So in an attempt to revive this blog (though it remains to be seen for how long), I've decided to write about something that's been getting a lot of press lately: the closing of El Bulli. As most people know, El Bulli is a restaurant in Spain that has been consistently ranked as the best in the world. With its closing, food critics have waxed nostalgic about how El Bulli has revolutionized the way we eat food with its forays into molecular gastronomy. But there's also been an increasing number of people that have wondered aloud what impact El Bulli has actually had, given that (1) very few regular people (i.e. non critics, celebrities, etc) were able to eat at El Bulli due to its massive waiting list, and (2) it's not a replicable concept since El Bulli employs 40 chefs for 50 people a night. I'm not sure where I stand.
Some people call me a foodie. What does this term actually mean? I think it has taken on a form of food snobbery, where a foodie won't dare to eat anything deemed Philistine. Do I like good food? Of course, but who doesn't like good food? But what does good food mean? I've briefly touched upon this in previous blog posts, but I think this is where my thoughts of what a foodie is versus the general consensus diverge.
Back in San Diego, when I ate out, the restaurants I ate at the most were: Pho Ca Dao, Do Re Mi, and the banh mi place on Mira Mesa boulevard. For those unfamiliar, that's a Vietnamese coffee shop, a Korean coffee shop, and a Vietnamese deli. Probably next on that list was Rubio's (pretty much twice a week for lunch) and some form of a burger place, whether In N Out, Island's or Fuddrucker's, all of which are chain restaurants. None of these places ever end up on San Diego's "Best Restaurants" list (though people do love In N Out). So where does the foodie label come into play?
I think we're all seduced a bit by fine dining. With the increased popularity of celebrity chefs and the Michelin stars, it's become another luxury item, along the lines of LV bags or nice watches. You can't go wrong by saying, "I was able to secure reservations at a 3-Michelin-starred restaurant, and the food was incredible!" Fine dining has definitely become entrenched as a part of the high life, and you aren't sophisticated unless you have sampled food from chefs like Adria, Ripert, and Blumenthal, or the finest wines from not only France, but Australia, Chile, and Napa. And though I haven't tried El Bulli or Fat Duck, I have been to the likes of Le Bernardin and Chez Panisse, and I usually try to make an effort to try these highly regarded restaurants. So how do I reconcile my seemingly divergent food tastes, from Pho Ca Dao to Le Bernardin? Why do I scour the food blogs for the best meals in not only the cities I live in, but the ones I visit too? Why do I feel that I am missing out on not having eaten at El Bulli, yet understand when journalists declare that those who write I Ate At El Bulli Pieces are really just practicing forms of public masturbation? I think it boils down to value.
Most people don't have the means to eat fine dining very often. So in deciding whether to splurge hundreds of dollars for one meal that lasts for only a few hours, I think people want to know that the food is amazing, and not just something that they could make at home. And too often, fine dining establishments prepare a simple tuna tartare or grilled protein, and it just isn't very inventive for the price they charge. And I think the majority of the fine dining establishments, Michelin-starred restaurants included, work to this effect. Yes, the ingredients are fresh. But if you're just going to pan sear some duck and finish it in the oven, I don't expect to pay over $100 USD for it. I know generally how much nice ingredients cost, and while you may cook it slightly better than I would myself, it's not worth that much more. And because fine dining has turned into this luxury item, restaurants can get away with it. The Michelin star has given people who don't even care about food the means to claim status and induce envy. Also, most well-respected fine dining establishments require reservations well in advance, which only adds to the exclusivity. Fine dining in a way has become more of a brand, which makes it harder and harder to figure out where the value is. And so I search for this value, and most times, I'm somewhat disappointed by this metric, but sometimes there are great places like Quay's lunch, or Club Chasse's a la carte menu, reminding me of why I scour blogs for the best food recommendations.
The problem is that there's little middle ground in food circles. People either say the best food is in fine dining, or the best food is in hole-in-the-wall restaurants. I know that neither statement is true. Just as fine dining has developed a brand, so too has the hole-in-the-wall restaurant. Just because it's no frills doesn't mean that it serves great food. Plenty of hawker stalls and coffee shops in Singapore are not very good. Sometimes the meat isn't that fresh, the noodles aren't cooked properly, the food is over-seasoned. It may be only $3 SGD, but it's probably not even worth that sometimes. Yes, from an absolute basis, it's not quite the same as fine dining, but there's still no value there.
