Mild Spices At Artichoke

From left: mushrooms, baba ghanoush, and hummus msabbaha

It's been a long time since we went for a meal at Artichoke. This isn't a restaurant for everyone, since the owner-chef's identity is completely tied up with it. If the owner's guts and opinions don't sit well with you, then this isn't a restaurant you'll want to support. We have no problems with him or his brand of food. Artichoke's food is extremely agreeable with my stomach.

Ordered a trio of dips to go with bread. Mushrooms with Iraqi spices, fried egg puree and parmesan, baba ghanoush with pomegranate teriyaki and sesame, and hummus msabbaha with tahini, miso and golden raisins. Happy to have these easy dips done well at Artichoke.

We shared mains of crispy veal ribs with padron peppers and zhoug and hot skillet prawns with green harissa, split cream and charred onions. I didn't need more carbs since there was bread. But there were more carbs in the form of couscous. Since I don't care much for couscous, I took only a mouth of the delicious squid ink couscous that came with clams and cuttlefish.

There was an easy bottle of wine at dinner, but we could have a wee bit more alcohol. Hahaha. Dessert came in the form of more carbs- beer. Took a stroll to American Taproom nearby for a pint. Loads of choices on tap, of course. Anderson Valley's black rice dark ale was surprisingly refreshing!

With Love From Tokyo

Made a lunch date with J, and we decided to stay in. I had no issues with cooking since it was a good way to wish her a smooth start to a brand new career. Her new job starts soon and we wouldn't have the luxury of meeting for such long lunches for a bit.

J loves murgh makhani (butter chicken) so much till I've never really cooked anything else for her! LOL I didn't bother to go the whole hog with dhal and biryani since it would be way too heavy for lunch. Settled the meal with flavored basmati rice (cloves, cinnamon, bay leaves and such), eggs and stir-fried greens. A meal that's really quite easy to do, especially since the butter-tomato gravy had been made and frozen earlier. Hurhurhur. #ImpieCooks2019

J literally rolled out of bed into a cab, and sunk straight into my armchair. HAHAHAH. She trundled over with a ton of presents from Tokyo, including a shimekazari (for 2019) that wasn't even crushed in her suitcase. Her packing skills are good. Hahah. Well, I did ask for chopsticks rests from tiny shops in Tokyo. I knew she'd be able to pick out the beautiful ones at the correct prices, and not at S$20 per piece. But the woman hadn't told me how much I owe her!! She ignored me. Whhuuut. It would have to be repaid in the form of future meals.

Among the gorgeous gifts was one precious pack of coffee beans roasted by Onibus Coffee. YAYYY. What a lovely surprise. I was totally not expecting that! I've missed Onibus Coffee's flavors and I haven't found it in any cafe in Singapore. That is pack of my favorite Ethiopian Yirgacheffe. It's a fully washed varietal, and this one is wonderful too. Elegant and carries a punch.

A pity we can't buy too many packs of coffee beans because they simply wouldn't keep fresh. Most days, I need a speedy cup of coffee, and Nespresso capsules do the job. I've been fairly judicious in the buying of coffee beans. I usually just have a pack at any one time, alternating between a lighter Yirgacheffe and full-bodied Indonesian beans. Even having two packs (one sealed and one opened) can be too much. Never waste good coffee.

Didn't want to hoard the beans only to have them go stale. Opened up the pack as soon as I could to taste the best of what the beans have to offer. It's always a pleasure to grind beans. Ahhh...that delightful aroma of grounded beans. Just a wee bit sufficient for two brews, and sealed the rest. I could always grind them again later. Brewed the first batch for a breezy sunny morning when I had the luxury of time to clear lengthy emails over two glorious cups of coffee.

Uni and Loads of Garlic

It was the man's turn in the kitchen, and he cooked a decadent meal!!! I had requested for seafood and vegetables. He had the afternoon off, merrily went to the supermarket and came back with a gorgeous box of uni and giant Hokkaido scallops!

On the menu were a main and two sides- uni pasta with ikura, wok-fried zucchini and chillies, and seared scallops and garlic. Mmmmmm. This was a perfect dinner! It was light, yet super rich. Fried with very little oil, the zucchini and chillies provided the crunch and spice to the meal. I asked for lots and lots of garlic. Hurhurhur.

I didn't quite need the scallops, but I suppose they would fill up the man's bigger stomach. Heh. Rolled my eyes at the scallops when they arrived on the dining table. They were quickly seared and lifted out of the pan. The man put little bacon bits on top. Aiyoh. Fine, the bacon lent good flavors to the seafood, but I wasn't going to eat the it. Hahaha. The garlic was wonderful enough.

He blended up a mix of uni butter miso paste for the pasta. That formed the sauce to toss the spaghetti in. The final result was ridiculously rich and tasty. I do love the man's iteration of uni pasta. It doesn't swim in cream, and the white miso is always a lovely touch because it simply adds much umami to the whole dish. Of course it doesn't win Otto's in that way, but for this home version, it's fabulous. I love pasta, and will always enjoy a good one. But often, the man cooks such a decent version that I'm not very adventurous when I order pasta dishes at restaurants. They'd have to be something that the home kitchen can't replicate. Hahahah.

Mary Oliver 1935-2019

The New Yorker,
January 19, 2019

I'm definitely more into prose and less into poems. However, in the course of academic studies, poems had to be appreciated, and some poets, I actually enjoy their words, and more so, their thoughts. Sonnets are highly irritating, as are iambic pentameters, and sestinas and villanelles (although Dylan Thomas isn't too bad). Epigrams, haikus and limericks are fun, perfect for my attention span.

