October 30, 2011 - Singapore - As a foodie, I’m pretty fortunate to be at the center of a huge culinary melting pot that is Singapore. Contrary to popular advise, I chose not to live amongst other Filipinos and transform my time here into a constant learning experience. Tonight, foodie and orthotics expert, Heidi, gave me a taste of what she can whip up.

On the menu were Claypot Eggplant with Minced Pork and a Roast Pork with Thai-style dipping sauce. Flavorful, homey and tender - the dishes were prepared with as much care and tasted as good as - if not better - than any I’ve had to pay for in the Philippines. Tonight’s diet is definitely ruined. Yum!

October 25, 2011 - Singapore - Last time I wrote about the cuisine in Singapore was when my plane from India got delayed and I had to stay an extra night. This time, the relocation is pretty long-term and I’ll have more time to sample the many dishes that typify the cultural melting pot island.

Paradise Dynasty serves eight flavors of my favorite soup-filled dumpling - Szechuan, Garlic, Ginseng, Foie Gras, Cheese, Crab Roe, Original and (my personal favorite) Black Truffle. It’s easy for truffle to smother a dish and ruin a delicate palatable balance in the hands of a novice, but master chefs managed to create a truly unique xiao long bao that did not overpower the delicate pork flavor and rich broth.

May 21, 2011 - Amara Hotel, Singapore - Probably the best thing I’ve had at this hotel was the seafood—grilled prawns and steamed crayfish with Bernaise sauce.

May 21, 2011 - Amara Hotel, Singapore - Service was cold like a marble counter. The food wasn’t too terrible, but the dinner spread certainly paled in comparison to hotels in Manila. One of the oldest hotels in Singapore didn’t impress, but a novel albeit inconvenient way to serve miso soup certainly grabbed my attention. I like novel food and interesting presentations, but it has limits. Some frou-frou you can do without, because usually after the 10-second awe all that’s left is incredulous disappointment.

The soup is served on paper that seems to be impervious to fire—five seconds of awe. I inspect the contraption, lighted from underneath by the waiter so the soup continues a rolling boil while I work my way through it. The paper is held in place by a metallic mesh so the paper cup doesn’t fall into the portable stove—three seconds. I lifted the paper to look for signs of burning and found none—awe is over.

After that brief moment, I’m just annoyed about how bulky this thing is in front of me; how the rolling boil effectively masks substandard miso soup; and how terribly inconvenient it is to run my soup spoon through the uneven paper cup. Big fail.

May 23, 2011 - Tagaytay - It is only my third visit to the place, and my first since I was 12 years old. After a bite, I came to the realization that these burgers aren’t that good—at all! They are overpriced and lack any real depth in flavor. Really thin patties slathered with plain mayonnaise, and the only thing that makes it worth going to has been taken away from it. No longer the required destination for every trip to Tagaytay, you can get a Mushroomburger from any of the Metro Manila branches. Vico makes the most of our road trip and apparently has a good time despite my misgivings.

May 22, 2011 - Discovery Country Suites, Tagaytay - It was a huge Country Breakfast for two! Three eggs done any way you want it—I prefer over easy—slabs of bacon, a couple of garlic-ey Lucban sausages and the perfect complement of garlic rice! Glad to be back in the Philippines.