Food has started to take on the same form as films, with fine dining representing the large celebrity blockbusters and hole-in-the-walls representing the small, independent films. And there tends to be a divergence among the supporters of each, but it is up to us as consumers to find value across the entire spectrum. We're not always in the mood for the same thing; sometimes we may want a multiple course kaiseki, and other times maybe local snacks or home style food. I think when we talk about food, we often miss this point. People say there's only good food and bad food, but this isn't quite true. I think mood and what you're looking for can really influence what tastes good and what doesn't. If I've had a week of really light and clean flavors, maybe I'm looking for something bold and heavy. If I've eaten a lot of meat recently, maybe I want some really nice vegetables. ew was sick when we went to Le Bernardin, and to her, the food was nothing to write home about. Oftentimes, we wait hours in line for a table, or have to plan months in advance for a reservation--do these hurdles impact our dining value proposition? Absolutely. Why wait in line for half an hour for the "best" chicken rice, when you may be able find a comparable version without a wait. All these things factor into food value. And so while I lament never having tried El Bulli, it never was a realistic option for me. It's an indulgence, a splurge ... something that really doesn't matter in my day-to-day search for the best food to eat.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Adjusting to Singapore
So ew and I finally found a place that we can possibly afford ... as long as I find a job somewhat soon. And after a rocky first couple of weeks here in Singapore, things have somewhat normalized, as we're getting into a normal routine. Ew heads to work, I job search, and occasionally we'll cook and exercise. Pretty much the normal life for most residents in a city. However, there are some differences that do make Singapore much different from living in the states, for better and for worse.
Target
Typically, the first thing I've done after moving into a new place is head to Target. Cleaning supplies, bedding, kitchenware: pretty much anything you need you can get at Target. Well, there's no Target in Singapore. So figuring out where to buy things and how much everything should cost was actually a quite larger hurdle than one would think. There is Giant here, which is similar to Target in that it carries a lot of different products, but we ended up buying things from a combination of Giant, department stores like Tangs and Takashimaya, and supermarkets like Fair Price. The other inconvenience here is that obviously without a car, lugging around all these things is somewhat difficult. Which brings me to the second item on this list ...
Taxis
I hate, hate, hate taxis here. For cities where residents rely on public transportation to get around, you'd figure that taxis should be very convenient and affordable. In Hong Kong, Taipei, you can pretty much hail a taxi wherever you are, and the most any fee would be around the city area is $10 US. Well, Singapore's taxi system actually isn't that expensive when you're just talking about a metered fare. $10 US would definitely suffice going from the city to our place, which is maybe 10-15 minutes west of the city by car. But the chance of you only paying the metered fare is quite slim. See, Singapore taxis have tons of surchages. A $2.50-$3.50 booking fee charge. 35% of metered fare during peak hours charge. 50% of metered fare after midnight charge. Location charges from the city area, from the airport, from Marina Bay Sands. This means that taxis disappear all the time, so (1) you either have to call and book a taxi and pay the surcharge, or (2) you end up queuing for half an hour until a peak time period when the taxis suddenly all decide to show up. Recently, ew and I took a taxi from the city centre to our place, where the metered fare was around $9 and the surcharge was $6.50. So obviously, the best bet is to avoid using taxis, but then ...
Walking is very tiring
Maybe it's because I'm from California, where you drive everywhere, but I am not used to walking this much at all. Especially when I have to carry groceries back home, or DVD players, or cable boxes and routers. And since it's hot and humid, you end up having to wear sandals a lot of the time, so by the end of the day, your feet are covered with dirt, extremely dry, and pretty much disgusting to look at. Maybe this is how the Singaporeans stay so thin.
Say you what?
People always say Singapore is a place of many cultures and languages. This is very true. People speak Malay, Chinese, Tamil, English, Hokkien, etc. However, everyone speaks these languages poorly, at least English and Chinese. Singlish is pretty much like Chinese, except if you literally translated it to English. And the Chinese is very accented and ends up sounding like the Singlish. So ew and I pretty much have no idea what anyone is ever saying to us and in what language.
We will never go hungry
But with all those cultures, there are tons of food options. I think our area has 5 hawker centers right next to each other, serving a variety of Singaporean, Malay, Indian, Western, and Chinese food. And since hawker centers are typically very affordable ($3-$5 SGD), it's hard to imagine us ever really going hungry in this city. There may be more restaurants/snack shops/food options here per block than any other city I've been to. And of course, aside from restaurants, there's the fruit. Fruit juice stands are pretty much as plentiful as restaurants, with simple options like watermelon juice, to more exotic options like dragonfruit, soursop, and sugarcane. And durian ... well, that smell follows you everywhere.
Data is cheap
Internet, cable TV, and data phone services are all very affordable. And there are tiers for those who want less expensive options. Consider that internet, cable TV, and a landline are less than $60 SGD a month here through Starhub, and two data plans are less than $70 SGD a month through Singtel (which includes up to 12 GB of data as well as two phones). Not to mention, there's pretty much free wireless access throughout the city area as well. Aside from food, this may be the most affordable item in Singapore, because pretty much everything else is slightly more expensive than the United States.
Target
Typically, the first thing I've done after moving into a new place is head to Target. Cleaning supplies, bedding, kitchenware: pretty much anything you need you can get at Target. Well, there's no Target in Singapore. So figuring out where to buy things and how much everything should cost was actually a quite larger hurdle than one would think. There is Giant here, which is similar to Target in that it carries a lot of different products, but we ended up buying things from a combination of Giant, department stores like Tangs and Takashimaya, and supermarkets like Fair Price. The other inconvenience here is that obviously without a car, lugging around all these things is somewhat difficult. Which brings me to the second item on this list ...