Mary Oliver (1935-2019) is a contemporary poet whose works I really enjoy. Bears, owls, porcupines, insects, reptiles, hermit crabs, humpback whales, et cetera. Many of her poems were borne out inspiration gleaned from long nature walks and a love of the natural world. She draws on the beauty of mountains and lakes in her hometown of Ohio and her later home in New England. Her poems are friendly, with none of those grandiose words and rhythm that I'm averse to. Through her writing, she has managed to reach out to many who would otherwise have little to do with the entire idea of literary poems.

Oliver told NPR that simplicity was important to her. "Poetry, to be understood, must be clear," she said. "It mustn't be fancy. I have the feeling that a lot of poets writing now, they sort of tap dance through it. I always feel that whatever isn't necessary should not be in the poem." 

~ NPR, January 17, 2019

She's been writing for many years, and she has the most delightful volume in 'The Truro Bear and Other Adventures: Poems and Essays' (2008). Within it, is a poem titled 'The Truro Bear', and I love how she imagined (or likely saw) a solitary bear wandering the woods "I think of the blueberry fields, the blackberry tangles,/ the cranberry bogs" and how it has to "be clever, be lucky, move quietly/ through the woods for years, learning to stay away/ from roads and houses." That is so sad. Through this short poems, so much is said. Urbanization has encroached on the homes of the animals and redefined boundaries of the natural world and human settlements.

The poet values her privacy, and while she teaches, she leads a quiet life, preferring to express her emotions through her writing. I feel a little sad to know that her world as a little girl was not the same as the world now. Climate change is here and it has changed the landscape for the worse. In an article for The New Yorker published January 19, 2019, 'Mary Oliver's Deep, Direct Love for the World', Stephanie Burt wrote

Oliver was not primarily known as a lesbian poet, nor as one who had found human love early—found it, moreover, long before contemporary gay liberation, long before it could be publicly consecrated or declared. But she did those things, too. Oliver shared her Provincetown life for decades with the photographer Molly Malone Cook, who informed some poems but became unmistakable, unavoidable, to many of Oliver’s readers only after Cook’s death, in 2005.

Mary Oliver has written many poems that appeal to different people. I don't need my poetry obscure and I don't need them to be too clever. I need them to be stirring and heartfelt. There has got to be a connection, regardless. My all-time favorite poems of hers is 'Wild Geese' (1986),

You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
for a hundred miles through the desert repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.
Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.
Meanwhile the world goes on.
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain
are moving across the landscapes,
over the prairies and the deep trees,
the mountains and the rivers.
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,
are heading home again.
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting -
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.

Vegetarian Butter 'Chicken'

By now, the man and I have perfected that butter and tomato gravy for butter chicken. The gravy is everything in this dish. We did that in a vegetarian version for the friends at dinner by way of a birthday gift. We wanted layers and textures with a bite to the dish, so the 'meat' was made up of roasted cauliflower, stir-fried chickpeas and deep fried beancurd.

The keto-friendly meal was completed with dhal, vegetable broth, sambal eggs, and of course, the optional low-GI basmati for a bit of carbs. We made larger portions for the friends to have something to take home for the freezer to form part of their meal prep options! Opened up a young but fairly decent bottle of easy red to go along with dinner.

We decided to check out the new pack of 'Unstable Unicorns'. It was amazing that four people couldn't get the instructions for the game play. Heh. Google didn't help. We thought that the instructions were ambiguous; we were rather confused. Playing the game didn't enlighten us much since it was still full of bumping into walls. Would six players be preferable? The illustrations of the baby unicorns and all are damn cute lah, but it kinda didn't engage us totally. Watching a youtube clip of the game didn't help us understand it more! We wondered if we missed something. 😂

The friends didn't just bring dessert in the form of a cake or two. They bought FIVE types of pastries from Les Pâtisseries! There were a rose lychee and raspberry mousse cake, a pear cake, a hazelnut tart, and oddly, I was quite fond of the strawberry, watermelon and pink guava tart. It was sweet, of course, but I ate it anyway. It wasn't that bad since there was a real slice of watermelon in it. Surprisingly the sugar knocked me out for the night instead of making me stay up and bounce off the walls.

Sweating It Out At The Gym

Abs went from a solid six-pack to a lazy two-lines. HAHAHAHA. Oh well, it's incredibly difficult to maintain the six-pack for months on end; this is what not 'training' for two weeks does. It's not like I have anything specific to train for, but I like how an anaerobic exercise routine keeps me happy and importantly, checks the aggression. LOL

To my surprise, it wasn't hard to get back into the groove at the gym. HIIT classes got the heart rate up and blood pumping. The sweat sessions were great. Wondered if I should down the weights for the first LES MILLS GRIT™Strength class of the year. Decided to keep to 7.5kg-a-side to a total of 18kg. I didn't exactly slack off during the time I was away from this gym. I didn't turn into a sloth overnight. Felt awesome after the first class of the year.

Weights have totally leveled up the game and increased overall strength. I didn't know I could still get so much stronger at this age. I don't know if this is my maximum strength because it really feels like I'm back to where I used to be for ballet and figure skating (not quite competitive gymnastics because I don't have that sort of flexibility anymore); I feel that I could go a bit further. The mates slyly suggested that I should aim for 10kg-a-side this year and are convinced that it's achievable. I can do a few reps, but to last a class...I'm skeptical. I'll have to up my food intake by 15% to gain the muscle mass needed! NO. The stomach disagrees.

