forward to returning for the cheap-as-chips chicken rice, balmy nights on rooftop bars, more chilli crab and a Singapore Sling.

Singapore slinging - part 4: Pollen

The new Gardens by the Bay attraction by Singapore's Marina Bay was high on my list of 'touristy things to do' when I visited last year.

It just happened to get ticked off one day after an impromptu lunch at Pollen restaurant - a new addition to the Singapore fine dining scene within the expansive Gardens by the Bay grounds.

Supertree Grove at Gardens by the Bay, Marina Bay, Singapore

With all the affordable food options in Singapore, I hadn't planned for any fine dining so it was a pleasant surprise to be whizzing through Gardens by the Bay in a seatbelt-free golf cart to the Flower Dome, where Pollen awaited with its smart, climate-controlled interiors.

Pollen at the Flower Dome, Gardens by the Bay, Singapore

Pollen is said to be a "Mediterranean-inspired modern European" restaurant, from the same chef and group as London's popular Pollen Street Diner.

It's most appropriate that the restaurant is located within, essentially, a huge flower and plant house showcasing flora from all over the world in a necessarily temperature-controlled environment.

Pollen dining room

The almost chilly restaurant interiors were a sharp change from the Singapore outdoors, though the locals didn't seem at all bothered.

The spacious restaurant is surrounded by garden greenery, giving it quite the relaxing, getaway feel. There was very much a corporate crowd at lunch, in addition to the requisite ladies of leisure and indeed, couples of leisure.

Plates at Pollen

Complimentary bread

To start there were a few varieties of bread, served with butter, olives and a decidedly Mediterranean bacalao salted cod spread that had me starting to forget that I was in Singapore.

Pollen offers a set three-course lunch that seems reasonable at S$70 given the a la carte pricing. Our group was split between the two options, with the set menu portions noticeably smaller in the end.

Jerusalem artichoke soup, roasted scallop, squid, eggplant puree

Off the set menu was a creamy Jerusalem artichoke soup, served at the table from a small, shiny saucepan. The foamy soup joined a large, golden, pan-fried scallop and baby squid, tentacles and all, and was easily one of the most luxe soups I've tasted.

Crab cocktail, avocado, sweet corn sorbet, caviar on toast

One of the popular a la carte entrées was the generously filled martini glass of crab meat, served with a sorbet of sweet corn and avocado puree beneath, creating a somewhat familiar combination.

Pimping it up was the caviar served in what looked like a beauty cream jar of crème fraiche. The set menu featured a similar entrée as a smaller size sans caviar and crisp breads.

Roasted quail "brunch", foie gras on toast, cereals, quail tea

From the a la carte menu, the roasted quail dish was quite the sight of earthy browns and golden surfaces. The small bird looked perfectly cooked atop a dark risotto with something that quite resembled a potato gem.

Quail dish's foie gras on toast and quail tea

Proving the value of the a la carte pricing, the quail dish actually came in three parts with quail "tea" consommé and foie gras mousse accompanying the elaborate entrée.

Line-caught John Dory, saffron mash, "bouillabaisse"

One of the set menu main options was a John Dory dish, with the fish sourced all the way from France. It was served as a lightly pan-fried boneless fillet atop of sturdy quenelle of saffron-touched mashed potato done exceptionally well.

The squid ink-cooked squid and vegetables were really just props with the real flavour coming from the "bouillabaisse" seafood-based broth, presented and poured around the fish at the table.

Braised Welsh lamb shoulder, lamb cutlet, baby gem, baked celeriac

One of the other set menu dishes featured lamb two ways: a medium-rare cutlet, in all its fatty glory, propped up on a crumbed square of lamb shoulder, tenderly pulled and full of meaty flavour.

The grilled baby gem lettuce and celeriac were much-needed additions to bulk out the dish, which looked a few cutlets short of a main meal.

Palate cleanser: Lemongrass jelly with passionfruit espuma

It was a memorable palate cleanser that was served after the mains: a clear jelly flavoured with lemongrass, topped with an espuma foam of high-impact passionfruit that totally overwhelmed the jelly, but was lovable nonetheless.

"Ocumare cremeux", pistachio parfait, honey saffron ice cream, toasted brioche

Pollen's concept and technique really seemed to shine come dessert time, with many a pretty option on both lunch menus.

The pistachio parfait dessert looked fit for the gardens with its decorative leaf and soil-like chocolate bits beneath an intriguing honey saffron ice cream.

Crispy and burnt lemon meringue with cucumber sorbet

Meanwhile, I had quite the exciting dessert of many flavours and textures. Two meringues for starters: a soft, stickily torched Italian-style meringue and a hard-shelled one that the child in me loved cracking with a spoon.

Cubes of mango and a refreshing green cucumber sorbet were offset with flakes of black - salt, perhaps - although I was too enamoured with the meringues to notice.