Taxis
I hate, hate, hate taxis here. For cities where residents rely on public transportation to get around, you'd figure that taxis should be very convenient and affordable. In Hong Kong, Taipei, you can pretty much hail a taxi wherever you are, and the most any fee would be around the city area is $10 US. Well, Singapore's taxi system actually isn't that expensive when you're just talking about a metered fare. $10 US would definitely suffice going from the city to our place, which is maybe 10-15 minutes west of the city by car. But the chance of you only paying the metered fare is quite slim. See, Singapore taxis have tons of surchages. A $2.50-$3.50 booking fee charge. 35% of metered fare during peak hours charge. 50% of metered fare after midnight charge. Location charges from the city area, from the airport, from Marina Bay Sands. This means that taxis disappear all the time, so (1) you either have to call and book a taxi and pay the surcharge, or (2) you end up queuing for half an hour until a peak time period when the taxis suddenly all decide to show up. Recently, ew and I took a taxi from the city centre to our place, where the metered fare was around $9 and the surcharge was $6.50. So obviously, the best bet is to avoid using taxis, but then ...
Walking is very tiring
Maybe it's because I'm from California, where you drive everywhere, but I am not used to walking this much at all. Especially when I have to carry groceries back home, or DVD players, or cable boxes and routers. And since it's hot and humid, you end up having to wear sandals a lot of the time, so by the end of the day, your feet are covered with dirt, extremely dry, and pretty much disgusting to look at. Maybe this is how the Singaporeans stay so thin.
Say you what?
People always say Singapore is a place of many cultures and languages. This is very true. People speak Malay, Chinese, Tamil, English, Hokkien, etc. However, everyone speaks these languages poorly, at least English and Chinese. Singlish is pretty much like Chinese, except if you literally translated it to English. And the Chinese is very accented and ends up sounding like the Singlish. So ew and I pretty much have no idea what anyone is ever saying to us and in what language.
We will never go hungry
But with all those cultures, there are tons of food options. I think our area has 5 hawker centers right next to each other, serving a variety of Singaporean, Malay, Indian, Western, and Chinese food. And since hawker centers are typically very affordable ($3-$5 SGD), it's hard to imagine us ever really going hungry in this city. There may be more restaurants/snack shops/food options here per block than any other city I've been to. And of course, aside from restaurants, there's the fruit. Fruit juice stands are pretty much as plentiful as restaurants, with simple options like watermelon juice, to more exotic options like dragonfruit, soursop, and sugarcane. And durian ... well, that smell follows you everywhere.
Data is cheap
Internet, cable TV, and data phone services are all very affordable. And there are tiers for those who want less expensive options. Consider that internet, cable TV, and a landline are less than $60 SGD a month here through Starhub, and two data plans are less than $70 SGD a month through Singtel (which includes up to 12 GB of data as well as two phones). Not to mention, there's pretty much free wireless access throughout the city area as well. Aside from food, this may be the most affordable item in Singapore, because pretty much everything else is slightly more expensive than the United States.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Off to a Rocky Start
So just took a really long hot shower to wash off one of the crappiest days I've had in some time. Maybe it's because I'm getting sick, but after months of anticipation with what Singapore would be like, ew and I had a rude awakening today. And no, it's not the weather.
The weather has actually been quite pleasant. At least pleasant enough to walk short distances (despite our feet feeling really sore). Singapore also has lots of shade everywhere, so you never really have to walk in the sun, and you get some nice breezes for the moments you aren't in a shopping mall. No, the rude awakening is actually realizing that the only people who can afford to live in Singapore are (1) Singaporeans who live with their parents, and (2) expats on ridiculous stipends. Pretty much the only thing affordable in Singapore is food, where hawker centers selling dishes for $2-$5 is a better value than buying groceries and cooking yourself.
The biggest culprit to living in Singapore is finding housing that won't cost you your whole monthly salary. Apparently two bedrooms in the city will cost upward of $3.5k, and that's probably for hdb housing. Hdb housing was constructed by Singapore's housing and development board, so all the layouts are very similar, and they were intended to house Singaporeans. Condos and apartments, private residences, will cost more than that. If you go to the edges of the city center, you're looking at $2-$2.5k for hdb, and $3-$3.5k for a two bedrooms. And these aren't nice two bedrooms persay. Ew and I spent the whole day looking at housing around the west side of the city (close to Biopolis where ew is working), and in all hdb flats, the shower is shared directly next to the toilet SE Asian style. For those of you who do not know what that is, there is no separator for the shower, so once you take the shower, the whole floor will get wet. The plus side of hdb is that it is larger. We viewed a place in Chinatown that was close to $3k for about 400 sq ft. Our agent told us that fresh out of university, a Singaporean will make about $2.5k a month, and after 5-8 years, about $4k. So pretty much the only way they can afford housing is if they stay with their parents, which apparently, a majority of Singaporeans do. Just don't know how people live in this city ...