It's Been A While, Otto Ristorante!

The girlfriend booked us in for dinner at Otto Ristorante. I was quite thrilled. For many reasons, I hadn't stepped into Otto Ristorante for a loooooong time. Years. Gone out of my way to avoid it, through no fault of its kitchen, food, chefs, owners and servers. If not for the girlfriend's suggestion, I still wouldn't have stopped by. :P

The newly recovered tender stomach was wary of indigestion. I didn't want to overload it. Cautiously only ordered ONE food item for the evening. PASTA. Even so, the amuse bouche and the bread almost did me in. Of course the pasta had to be the Spaghetti ai Ricci di Mare e Bottarga di Cabras (spaghetti with sea urchin and Sardinia grey mullet bottarga). Or simply, uni and bottarga pasta. There could be no other love. Hahahaha. You know what, after all these years, that dish was still splendid. By golly, it might have been even better than I remember it to be, depending on quality of uni and bottarga used, and the brand of the pasta's flour.

It was a pleasure to step in and have the maître d' and servers still recognize me. Awww. It was hilarious when they brought out a birthday cake (tiramisu) replete with a candle. It was nobody's birthday! When asked earlier, we said it straight that we weren't celebrating any special occasion, and it was just the usual date. Hahaha. Oh well, we took nibbles of the tiramisu. I literally took two small bites and saved all the stomach space for the rather overpriced bottle of Corte Vaona Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2012 from Novaia.

I've truly missed Otto's rendition of this dish. All these years have trying out other restaurants' uni pasta, and Otto still presents truly the best version I've had. 

Lunarin's 'Into The Ether'

Lunarin put on their first show in what...eight years, along with a brand new three-song EP 'Into The Ether' (2018). The band opted to donate proceeds of the EP launch show to a cause close to their hearts, to HOME (The Humanitarian Organization for Migration Economics). They put their creative talents into good use, and poured all their emotions into this EP. Look at their song titles.

In the one-hour show, they opened with a new song 'The Flood' and also played all their old songs, and ended with two encore pieces 'Silver Piece' (2006) and 'Right of Sleep' (2012). Ahhh......I've truly missed their sound. All angsty, wondering, and stirring. It was such a wonderful night. Truth be told, the songs sounded awesome live, way better than what the digital versions produced.

I love Lunarin's music and songs. Then life happened, and the band went silent for a while. For the band to have been active so long, it's quite a feat. We'd miss them, but that's how it is. Bands come and go, and bands grow older and stop playing. It takes a lot to revive a dormant band, wake those fingers and brain cells, get organized and put out an EP, and practice damn hard for a show.

Bands have adulting to do and day jobs to fulfill, and other lives to lead. Adulting and making music full-time don't quite go hand-in-hand in Singapore. But I guess many never gave up music as a passion or as a serious hobby. Lunarin is one such band. We don't know if they'll release any more albums, or make more music for public consumption, but I guess they'll never stop jamming or loving the void. We're all 40-something now. Sometimes, it's time to let go of some dreams after one final burst of fireworks. But for that one night, I enjoyed Lunarin's gig so much.

Thanks, Linda, Eng Teck and Kah Wye for putting out this album, and showing us that music truly feeds our souls.

Salt-Baked Fish On The Menu

The friends put salt-baked fish on the dinner menu. MUCH EFFORT. I forgot to ask what fish they bought, but that huge half of a tail certainly looked the half of a huge grouper. Apparently it was the first time they did salt-baked fish! Okaaaay, whatever recipe they had used and tweaks applied are definitely for keeps. 45 minutes later, the salt crust was rock hard, but the fish was beautifully baked and not at all dry.

My recently-recovered bout of indigestion and everyone else's over-eating during the festive season meant that we could go easy with the food, and more or less skip super-heavy carbs. Fish and garlic mash. PERFECT. I ate quite a fair bit of fish. The meat was already tasty, but I was naughty and sprinkled more salt flakes. Mmm...delicious.

Happily fed and watered, I nursed a last glass of wine and every bit of the Beemster cheese over more conversation and a rather riveting short docu-film 'Sour Grapes' (2016). I'm reminded again that I'm no wine connoisseur and there is a price cap to what I should be paying for a bottle of wine. The value of a bottle (or a case) is what humans put on it. I'm cognizant that it goes from grape to maturity to bottling, and it should be valued as such. Climate is the variant that winemakers can never control. Although... an expensive bottle of wine doesn't equate hitting a higher happiness index. Netlix and chill for a night out? Yeah, this way. YES.

Two Cookbooks

I bought a set of Christmas presents for myself at the bookshop. Even I was stunned when I picked out the two cookbooks in hard covers. You will never associate me with wanting to read cookbooks, much less wanting to keep these books and show any sort of enthusiasm about cooking. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Well, these newly published cookbooks call to me- Nancy Singleton Hachisu's 'Japan The Cookbook' (2018), and Georgia Freedman's 'Cooking South of the Clouds: Recipes and Stories from China's Yunnan Province' (2018).

I could find similar books written in Japanese and Chinese, by 'ethnically correct' authors. But I'm not looking for recipes or authenticity. I'm not anal about that, and neither am I pedantic about recipe portions. I'm fairly adept at customizing portions and reducing volume of ingredients, based on tastebuds and what I understand. My food hasn't turned out too bad. I'm not seeking 'fabulousness', I only want to cook the food that I like to eat. After all, I'm feeding myself mainly. Heheh. The fun part- these are books that I'll never 'finish reading'. Woooohoooo.