"Japanese green tea", raspberry sorbet, yoghurt mousse

It was a fun clash of colours with the green tea dessert featuring some liquid nitrogen-frozen green tea crumble - or perhaps it was the yoghurt mousse topped with frozen raspberry bits.

In any case, the fresh raspberries, raspberry sorbet and dense, moist green tea flavoured cake made for a joyfully harmonious, if not too sweet, dessert.

A la carte dessert

One of the dessert's off the a la carte menu was completely too much for me to take in; mostly due to the oversized rock it was served on.

I have no idea what the dessert was and no idea whether I'd be able to enjoy a sweet dish when I'd be too concerned over the source/weight/type/brittleness of the rock.

Petit fours selection

Pollen is renowned for its dessert and petit fours bar and it's no wonder really. Even for a non-sweet tooth, it was quite a sight seeing jars and row upon row of delicate hand-made chocolates, sweets and cakes just waiting for diners to finish their desserts.

Chocolate pop

Petit fours

I can't even remember what I had, washed down with a macchiato, but I do remember the table's collective admiration for each little, specially crafted piece.

View back on Gardens by the Bay

For me - the tourist - the setting and surroundings just outclassed the food at Pollen (though not the top-notch service). However, I'm definitely glad that I got the chance to check out Pollen and its garden surrounds - one can always fit a little fine dining into a touristy schedule.

See more photos from Singapore's Gardens by the Bay and Marina Bay Sands on my Facebook page. A final Singapore post to come, on a hawker food centre.

Singapore slinging - part 3: Cocktail bars

I went to Singapore late last year and didn't manage to have a namesake cocktail, Singapore Sling (I also went to Rome and didn't go to the Vatican City, but that's a different alcohol-related story).

Time restrictions aside, we did manage a few great cocktail bars designed to deal with the sticky humidity of Singapore.

Martini at Ku De Ta, Marina Bay Sands, Singapore

It was a bit drizzly the night we ascended to the top of Marina Bay Sands and since the lookout was closed, we settled on martinis on the balcony at Ku De Ta, overlooking the harbour and alongside the hotel guests-only infinity pool.

It has to be one of the most amazing pools in the world, though I wouldn't be swanning around in it while the skies were illuminated with lightning.

The view from Ku De Ta, Marina Bay Sands, Singapore

Cocktail prices are really quite reasonable when you consider the view: the Singapore skyline just over the water, light shows and a general feeling of wonder.

The feats of humankind seem pretty impressive from up there, but that could be the spiced gin talking.

The view from The Fullerton Bay Hotel, Singapore

Later that same evening, we moved to the other side of town; oddly enough, looking back up at where we'd been earlier in the night.

The clear, unobstructed views of Marina Bay Sands from the rooftop bar of The Fullerton Bay Hotel are almost as breathtaking as the reverse.

Lantern at The Fullerton Bay Hotel, Singapore

Lantern is an open-air, low-rise rooftop venue beside the gleaming hotel pool. The luxe deck chairs and outdoor lounges and table service add to the glamorous and posh tent feel.

A DJ plays live and I can only imagine the awesome club nights that could erupt here, partying away in the moonlight on a hotel rooftop.

Lantern at The Fullerton Bay Hotel, Singapore

Ice-packed mojitos were the order of the steamy night, enjoyed reclining on lounges staring at the moon that appeared and hovered over the buildings of the casino hotel and its ship-like roof feature.

The view from The Fullerton Bay Hotel, Singapore

Bartenders at work at Bar Stories, Haji Lane, Singapore

In the Muslim quarter, it's obvious that everything old is new again - Haji Lane is all trendy fashion by day and noise-filled bars and cafés by night. Hidden away upstairs from a shopfront-turned-restaurant is Bar Stories: a tiny cocktail bar where there's not really a cocktail menu.

Bespoke cocktails have been their thing since 2010: pick a flavour profile (sweet, sour, bitter), agree or otherwise to their key ingredient additions and wait for your own personalised cocktail.

Berry cocktail at Bar Stories, Haji Lane, Singapore

We were all kind of flabbergasted at this icy creation which came from an order of 'sweet' and an 'OK' to berries. Chatting away and not paying much attention too the mixology, I'm not sure what liquors made it into this sweet cocktail, but that's not remotely the point.

Like an ice sculpture attached to the outside of a metal shaker tin, it ended up a little on the wet and drippy side but certainly worth the cooling and novelty factor while the 'boat' garnish of berries was healthy at the very least.

Yuzu cocktail at Bar Stories, Haji Lane, Singapore

A request for a sour cocktail and agreement to Japanese citrus fruit yuzu produced a martini-glassed fizz with foamy egg white, an inverted lime half and what looked like fennel pollen applied with metal tweezers.