... which brings me to ridiculousness No. 2. So after getting our employment and dependent passes from ew's employer today, we figured we'd try to set up a handset (cellphone) plan. Initially, we were quite optimistic, as you can get about 200 minutes, 500 sms (texts), and 12 gb of data for $41 per month. (Minutes cost a lot here, so it seems everyone just sms's ... something I will have to get accustomed to). In addition to that, if we sign a two-year contract, we can get a free windows 7 phone, or an htc phone for much cheaper. Alas! Imagine our surprise after finding out that SingTel cannot issue 2-year contracts to people with employment passes for 1 year or less (which ew is on). The funny thing is, ew's employer has an offer letter to her for a period of 3 years, and said that it's a bit ridiculous they have to renew the employment pass every year. So that has left us with two options ... either suck it up and get the 1-year contract and pay about $400-$800 for a phone, or figure out an alternative (prepaid plans? but still need a handset). Needless to say ... we are in a holding pattern on this until further guidance from ew's employer, though we're not optimistic at all.
So after spending about 12 hours out of the house today with only rejection and a scratchy throat to show for it, I'm not quite sure how Singapore is livable. At least not yet. At least while I do not have a job. Maybe ew is right, and that we're basically stuck in the worst of all worlds ... (1) we look Asian (she claims whites get better treatment), (2) we're not from Singapore, and (3) we have no cushy package to fall back on. But maybe every new city needs this type of adjustment. Maybe I was expecting more because I wanted it to be easy, because it is such a difficult transition, with never visiting Singapore before, with very few friends here, with no job. But all we can do is rely on each other and rage.
The weather has actually been quite pleasant. At least pleasant enough to walk short distances (despite our feet feeling really sore). Singapore also has lots of shade everywhere, so you never really have to walk in the sun, and you get some nice breezes for the moments you aren't in a shopping mall. No, the rude awakening is actually realizing that the only people who can afford to live in Singapore are (1) Singaporeans who live with their parents, and (2) expats on ridiculous stipends. Pretty much the only thing affordable in Singapore is food, where hawker centers selling dishes for $2-$5 is a better value than buying groceries and cooking yourself.
The biggest culprit to living in Singapore is finding housing that won't cost you your whole monthly salary. Apparently two bedrooms in the city will cost upward of $3.5k, and that's probably for hdb housing. Hdb housing was constructed by Singapore's housing and development board, so all the layouts are very similar, and they were intended to house Singaporeans. Condos and apartments, private residences, will cost more than that. If you go to the edges of the city center, you're looking at $2-$2.5k for hdb, and $3-$3.5k for a two bedrooms. And these aren't nice two bedrooms persay. Ew and I spent the whole day looking at housing around the west side of the city (close to Biopolis where ew is working), and in all hdb flats, the shower is shared directly next to the toilet SE Asian style. For those of you who do not know what that is, there is no separator for the shower, so once you take the shower, the whole floor will get wet. The plus side of hdb is that it is larger. We viewed a place in Chinatown that was close to $3k for about 400 sq ft. Our agent told us that fresh out of university, a Singaporean will make about $2.5k a month, and after 5-8 years, about $4k. So pretty much the only way they can afford housing is if they stay with their parents, which apparently, a majority of Singaporeans do. Just don't know how people live in this city ...
... which brings me to ridiculousness No. 2. So after getting our employment and dependent passes from ew's employer today, we figured we'd try to set up a handset (cellphone) plan. Initially, we were quite optimistic, as you can get about 200 minutes, 500 sms (texts), and 12 gb of data for $41 per month. (Minutes cost a lot here, so it seems everyone just sms's ... something I will have to get accustomed to). In addition to that, if we sign a two-year contract, we can get a free windows 7 phone, or an htc phone for much cheaper. Alas! Imagine our surprise after finding out that SingTel cannot issue 2-year contracts to people with employment passes for 1 year or less (which ew is on). The funny thing is, ew's employer has an offer letter to her for a period of 3 years, and said that it's a bit ridiculous they have to renew the employment pass every year. So that has left us with two options ... either suck it up and get the 1-year contract and pay about $400-$800 for a phone, or figure out an alternative (prepaid plans? but still need a handset). Needless to say ... we are in a holding pattern on this until further guidance from ew's employer, though we're not optimistic at all.