Nancy Singleton Hachisu's 'Japan The Cookbook'

I'm looking to read stories and experiences, and these two cookbooks I bought are surprisingly a pleasure to flip through again and again. I've even found recipes that I'm keen on trying, or to cook them based on childhood memories. I'm sooooo familiar with Japanese home cooking, and I'm looking to re-create a few of my grandparents' favorite dishes.

Nancy Singleton Hachisu. The writer and cook is obviously writing for a discerning American audience, and that's cool. She was recently at a book signing at one of my favorite Seattle book stores, and my friends gave her recipes and her, as a person, the thumbs up.

The book cover is gorgeous. I was very pleased to learn that a "large portion of the recipes in this book reflect the writings of Harumi Kawaguchi, a Zen nun whom I have known for decades." I love Japanese temple food and my grandmother incorporates that into her cooking; as a result, it's instinctive for me to do that when I cook too.

Found a recipe that looks so good. Ahhh, to grill a medium-sized whole fish with salt and pine needles. That's heavenly, and it can be easily done at home. I'd soooo love to do it. When I read the book close to Christmas, there were still real pine trees available for sale. I seriously considered buying a small Christmas tree just to use its needles. But I didn't. I now have a....dried-up wreath. I highly doubt that there're any usable stalks left. Hahaha. 👀

Georgia Freedman's 'Cooking South of the Clouds: Recipes and Stories from China's Yunnan Province' 

Why would I buy a foreigner's book about Chinese cooking? Why not? Yunnan foods are significantly different from the rest of China's. As I read on, it's very obvious to me that Georgia Freedman knows more about Yunnan cooking and food than I ever do, and more than most Chinese and its diaspora. The photos in the book are taken by her husband Josh Wand, and they're full of color, life and movement.

Of all Chinese food, I love Yunnan food most; the varied tribes offer a range of different flavors that showcase exactly the potpourri that Yunnan is. The book tries to categorize the foods into Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western. The author's fairly accurate that way. 'Fried Kidney Beans with Fennel (茴香酥红豆)'? Oh yes. It's spicy and appetizing. I'm familiar with many dishes, and I'd love to read more about it. Let's put Cantonese food aside, shall we? I'm only fond of the flavors from Hong Kong Cantonese food. Food in Shenzhen and Guangzhou, is literally a different kettle of fish altogether.

To be honest, however, there is really no such things as 'Yunnan food'. The province is so diverse that it contains a number of distinct styles, each a reflection of a particular area's natural resources and the cultural practices of the people who live there. 

..................... 

Some characteristics of Yunnan food are nearly universal. Spicy chillies, whether fresh or dried, are practically ubiquitous. Pickles of some sort make their way into dishes in most parts of the province, as do the area's renowned mushrooms. Rice noodles, called mixian, are eaten for breakfast and lunch almost everywhere. And Yunnan is particularly famous for the fact that, unlike most Chinese, many of the local minorities eat raw vegetables in various forms, as well as dairy products, including stir-fried goat's cheese in Kunming, grilled cow's-milk cheese in Dali, British-style tinned milk in Mangshi and butter and sweet-sour aged cheese in Shangri-La.

The book included a chapter on 'Base Recipes and Sauces', pointing out the different oils used, as well as ground black cardamom seeds (which do not need to be toasted before they're ground). It also has a chapter on 'Pantry Staples', taking care to describe 'sour bamboo' as the type similar to Thai versions, and how sticky rice is popular in place of the regular jasmine steamed rice. It also included one on 'Tools' and a sub-section on 'Yunnan-Specific Tools', like the Yunnan steam pot to do chicken with ginger and goji berries. (I did this in a regular pot.) Very nice.

HOWEVER, I WILL SKIP ALL SICHUAN PEPPERCORN IN THE RECIPES. I HATE SICHUAN PEPPERCORN. YUCKS. 

I couldn't stop giggling when I saw a Dai recipe of Southern Yunnan- 'Fish Stuffed with Spice Paste' (香茅草烤鱼). It sounded sooooo familiar. It recommends using a firm-fleshed white fish, such as tilapia. TILAPIA?! Ermmm no. I'll probably use a snapper. It also requires garlic chives, lemongrass and some sort of chilli sauce. Brain straightaway thought, "Ikan panggang!!!" 😂

Lunch and Pandemic

We shamelessly asked for lunch at D and I's. Ordered food to be sent over. It was a busy weekend and none of us could cook Indian food as well as the restaurants do! D had awesome Indian food delivered from Omar Shariff. The food items she chose totally hit a spot.

Once the stomachs were full and happy, it was time to start on a new board game. We didn't google anything about 'Pandemic' before playing it. Literally relied on the instruction manual, which was rather thick. We quickly realized that instead of players competing against one another, it's a cooperative strategy to beat the virus and the infection. It was pretty cool. This is the base game. Apparently there're three or more expansion sets, and new rules of challenge kits. But first, let us deal with this because we need to learn to win and we can't play this game with fewer than four players, or  the rules ensure that the epidemic inevitably triumphs.

In between we had a lovely bottle of wine, and homebaked banana cake. And we ate fat bananas from D's garden that looked all black, but it was super sweet inside. And that was the afternoon spent in laughter, some sort of intellectual thinking, and a whole lot of fun. Before we knew it, it was almost 6pm. Wooohooo.