It was sweet for a sour cocktail and featured only white spirits (don't ask which).

Passionfruit cocktail at Bar Stories, Haji Lane, Singapore

My sour cocktail featured passionfruit and again, was too sweet for my preference, even overpowering the alcoholic taste (but perhaps that's the point here).

Also an egg white fizz, it was garnished with a fresh half of passionfruit and dried rose leaves, and from memory had a fair few passionfruit seeds at the bottom of the pretty glass.

The 'Merlion', Singapore

And it was after a decent cocktail session one night that I finally got to see the Merlion - Singapore's mascot with a lion's head and fish's body - although not spurting water by night and as a result, not quite so interesting.

This was part of my urge to do the most touristy of touristy things when I travel, just beating out my need to check out the local drinking holes. More Singapore posts to come.

Singapore slinging - part 1: Sentosa and more

I swung over to Singapore for a few days in December - my first visit to the tiny country renowned for its humidity and food. I wasn't let down on either count.

Outside Universal Studios, Resorts World, Sentosa, Singapore

For the first couple of nights we stayed at the luxurious Equarius Resort as part of Sentosa's somewhat touristy Resorts World. The hotel room was honestly the biggest, most spacious I've ever stayed in, rivalling the size of some Sydney apartments.

Resorts World is basically a collection of hotels and other tourist sites on the man-made Sentosa Island, with the beach and casino proving major drawcards. There's also a Universal Studios theme park and apparently, one of the world's biggest candy stores, Candylicious, where there are plenty of US M&Ms and Reese's products for sale.

Candylicious shop at Resorts World, Sentosa, Singapore

Roti canai from Malaysia Food Street, Resorts World, Sentosa, Singapore

Seeking food one evening in Sentosa proved a little limited. A few uninteresting stores near the casino opened till late in the evening but time and time again, we were pointed to Malaysia Food Street; a rather contrived food court decorated in old Malaysian street style - without the Malaysian prices.

There were a bunch of stalls each dedicated to one type of Malaysian and mamak style food. The roti stall offered a generous serve of the freshly made and cooked flat bread with a curry dhal for dipping.

Chicken and Malacca chicken rice balls from Malaysia Food Street,
Resorts World, Sentosa, Singapore

The Hainan chicken stall offered its yellow-skinned chickens in various serving sizes with chicken rice balls: rice flavoured with ginger and fat from the chicken cooking process, formed into tight balls, and famous in Malacca in Malaysia's south, near Muar.

The chicken rice balls were straight up terrible with the overcooked rice closer to congee than rice. The half chicken was some consolation with its smooth skin and tender flesh while citrus notes added an unexpected twist to the soy based sauce.

Takeaway herbal drink at Albert Centre Market and Foodcourt, Singapore

Getting out of Sentosa, finding some decent food courts was a priority, even though we'd heard the famous Maxwell Foodcourt was closed for renovations.

We stumbled upon the Albert Centre Foodcourt one busy lunchtime and walked around in wonder at the number of stalls and the very reasonable prices all round. Certain stalls had long queues of hungry workers while others busied themselves with food preparation.

Chicken rice shop at Albert Centre Market and Foodcourt, Singapore

I think my stomach smiled when we spotted the Hainan chicken rice stall that had an impressive display of hanging chicken carcasses with only heads, back bones and tail ends - now that's cutting a chicken.

Things got better when we handed over S$2.50 in return for a small plate of chicken, doused in a soy sauce, a mound of chicken rice and a bowl of clear chicken broth with shallots.

Hainan chicken rice at Albert Centre Market and Foodcourt, Singapore

We helped ourselves to chilli sauce then found bench seating amid the scoffing, slurping locals and joined in the scoffing.

The chicken was so tender it may well have been a baby chicken; the rice was so perfectly balanced with ginger and subtle chicken flavours I could have gone another two bowls of it on its own; while the soup was sweet and fortifying with chicken goodness.

Sad as I was that I only got to eat as Albert Centre Foodcourt once, I was sure glad the Hainan chicken rice was such a satisfying, and cheap, choice.

Chinatown, Singapore

Little India, Singapore

Street side ice cream vendor, Singapore

The constant humidity in Singapore must mean good trade for the city's streetside ice cream vendors, who sell a range of flavours under the Wall's label from elaborate carts on footpaths all over town.

Customers have a choice of having the slabs of hard-frozen ice cream between two thin wafer crisps, or sandwiched within a large slice of soft, fluffy, sweet, tri-colour swirled bread (white, pink and green if you were wondering).

Street side ice cream vendor, Singapore

They're obviously designed to be eaten on the go through the hot, sticky weather and they do wonders for cooling off after a heavy shopping session or some particularly spicy Singapore chilli crab.

More to come from Singapore including chilli crab, food centres, fine dining and cocktails.