So after spending about 12 hours out of the house today with only rejection and a scratchy throat to show for it, I'm not quite sure how Singapore is livable. At least not yet. At least while I do not have a job. Maybe ew is right, and that we're basically stuck in the worst of all worlds ... (1) we look Asian (she claims whites get better treatment), (2) we're not from Singapore, and (3) we have no cushy package to fall back on. But maybe every new city needs this type of adjustment. Maybe I was expecting more because I wanted it to be easy, because it is such a difficult transition, with never visiting Singapore before, with very few friends here, with no job. But all we can do is rely on each other and rage.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Australia
After Hong Kong, ew and I made a trip to Australia before coming to Singapore. We figured that if we were planning on going back to the states for the holidays every year, this would be one of the few chances we could go to the Australian Open while guys like Federer and Nadal were playing. So we decided to go to Melbourne and Sydney, postponing a trip to the northern part of the country (which seemed to be fortuitous given the floods and Hurricane Yasi).
Australia as a whole is basically the California of the Southern hemisphere. First, the weather is quite similar. Warm summers, but there are distinct seasons where the temperatures cool. Second, the coastline is pretty much the same, with the Great Ocean Road the analog to Highway 1 (though I must say, from what I've seen, the Great Ocean Road is a bit more spectacular). But the real similarities in really in the cuisine and the lifestyle. It's a very diverse country (at least in Melbourne and Sydney), with Australians, Europeans, and Asians all there. As one would expect, this leads to a diversity of food. "Australian" cuisine is similar to that of California, with emphasis on clean flavors and local fresh ingredients, but what most people eat every day is a mixture of different cuisines, much like we do in California. One day it may be Thai, the next Spanish tapas, the next Malaysian or Chinese food. It's also a very casual and relaxed country, with beach culture very prominent (something like over 90% of people live along the Australian coast), so you see people walking around in boardshorts and casual wear pretty much everywhere you go.
We spent about half our time in Melbourne and half our time in Sydney. Melbourne feels a bit like Montreal in its setup, with a city centre that has all the office buildings as well as some retail and food, but with surrounding neighborhoods that showcase more of the city, like Carlton and Fitzroy (akin to Mont Royal). The city centre itself reminds me of Vancouver with its grid-like structure. What distinguishes Melbourne from other cities is its cafe culture. There really aren't any must-see sights in the city; there are some fairy penguins down in St. Kilda (Melbourne's beach town) worth a look, so the real draw is experiencing all the little side streets that are littered with cafes. Apparently people in Australia are obsessed with espresso, though the latte I had wasn't anything spectacular (though I'm probably not the best judge of coffee). But having an afternoon break or a brunch at one of the cafes really is a nice way to spend some time, and it really does give Melbourne an intimate feel.
Sydney in contrast is all about sights. It's tough to really get a feel for the city since there are so many must-sees, so you definitely feel much more like a tourist there. But probably the most impressive sight, and is the Blue Mountains. It's about a two hour train ride from Central Station to Katoomba in the Blue Mountains, where ew and I did a full day abseiling and canyoning tour. It was the first time either of us did either activity, and afterward, we both agreed it was probably the best thing we did in Australia. There isn't a better way to see the scenery than to abseil down the side of a cliff. And there isn't a better way to finish a canyon than to abseil down a waterfall. We used the tour operator High N Wild, and their guides are definitely friendly, helpful, and encouraging.
The other highlights of Sydney revolved around food. First, ice cream. Australia is a bit different in California in that ice cream seems to be much more popular. And after ew and I had dinner with one of ew's friends from Hong Kong, we stumbled upon a gelato place called Messina on Victoria St. around King's Cross. Just know that it was good enough for ew and I to eat there every night thereafter for the remainder of our stay in Sydney. Particularly good flavors are passion fruit and tiramisu.
Second, Quay. Quay is the meal I wished Le Bernardin was. Creative, no, inventive food. With probably the best presentation I've seen in any restaurant. It's right next to Circular Quay station, with a spectacular view of the Sydney Opera House. Service was nowhere near what Le Bernardin was, but it didn't need to be with the quality of the food. Ew started with a salad of Frech turnips and radishes, which combined with incredible goat cheese and a crispy dried olive, was very much "Californian." My starter of sea pearls was beautifully presented, with yellowfin tuna, mud crab, eel and octopus, and sea scallop. We both got the same entree, a lamb that was prepared in a way that neither of us had ever had (a braised loin), mixed with a delectable sauce and with a very unique and delicious garlic flower. The last course was a white nectarine snow egg, which was a creme with a carmelized exterior in the shape of an egg, over a beg of nectarine flavored snow ice and ice cream. While not quite as amazing as the previous two courses, it was a nice refresher to a 90 degree day. The overall cost for lunch was a bit high: 85 AUD for two courses, and 105 for 3 courses, but without needing to pay service, it actually wouldn't be too bad if the exchange rate was better. Which brings me to the final thought: the weak dollar makes Australia almost too expensive to travel to. Prices are much higher in Australia, and the least expensive meal you'll likely see for one person will be about 15 AUD.