Cooked The First Meal of 2019

It's truly wonderful to live in Singapore where I have access to fresh ingredients to cook a meal even after I cleared out that fridge for the vacation. It was a busy day, and the man and I are still nursing a bug. but I was determined to have dinner at home. There would be two hours to shop and prep the ingredients. I knew exactly what I wanted, and was in and out of the supermarket within 20 minutes.

This kitchen is no longer considered new, and cooking is quite the everyday affair instead of a special thing. Practice makes perfect, sometimes. I'm unlikely to grow fonder of cooking, but I will get better and faster at doing it. Did an easy set of stir-fry- beef and onions, kyabetsu and carrots with chirimen, and sake-marinated and pan-seared amberjack fillets. I suppose we might as well indulge in a gorgeous bowl of steamed koshihikari white from 2018 before the new rice appears in a few months. #ImpieCooks2019

The man was busy the whole day too, and grouchy from a sore throat and a pounding headache. He was glad to sit down for a hot dinner served up in cute portions. Hahaha. He loved pan-seared fish fillets, and will eat most types of fish. He was surprised to see pan-seared fillets tonight, given my aversion to oil splatter. Well, I've got a splatter screen, might as well put it to use. I don't have to put that much oil to sear a fish fillet even if it's to crisp the skin.

2019 Is Plodding Along

And so it is 2019. We're already mid-way through January. The Bangkok smog did nothing for my respiratory system, and shot it to bits. Coupled that with over-eating and indigestion, a few days after I got home, I fell ill, succumbed to strep throat and lost my voice completely. Thank goodness that there was no fever and no cough set in. I've recovered and am completely avoiding meats and rich foods. Hahahaha.

The Christmas wreath has lost its rich emerald hues, but the pine needles hadn't fully dropped off, surprisingly, and the floor was clear. (Good job, Roomba!) While I actually bothered to spritz the wreath occasionally and thoroughly before I left and when I got home, it has of course dried up a bit. The wreath is made of real pine needles, and it would be such a waste to throw it out. It still sparks a lot of joy horr. Let's see if it will last till the end of the month. If it dries up nicely, perhaps I'll leave it there for the year. Hurhurhur.

Before heading out to Bangkok, I lovingly hung up a small shimekazari (しめ飾り). It has been a decade since I last had one in a home that I call mine. It meant a lot to me to be have this one. The shimekazari cheerily welcomed us home. It's likely to hang around till after the Lunar New Year; as a decorative ornament, it holds a soothing color palette compared to lunar new year red and gold gaudiness, and whatever run-of-the-mill dong-dong-chiang horror.

แล้วพบกันเร็วๆกรุงเทพ

We tracked the weather patterns for November and the first half of December; sixth sense told us to ditch plans to drive down to Rayong during the first week of January. Thankfully we did, otherwise our dates would have run smack into Cyclone Pabuk. From what I last heard and saw, the cyclone destroyed the beachfront of the resort we intended to stay at. The huge waves wrecked the pools in the villas and blew out sliding doors and windows. Woah. We stayed dry in smog-filled Bangkok.

A city vacation without seeing greens or blues always makes me a little restless. Luckily the company and the people more than made up for it. I was really pleased to have soaked up the fun of the Bangkok Art Biennale by not just viewing the art pieces, but also making it to the fringe activities, and hearing artists' thoughts about their works, and their drive to create. This city is way more than the shopping malls and night markets that the city council is determined to show tourists. And this trip, I was hoping for more than food and drinks...and I got it. 😍

A flurry of hugs and late-night/early-morning goodbye texts, and the friends and us slithered out of town on different dates, and off to different destinations. Some are moving on to the next vacation spot. The rest of us are headed home to a new work year, and another 365 days (hopefully) of being alive and healthy.

Bye, and see you in a few months, Krung Thep.

มื้ออาหารที่ยุ้งข้าวหอม

The best meals of the trip came from Yoong Khao Hom (ยุ้งข้าวหอม). I love the kitchen so much that I returned thrice. It hit every craving for spices and the restaurant keeps their decor simple, fun and clean. I feel so comfortable in the restaurant. It has an extensive menu, and a fantastic kitchen.

The restaurant doesn't usually take reservations, so just try your luck. Queues aren't too bad because it's sited in Chula's little open-air mall, away from the tourists and huge crowds. It's kinda smack in town, yet feels like your neighborhood eatery. The little open-air mall has the weirdest name- 'I'm Park'. We cracked up so bad over the name. It doesn't seem to have any meaning in any language, unless you're Korean... Hahahhaha. Like, I'm not Kim, 'I'm Park'!

Delicious curries. They do massaman and panang right. I prefer mine thick and at least spicy rather than with sweet undertones. We also had their squid simmered in coconut milk, วายคั่ว ('wai khua'). It's a familiar dish in Brazilian and Filipino cuisines; I like the Thai versions best. Those squids looked more like baby octopuses. Oof!

Yoong Khao Hom is apparently a restaurant from southern Koh Samui (the area that was lashed by cyclone Pabuk), and in Bangkok, it serves up Samui interpretations of dishes. It's here that I found the most delicious iteration of stir-fried leaves of the belinjo plant. I know it in Thai (ผักเหลียง, approximately 'phak liang'), but I've never bothered finding out its English name because I thought it's a common vegetable, but little did I know that even wet markets in Singapore don't really sell it. Then on this trip, I finally learnt that it's belinjo.

The delicious ใบเหลียงผัดไข่ (belinjo leaves stir-fried with egg).