Australia as a whole is basically the California of the Southern hemisphere. First, the weather is quite similar. Warm summers, but there are distinct seasons where the temperatures cool. Second, the coastline is pretty much the same, with the Great Ocean Road the analog to Highway 1 (though I must say, from what I've seen, the Great Ocean Road is a bit more spectacular). But the real similarities in really in the cuisine and the lifestyle. It's a very diverse country (at least in Melbourne and Sydney), with Australians, Europeans, and Asians all there. As one would expect, this leads to a diversity of food. "Australian" cuisine is similar to that of California, with emphasis on clean flavors and local fresh ingredients, but what most people eat every day is a mixture of different cuisines, much like we do in California. One day it may be Thai, the next Spanish tapas, the next Malaysian or Chinese food. It's also a very casual and relaxed country, with beach culture very prominent (something like over 90% of people live along the Australian coast), so you see people walking around in boardshorts and casual wear pretty much everywhere you go.
We spent about half our time in Melbourne and half our time in Sydney. Melbourne feels a bit like Montreal in its setup, with a city centre that has all the office buildings as well as some retail and food, but with surrounding neighborhoods that showcase more of the city, like Carlton and Fitzroy (akin to Mont Royal). The city centre itself reminds me of Vancouver with its grid-like structure. What distinguishes Melbourne from other cities is its cafe culture. There really aren't any must-see sights in the city; there are some fairy penguins down in St. Kilda (Melbourne's beach town) worth a look, so the real draw is experiencing all the little side streets that are littered with cafes. Apparently people in Australia are obsessed with espresso, though the latte I had wasn't anything spectacular (though I'm probably not the best judge of coffee). But having an afternoon break or a brunch at one of the cafes really is a nice way to spend some time, and it really does give Melbourne an intimate feel.
Sydney in contrast is all about sights. It's tough to really get a feel for the city since there are so many must-sees, so you definitely feel much more like a tourist there. But probably the most impressive sight, and is the Blue Mountains. It's about a two hour train ride from Central Station to Katoomba in the Blue Mountains, where ew and I did a full day abseiling and canyoning tour. It was the first time either of us did either activity, and afterward, we both agreed it was probably the best thing we did in Australia. There isn't a better way to see the scenery than to abseil down the side of a cliff. And there isn't a better way to finish a canyon than to abseil down a waterfall. We used the tour operator High N Wild, and their guides are definitely friendly, helpful, and encouraging.
The other highlights of Sydney revolved around food. First, ice cream. Australia is a bit different in California in that ice cream seems to be much more popular. And after ew and I had dinner with one of ew's friends from Hong Kong, we stumbled upon a gelato place called Messina on Victoria St. around King's Cross. Just know that it was good enough for ew and I to eat there every night thereafter for the remainder of our stay in Sydney. Particularly good flavors are passion fruit and tiramisu.
Second, Quay. Quay is the meal I wished Le Bernardin was. Creative, no, inventive food. With probably the best presentation I've seen in any restaurant. It's right next to Circular Quay station, with a spectacular view of the Sydney Opera House. Service was nowhere near what Le Bernardin was, but it didn't need to be with the quality of the food. Ew started with a salad of Frech turnips and radishes, which combined with incredible goat cheese and a crispy dried olive, was very much "Californian." My starter of sea pearls was beautifully presented, with yellowfin tuna, mud crab, eel and octopus, and sea scallop. We both got the same entree, a lamb that was prepared in a way that neither of us had ever had (a braised loin), mixed with a delectable sauce and with a very unique and delicious garlic flower. The last course was a white nectarine snow egg, which was a creme with a carmelized exterior in the shape of an egg, over a beg of nectarine flavored snow ice and ice cream. While not quite as amazing as the previous two courses, it was a nice refresher to a 90 degree day. The overall cost for lunch was a bit high: 85 AUD for two courses, and 105 for 3 courses, but without needing to pay service, it actually wouldn't be too bad if the exchange rate was better. Which brings me to the final thought: the weak dollar makes Australia almost too expensive to travel to. Prices are much higher in Australia, and the least expensive meal you'll likely see for one person will be about 15 AUD.
Hong Kong
The first stop for ew and me after leaving the states was Hong Kong. There aren't any direct non-business class flights to Singapore, so we decided to spend a week layover in Hong Kong to hang out with ew's family. The usual fare in Hong Kong is curry fish balls, egg nuggets, egg tarts, won ton noodle soup, and dim sum. While it may be expensive to live in Hong Kong, you can definitely get around and eat for very cheap. Curry fish balls are only around 6 HKD for a stick, egg nuggets around 10, egg tarts between 2 and 4, won ton noodle soup for around 40, and we had dim sum at Yau Ma Tei for 9 people for less than 500. Keep in mind that the HKD/USD exchange rate is around 7.78/1.
This was the first time in awhile that ew and I had such a long time in Hong Kong with nothing to do, so we actually also took a side trip to Macau. Let's just say that I really have no desire to go back. Despite eating a delicious pork chop bun, Macau really doesn't have a lot to offer. The casinos are not as centrally located as Vegas, and there really isn't the same energy that Vegas has. When you walk into the casinos, it's basically serious gambling business. And apparently the only game that Asians play is baccarat, which I have no idea how to play. Hardly any blackjack or craps games going. And I only saw one Wheel of Fortune machine in the Wynn. Basically everyone gambling is nervously smoking, and it's apparent that the only reason why these people are there is to gamble. Vegas has the allure of food, clubs, partying, and it's just a much more relaxes atmosphere. Macau feels very stuffy and formal, and it just makes you wonder why these guys are taking losing money so seriously. So unless you want to see the Portugese architecture, or the remains of the churches, I'd stay away from Macau.
This was the first time in awhile that ew and I had such a long time in Hong Kong with nothing to do, so we actually also took a side trip to Macau. Let's just say that I really have no desire to go back. Despite eating a delicious pork chop bun, Macau really doesn't have a lot to offer. The casinos are not as centrally located as Vegas, and there really isn't the same energy that Vegas has. When you walk into the casinos, it's basically serious gambling business. And apparently the only game that Asians play is baccarat, which I have no idea how to play. Hardly any blackjack or craps games going. And I only saw one Wheel of Fortune machine in the Wynn. Basically everyone gambling is nervously smoking, and it's apparent that the only reason why these people are there is to gamble. Vegas has the allure of food, clubs, partying, and it's just a much more relaxes atmosphere. Macau feels very stuffy and formal, and it just makes you wonder why these guys are taking losing money so seriously. So unless you want to see the Portugese architecture, or the remains of the churches, I'd stay away from Macau.
New York
After leaving California, ew and I headed off to NYC to visit my grandparents. For me, NYC is a city that is great to visit, but probably for the same amount of time you want to be in Vegas. The pace and energy level there is quite draining, as there always seems to be pressure to do something, anything. It's kind of like when you were in high school, and if you stayed in on a weekend night, there was something seriously wrong with you. NYC kind of gives you the same pressure.
Though the main focus of the trip was to eat Shanghainese food with my grandma, ew, my sister, me, and ay actually had a chance to go to a 3-Michelin star restaurant, Le Bernardin. Ew was not feeling well, so she ended up getting dishes that had bases in broth, but was unable to really enjoy anything. My sister and I ended up ordering dishes that we could share. Ay copied my menu ordering (or the other way around). Le Bernardin only has 2 menus: the tasting, and a 4 course for $112. We all opted for the latter. The first course that all of us ordered (except ew) was the tuna foie gras. Definitely a memorable dish, with sashimi tuna pounded so delicately and thinly while placed over toast with a light hint of foie gras. At first I didn't even realize the sheet over the foie was the tuna. The second course: I ordered the langostine and my sister the grilled octopus. The langostine was quite good, paired with delicious mushroom salad, and the grilled octopus was probably the best octopus I have had. The third course: I ordered the black bass and my sister the seared hiramasa. The hiramasa was definitely the winner, as the sauce that was paired with it was quite incredible. However, the black bass (despite being Le Bernardin's signature dish) was really just OK: pan seared for a crispy skin, paired with an Asian soy based sauce. I think overall, when it comes to cooked fish, I just don't think anyone does it better than Asian style and technique. The fourth course was dessert, which was a good end to the meal, but nothing memorable.
So is Le Bernardin really a 3-star restaurant? Well, the service is. Probably the best service I have ever had at any restaurant, with waiters literally just waiting at your table to see if you need a refill of bread, water, or if they should get the sommelier to help you with wine. Food? Well two out of the four courses were quite good, but none of the preparations were truly mind boggling. I know Eric Ripert's signature is simple preparations, focusing on the ingredients, but for a 3-star restaurant, I do expect some more creativity or inventiveness. The food wasn't any different from the experiences I've had at 1-star restaurants like Chez Panisse or Blue Hill. Maybe I'm expecting bold new flavor combinations or preparations that don't exist. How many ways can you really prepare a dish without overcomplicating it? But it goes back to my previous post about these Michelin star restaurants. Just seems like there are more affordable ways to access the same, or at least close to the same level of food.
Though the main focus of the trip was to eat Shanghainese food with my grandma, ew, my sister, me, and ay actually had a chance to go to a 3-Michelin star restaurant, Le Bernardin. Ew was not feeling well, so she ended up getting dishes that had bases in broth, but was unable to really enjoy anything. My sister and I ended up ordering dishes that we could share. Ay copied my menu ordering (or the other way around). Le Bernardin only has 2 menus: the tasting, and a 4 course for $112. We all opted for the latter. The first course that all of us ordered (except ew) was the tuna foie gras. Definitely a memorable dish, with sashimi tuna pounded so delicately and thinly while placed over toast with a light hint of foie gras. At first I didn't even realize the sheet over the foie was the tuna. The second course: I ordered the langostine and my sister the grilled octopus. The langostine was quite good, paired with delicious mushroom salad, and the grilled octopus was probably the best octopus I have had. The third course: I ordered the black bass and my sister the seared hiramasa. The hiramasa was definitely the winner, as the sauce that was paired with it was quite incredible. However, the black bass (despite being Le Bernardin's signature dish) was really just OK: pan seared for a crispy skin, paired with an Asian soy based sauce. I think overall, when it comes to cooked fish, I just don't think anyone does it better than Asian style and technique. The fourth course was dessert, which was a good end to the meal, but nothing memorable.