BAB :: ส่วนที่สอง :: วัด

Wat Prayoon

We have visited to most of the venues of Bangkok Art Biennale (BAB) themed 'Beyond Bliss', and viewed many awesome art installations. If we didn't have the generosity of friends driving us around, we'd have booked a car to take us to all the venues too. Luckily for us, the friends are just as interested and keen on hunting down all the art pieces in the off-downtown venues. Yay! Two cars, eight people. It was fun!

I have a keen interest to view the works of Thai artists, and I'm glad to have seen lots, and understood the drive and inspiration behind many of these works. My favorite biennale pieces are placed at the three temples- Wat Arun Ratchawararam Ratchawaramahawihan (Temple of Dawn or Wat Arun), Wat Phra Chetuphon Vimolmangklararm Rajwaramahaviharn (Temple of the Reclining Buddha, or Wat Pho for short), and especially Wat Prayurawongsawat Worawiharn (Temple of the Iron Fence, or Wat Prayoon). These pieces effortlessly blend in with the decor of the temple, and as non-frequent visitors to the temples, we'd never know it unless we're looking out for it.

Ran into many friends at Wat Prayurawongsawat Worawiharn (Temple of the Iron Fence, or 'Wat Prayoon' for short) in Thonburi. For the first time in our time in Bangkok, my camera took the most photos of humans and with humans at this venue. Hurhurhur.

My first viewed installation here was 'Zodiac Houses' (1998-1999) by Thai painter, sculptor and artist extraordinaire Montien Boonma. He passed away in 2000 and was a talented artist who created deeply evocative art of the religion and mind. I've seen many of his works in other cities, but never in his native country. This is a piece of work about "Montien’s quest for bliss and incarnation through astrological signs and outer space in order to contact the dead...... the dark Gothic-like sculptures stand eerily facing the gilded Dharma seat offering a prayer to communicate with the dead and afterlife." Somehow, when 'Zodiac House' pieces are placed at Bangkok's Wat Prayoon's Sala Kanparien (Sermon Hall), I found them rather creepy.

There're other artists here too, like Paolo Canevari (Italy) with his 'Monuments of the Memory, the Golden Room' (2018), but my attention was drawn elsewhere to the other works.

I was quite enthralled by Krit Ngamsom's 'Turtle Religion' (2018) sited in the khao mor (ขาวมอ, 'temple garden') of Wat Prayoon. The pond held many terrapins and tortoises, and I thought saw one snapping turtle. Among the six metal sculptures of turtles holding up a religious site, there is one that doesn't hold any, and is colored in silver/stainless steel, and... it moves. I took a short video of the moving turtle, and couldn't stop giggling at it. I know it's not really funny, but it simply tickles me to no end. The information note read,

Krit has created a playful group of metal turtles carrying on their back symbols of many beliefs, a reflection of the harmonious interreligious faiths and multiculturalism that has long been prominent in this area of Klongsan.

On our way to the main stupa, I saw what is apparently a 900-year old 2-meter-tall stone Buddha statue in the temple gallery. I was all like, for a 900-year-old statue, security seemed rather lax. There was nothing to prevent visitors from touching it, not even velvet ropes. But I guess when it's stone, it's fairly solid.

Nino Sarabutra's 'What Will We Leave Behind' (2018) is stark and evocative. You'd have to remove your shoes and socks to walk on them. I was absolutely mesmerized. Such a simple idea yet super effective, reaching out to every visitor's subconscious. 125,000 unglazed tiny porcelain skulls lined the walkway of the main stupa.

Rather than being morbid, Nino invites viewers to circumambulate along the white walkway where cremated ashes are stacked. It is a life-affirming question to ask every day, “If today was your last on earth, what will you leave behind?”

Honestly, I was extremely tempted to steal one of those tiny cute skulls. Okay, it's not as if I can't find small cute skulls elsewhere. But to have ONE of these skulls would be awesome. It's always about the creative impulse, and the art behind an item. I wistfully walked away without any. Yes yes, integrity, cultured tourist and all that. I would wait and BUY one or two. I was rather upset a few days later when I was told that many tourists had already stolen a fair number of the skulls.

Strolling into Wat Arun Ratchawararam Ratchawaramahawihan at the hour of sunset.

We took a chance and timed our visit to Wat Arun Ratchawararam Ratchawaramahawihan (Temple of Dawn) close to sunset. We were duly rewarded by a parking space right by the entrance gates, fewer humans on the grounds and a spectacular sunset.

Sanitas Pradittasnee's 'Across the Universe and Beyond' (2018) three sculptures used steel, mirrors and red acrylic to fully utilize the space within the khao mor (ขาวมอ, 'temple garden'). They're cleverly placed and you'd never know that it's quietly sitting there, unless you take slow steps to look out for them. The contemporary sculptures breathed new life into the space and remind us how tiny we are, "particles of dust and dirt".

Komkrit Tepthian created giant statues of Thai mythological figures for the biennale at Wat Arun. He adapted the story of In and Chan (อิน-จัน, known to us better as 'Chang and Eng') to create the 'Giant Twins' (2018)- as Yaksa and the Chinese Warrior (from stone figures China sent to Siam as a gesture of friendship), depicting the Sino-Thai friendship. With the backdrop of a temple hall, the statue 'Arun Garuda' (2018) practically looked like it's part of the temple decoration.