So is Le Bernardin really a 3-star restaurant? Well, the service is. Probably the best service I have ever had at any restaurant, with waiters literally just waiting at your table to see if you need a refill of bread, water, or if they should get the sommelier to help you with wine. Food? Well two out of the four courses were quite good, but none of the preparations were truly mind boggling. I know Eric Ripert's signature is simple preparations, focusing on the ingredients, but for a 3-star restaurant, I do expect some more creativity or inventiveness. The food wasn't any different from the experiences I've had at 1-star restaurants like Chez Panisse or Blue Hill. Maybe I'm expecting bold new flavor combinations or preparations that don't exist. How many ways can you really prepare a dish without overcomplicating it? But it goes back to my previous post about these Michelin star restaurants. Just seems like there are more affordable ways to access the same, or at least close to the same level of food.
Leaving San Diego ...
Well, ew and I are finally in Singapore, though our arrival right before Chinese New Year has delayed our ability to actually get settled and look for our own housing. So right now, we're grateful to have some family here lodging us, until we can get bank accounts, phones, and our own place where we can finally hang up our clothes. We moved out of our place in San Diego about a month and a half ago, and have really been living out of a suitcase ever since. It's been difficult living in this state of limbo ... you don't really have the freedom to go and do whatever you want, and you don't have the security of actually having a place to live. But now that we're in Singapore for the indefinite future, I figure I should get back to writing about all the things I forgot to write about while hectically leaving the states.
A lot of people asked what I would miss most about San Diego (well, maybe not a lot of people, just my own thoughts really), and I had a hard time coming up with an actual list. Most cities are generally similar once you actually live there ... work, exercise, find something to eat, get a drink. So are there specific spots in San Diego that I'll particularly miss? Pho Ca Dao in Mira Mesa was probably my most frequented restaurant, and while their broken rice was the best I had in San Diego, I'm not sure if Asia will really be lacking in Vietnamese food. Churros el Tigre probably won't be available outside of the states, but we went there so infrequently (mostly because the vendor always moved places) that it's hard to imagine me truly missing a churro cart. None of San Diego fine dining was truly memorable, from Mille Fleurs to A.R. Valentien. Bars? Syrah? Altitude? Both memorable spots, but none that can't be found in any other city. So upon reflection, I think what I'll miss about San Diego is not so much in what I did, but small cultural differences, like being able to listen to pop music. Keeping up to date with movies. Watching sports live. Playing basketball. Weather.
Growing up in San Diego, you sometimes take the town for granted. It doesn't have a lot of industry, great variety of food, and it tends to be an older demographic of people, but it has incredible weather. One where you can enjoy the outdoors, whether it's by the beach or at the CVRC basketball courts. It's a very livable city, despite its reliance on driving 20 minutes everywhere, as there's enough access to get mostly everything you would want. It's a place I definitely appreciate growing up in as a child, and even discovering again as an adult, and I can understand why my parents chose to settle down there. But sometimes we have to see other places in life, and that's where I am right now.
A lot of people asked what I would miss most about San Diego (well, maybe not a lot of people, just my own thoughts really), and I had a hard time coming up with an actual list. Most cities are generally similar once you actually live there ... work, exercise, find something to eat, get a drink. So are there specific spots in San Diego that I'll particularly miss? Pho Ca Dao in Mira Mesa was probably my most frequented restaurant, and while their broken rice was the best I had in San Diego, I'm not sure if Asia will really be lacking in Vietnamese food. Churros el Tigre probably won't be available outside of the states, but we went there so infrequently (mostly because the vendor always moved places) that it's hard to imagine me truly missing a churro cart. None of San Diego fine dining was truly memorable, from Mille Fleurs to A.R. Valentien. Bars? Syrah? Altitude? Both memorable spots, but none that can't be found in any other city. So upon reflection, I think what I'll miss about San Diego is not so much in what I did, but small cultural differences, like being able to listen to pop music. Keeping up to date with movies. Watching sports live. Playing basketball. Weather.
Growing up in San Diego, you sometimes take the town for granted. It doesn't have a lot of industry, great variety of food, and it tends to be an older demographic of people, but it has incredible weather. One where you can enjoy the outdoors, whether it's by the beach or at the CVRC basketball courts. It's a very livable city, despite its reliance on driving 20 minutes everywhere, as there's enough access to get mostly everything you would want. It's a place I definitely appreciate growing up in as a child, and even discovering again as an adult, and I can understand why my parents chose to settle down there. But sometimes we have to see other places in life, and that's where I am right now.
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