As an add-on, the artist also put up an interactive piece of a gashapon (ガシャポン) capsule machine titled 'Memorial Ball' (2018). The idea is ridiculously contemporary, on fleck and an absolute hit. I loved it! The tiny pieces depict Thai mythological figures. Only 100 capsules a day are given out, and all monies are handed over to the temple's charity fund. Initially, it was filled up at 7am, and the machine was free to be played. Apparently long queues formed, and now, it's open at 9.30am to dispense 70 figurines and at 1pm to dispense 30 figurines. WOOOOOHOOOO.

I wonder if this interactive piece will make it to Singapore. It'd be such a hit with the audience. The only issue, I'm not sure what figurines those capsules would hold if the artwork comes to Singapore. What would match the politically correct rhetoric? We can't just put religious figures in there, even if we do 10 representations. Some body or organization are bound to protest and raise hell over whatever pagan practices it might represent. We lack a strong Singapore identity unfortunately. And what Singapore mythology? Architectural fixtures will be so boring and so damn STB. Putting figures like Sang Nila Utama (myth myth myth!), swordfish, and OMG the Merlion, or those Youth Olympics mascots would be so clichéd. Duhhh.

Cheng Sim Ei (เซ็งซิมอี้)

Our three night visits to Cheng Sim Ei (เซ็งซิมอี้, or 'Sheng Sim Ei') was for the man to get his sugar fix. It's still sitting on Chula land, but it's moved from its old gritty joint to two blocks somewhere behind Siam Square, next to Suan Luang Market. There's another outlet in a mall and one next to a Teochew porridge stall, but this at Chula is nostalgic to me.

The stall pretty much serves up familiar Chinese desserts with shaved ice, น้ำแข็งใส or หวานเย็น ('naam kang saii' or 'waan yen'). Each stall has plenty of colorful toppings are available for customers to choose, or there're some standard bowls that you could simply order. Till today, I've never bothered to learn the names of those desserts in Thai. Dessert shops always offer photos and I simply point to my orders. Hahaha.

The man loves these desserts. He somehow eagerly found space for a bowl of something for supper. He thinks that they're lighter than butter, cream and cakes. Hmmm. Okaaaay. I don't deviate very much from my usual orders, which is what we know as cheng tng. Coconut milk does nothing for me, and I don't like colors or jellied things, so this bowl of brown colors work for me. Whatever else I don't eat, I leave it behind. The longan syrup is never too sweet because the ball of shaved ice would melt down just fine. Or I could always ask for more shaved ice.

Cheng Sim Ei (เซ็งซิมอี้)
between Chula Soi 5 and 12 (next to Suan Luang Square)
ซอยจุฬาลงกรณ์ 5 ถนนเจริญเมือง กรุงเทพมหานคร 
(อยู่ในโครงการสวนหลวงสแควร์) อ่านต่อได้ที่

Iron Balls Distillery

We very much prefer the ambience of Iron Balls Distillery on Sukhumvit 63 at Park Lane Complex over its Parlor on Sukhumvit 45. Importantly, Sukhumvit Soi 63 has a lot more food choices along the stretch. We keep ending up at Iron Balls Distillery for a nightcap since it's fairly comfortable and the tiny space isn't too crowded. Hurhurhur.

We've also met a few different groups of friends at this venue too. It's kinda central, but out of the crazy evening town traffic, so it's easier for everyone to get to. It's been absolutely delightful catching up over art conversations, easy drinks and good food. I'm going to miss the pleasure of their company again for quite a few months. Till we next meet IRL.

I can't quite change up the flavors beyond a boring gin and tonic. I can't do cocktails lah. Too sweet and those different flavors just annoy the shit out of the tastebuds. I haven't gone beyond two glasses of gin a night though. I still don't do too well with gin, so I shouldn't push it. Heh. A classic Old Fashioned is always tolerable, but I'd rather not mix the base liquor, otherwise I might end up with a splitting headache.

Laem Charoen Seafood, Bang Khen

Of course I don't blog about every meal. I still skip breakfast, although on some days, I down a cup of yoghurt and chia seeds thingy, or a smoothie. I'm still on two meals a day, but with these bigger portions, I'm over-eating, and to accompany all the gravy and spices, I'm eating too much carbs. The stomach is getting unhappy and indigestion has crept in. Arrrrrgh. Yet I can't leave town without going around to all the restaurants I like!

Laem Charoen Seafood (แหลมเจริญซีฟู้ด) is one of my favorite seafood chain restaurants. Yes, while they're easily found at the malls nowadays, we decided to toddle out to the chain's standalone restaurant in the Bang Khen area. I just didn't want to eat in a mall if that can be helped. It seems as though Bangkok is determined to KonMari all its street food and little stalls into neatly organized malls.

Fish, crabs and loads of seafood. Washed down with deliciously sweet and cold coconut water. I still needed greens. Non-oily and simply stir-fried with garlic and a wee bit of fish sauce or soy. When I'm in Thailand, between kangkong (ผักโขม, 'phak khom') and water mimosa (ผักกระเฉด, 'phak krachet'), I'll definitely pick the latter. Although it's more fibrous, I rarely get to eat that in Singapore, so whenever I can, I eat loads of it here.

I had a serious craving for prawns and garlic. But allergies mean that I can't have raw prawns at home, much less cook them. Cravings were satisfied today at Laem Charoen. Happiness came in the form of Thai giant river shrimps with deep fried garlic. Wooohoooo. I was going to order six shrimps. But P stopped me. He said two would be sufficient because we'd have other dishes, and those two shrimps would be HUGE. Oh yessss. Luckily I heeded his advice. Hahahah. I forgot how huge Thai river shrimps could get.

แหลมเจริญซีฟู้ด
รามอินทรา กม.3.5 Ramindra
31/14 Thanon Ramintra, Khwaeng Anusawari,
Khet Bang Khen, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10220

BAB :: ส่วนที่หนึ่ง :: ตัวเมือง

Cleverly using a number of venues in downtown Bangkok that are pretty much accessible by the BTS skytrain, the inaugural Bangkok Art Biennale (BAB) is themed 'Beyond Bliss'. As much as I'm not keen on walking into shopping malls, I strolled by a few just to take a look at the art pieces. Thankfully for us, some venues are away from the main stretch, and that translates into fewer crowds.

I'm not particularly keen on Yayoi Kusama's installations. I'm not hot about her combination of pumpkins and polka-dots. After seeing one too many, I'm just a little not bothered about them anymore. Her installations are in Central World ('14 Pumpkins', 2017) and Siam Paragon ('I Carry On Living With The Pumpkins', 2016 and 'Pumpkin', 2017). Luckily these are venues I tend to avoid, and I have no inclination to step into the malls unless I need the supermarket.

'ALIEN CAPITAL' 2018 by Sornchai Phongsa (Thailand).The artist reflects upon the marginalized life, the unnoticeable identity of migrant workers.
The container is wrapped with loose bamboo structures tied up together with red nylon rope
signifying workers’ united efforts against all hardship.

What I firmly placed on the itinerary for downtown, was a visit to Bangkok Art and Culture Center (BACC). Went up to Level 9 of BACC to view 'Hello Puppy, Greeting Piggy', an exhibition that holds a collection of photographs taken by Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn on her travels. This photography exhibition of the Princess's is curated by the Royal Photographic Society of Thailand and BACC.

BACC is a fantastic venue smack in town. A much-needed venue, I might add. A dose of heart and soul amongst the many glitzy buildings designed to empty your pockets and steal your IQ points. Many BAB pieces are exhibited there, and I'd get my fill of all the awesome pieces I've browsed online and in the handbook. It's really cool to see how the artists have interpreted 'bliss' and what is 'beyond' that. Also, there's good coffee to be found at Gallery Drip Coffee on the ground floor. I took my time with the installations to view every piece and soak it in. As it is with each piece, at different times of the year and the state of one's life, some pieces of art will resonate, others will simply be rubbish or incomprehensible.

Not all the English names of the art installations translate exactly into Thai, especially those created by Thai artists. For example, in the photo above of 'ALIEN CAPITAL' by Sornchai Phongsa, the piece is named ‘ผีในเมือง’ พ.ศ. 2561, which is kinda literally, 'Ghosts in the City', 2018. Well, in the spirit of the work's intent of reminding us of the existence of migrant workers, the Thai name is more poignant.

'Forest Floor' 2018 by Fiona Hall (Sydney, Australia).
This piece is a shadow forest with dark secrets buried within understory.
Skeletal parts painted on bottles strewn like leaves act as residue of conflicts and genocides.

A pity I missed Marina Abramovic's symposium in November, and the performances of the artists. Although there isn't any scheduled sessions of performance art, at least I could see what the participants and practitioners of the Marina Abramovic Institute (MAI) created for the biennale. The works are certainly in the spirit of the uhh 'Abramovic Method', as it is called in its jargon. In its review in October, ArtsAsiaPacific summed up these works as,

Gurugram artist Vandana stared at a candle all day long; Burmese artist Lin Htet imprisoned himself in a razor-wire lined cage for three weeks; Tehran artist Pantea ran in circles around a square steel sheet with a rope around her neck connected to pieces of chalk. The actual individual physical feats of these performers shouldn’t be trivialized, but it was unclear why any artist would submit to being exhibited under the Abramović brand in this manner. If you cared to be indoctrinated yourself, the other half of the floor gave viewers the chance to learn the Abramović method.

'Geometry of Lamentation' 2013/2018 by Jihyun Youn (South Korea/Amsterdam).
The artist “maps the inner landscape of emotion” through repetitive gestures based on Hangul.
She stitches wedding dresses at the start of the day, and at the end of the day, these dresses and walls are doused with dramatic red paint.

EAT at Emquartier Food Hall

After EAT at CentralWorld closed so fast, I was bereft of fried salted eggs. Hahaha. I love them! While I could get them at most eateries, I kinda like EAT, and am fond of Supanniga's chain of easy eats. So I was super pleased to discover EAT at the basement food hall of Emquartier mall.

This food hall is typical of any Asian shopping mall's food hall. Lots of variety and selections. Emquartier's is no different. It's chockfull of Asian brands and local stalls offering different foods. The prices average at about S$9 for a plate of food. There's even a small Chairman retro diner à la Hong Kong's 冰室, replete with Chef Man's famous steamed salted egg custard bun and po luo buns. I swear I spotted a 'Jamie's krapow', which apparently is Jamie's Italian's take in Bangkok. I'm like...WHY. Anyway, Emquartier's food hall is the perfect after-gym fill-stomach venue.

On the one afternoon after gym when we were in time for a late lunch, I zoomed straight to EAT for the those fried salted eggs. The menu was large enough for people to order other items. Ordered those with some random pieces of garlic pepper pork loin. But mostly, the fish sauce and the cut chillies on brown rice went beautifully with the fried salted eggs. YES, I ORDERED TWO. Hurhurhur.