A Visit to Singapore

Wow. I can't believe I actually visited Singapore and survived both the long flight times and the humidity. I'm so glad I put aside my objections. Singapore is vibrant, orderly, and architecturally intriguing. English is the official language. A good way for a Westerner to get a glimpse of Asia without totally going into culture shock. Based on the dozens of multi-story malls along Orchard Road, shopping and eating seem to be the major past times. But we also visited Little India and Chinatown as well. We loved the Botanic Gardens, especially the National Orchid Gardens. And the Gardens by the Bay, especially the Supertree Grove at night.

So, a few random observations before the photo show. Alcohol is EXPENSIVE in Singapore. A lot of restaurants do not even offer wine by the bottle. The wine by the glass prices would be bottle prices here in the US. And the US dollar to Singapore dollar ratio is not too far off the mark. So, we imbibed less, which was probably a good thing since the air is so humid one gets wringing wet after about a couple of hours. Our hotel did have a cool bar called Manhattan, however. They specialized in barrel-aged cocktails and had a glassed-in barrel room of concoctions waiting their turn. We indulged once, but at ~$21 a pop, we only went the one time.

Yes, it's that humid, even at night. Our friends who live in Singapore said it took them about 6 months to get acclimatized. Thus, the dilemma: do we eat outside at some lovely places along the river or the outdoor food stalls in Chinatown or do we head inside for air conditioning? We chose air conditioning. It was a way for us to recover before going back outside. Our hotel was kind enough to provide us two bottles of water each day and changed our towels twice a day since we usually took two showers every day. Since I am not a fan of heat and humidity and make a point of never going to the beach in the summer, I impressed myself at being able to survive. Shopping centers, the subway (MRT), and taxis all have excellent air conditioning, thank goodness.

The MRT is super easy to use and cheap. One-way fares are less that one Singaporean dollar. Taxis are fairly inexpensive, too. This is a good thing since owning a car is outrageously expensive. A Subaru costs upwards of $150,000 (yes, this is not a typo). We were also told that if one owned a car, the government required one to pay for the right to drive it for 10 years.

Singapore offers a huge variety of restaurants, from traditional Asian fare to familiar American fast food places to chain eateries that were new to us. It allows us as Americans to be adventurous one day and then return to our version of comfort food the next day. Reputable hotels and restaurants have good water and ice, so no real worries from that perspective. There is one fast food place in Singapore called Toast Box. They do toast with salted butter and jam (traditionally coconut jam), but what I became addicted to was the milk tea - extremely strong tea with sweetened condensed milk. OMG. They also have egg tarts. We need a Toast Box here.

Enough comments. Please enjoy some of my snaps.

Bumboats along the Singapore River

Christmas decorations were being put in in mid-Oct. These along Orchard Road are brought to you by Hitachi

Barrel-Aged Manhattan at Manhattan

We met some friends for lunch one day. They took us to a local food court and ordered all manner of items. This is chicken and rice. The rice is cooked in a concentrated chicken broth.

Rojak contains fruit and cucumber and mixed with shrimp paste

Noodles with Shrimp

To drink we had sugar cane juice flavored with lemon juice

Malaysian Shaved Ice - Shaved ice with coconut milk, syrup, sweet beans, and "green twizzlers"

Yummy milk tea at Toast Box

Little India

While we were in Singapore, they celebrated the Deepavali holiday, a Hindu holiday (we know it as Diwali). This is a "bank holiday." Singapore has 10 holidays and honor Hindu, Muslim, Chinese, and Western cultures.

Foodstuffs for sale during Deepavali

This is what happens to a camera lens when you step outside from an air conditioned hotel

We ate at La Forketta one evening and enjoyed a lovely burrata.

Singapore Botanic Gardens

Most of the graffiti that we saw in Singapore was on plants

Golden Arches

One of the many species of orchids in the National Orchid Gardens

Also part of the National Orchid Gardens

Prawn Satay with Mango Salad at Halia

Chinatown

Beijing Duck at Fatty Weng's

Hindu Temple

Buddha Tooth Temple

Ku De Ta sits atop the Marina Bay Sands hotel and offers a lovely view of Singapore. We enjoyed some sangria.

Singapore Flyer and Gardens by the Bay

Cloud Forest at Gardens by the Bay

Flower Dome at Gardens by the Bay

Calamari at Pollen Restaurant

Supertree Grove - A Spectacular Light Show

Marina Bay Sands Hotel

Singapore at Night

Letter on in the week we met up with friends again and had Dim Sum at Asia Grand. I tried Chicken Feet

Pork Crepes

Bamboo or Razor Clams

Herbed dessert jelly. Definitely herbal, slightly sweet with a bit of anise. This reminded me of Italian amaro, just non-alcoholic.

An original Singapore Sling from the Long Bar at Raffles Hotel

Merlion Fountain - The merlion is a mythical Singaporean creature

The Clifford Pier Restaurant

Pork Belly Buns at Clifford Pier

Night Time in Singapore

Last look at Singapore from our hotel room

Singapore was well worth the trip. And I recommend Singapore Air for any long-haul travel.

The Original Burger at the Original Burger Bach

Ah, burgers at Burger Bach. Such deliciousness The Original features awesome New Zealand grass-fed beef (I suggest you order it pink) with uncured bacon, lettuce, tomato, onion, mayo, NZ  cheddar, dill pickle, and "original" sauce. Yum! The Bach also features a whole host of draft beers and some decent wines from the lands down under.

The Original from Burger Bach

I can even watch Arsenal lose on the telly.

A Tale of Two Alexandria Restaurants

Both made lovely cocktails. Both were a bit loud and very busy on the weekend. Both attracted a tourist crowd. Both featured interesting architectural details. One made us very happy. The other reminded us of how bad touristy service can be.

The good place was The Majestic. The Majestic has been around since the 1930's and has a cool iconic neon sign. The place was packed on a Friday. Since we did not have reservations and we like bar action, we opted for the bar. Two bartenders were busy crafting a variety of cocktails. They were cool under pressure and handled a few difficult customers with a practiced diplomacy. We had tasty food and were never treated like a tourist. A warm, friendly atmosphere.

I appreciate a well-stocked bar

Guacamole - slightly hot

She-Crab Soup - very tasty

Virginia skirt steak with chimichurri sauce

The Columbia Firehouse is indeed an old firehouse converted into a restaurant with a huge Victorian era bar and exposed brick on the dining side. Wonderful space. Unfortunately, our waiter seemed to be someone who knew he was waiting on tourists and that he could get away with nonchalant behavior. I wanted a wedge salad, but did not want blue cheese dressing (hubby gets violently ill just smelling the stuff). I asked about a creamy substitute. No options. Hubby decided to get onion rings that came with a buttermilk goat cheese dip. When we got the app, we realized that the dip would have been perfect for the salad. The onion rings however used the very outer skin for some of the rings - not a good practice since these were tough and inedible. The dinner menu featured fried chicken, but as we discovered after we placed our order, the sparkling wine we wanted was not available (other options were way too expensive). Extreme disappointment and a lesson re-emphasized for me: Order the wine first and then order the meal once the wine choice has been confirmed. The rest of the meal descended into a desultory downward spiral. Plates set down with inaudible explanations on sauces or features; asking about dessert before the meal ended; long wait time for the check. In the end we realized this place was nothing but a tourist trap.

How Columbia Firehouse left us feeling - empty

Early Bird Biscuit Company Pictorial

A couple of Saturdays ago we headed for the Early Bird Biscuit Co. to try out the newest sensation in town. The biscuit gods favored us since there wasn't a line out the door when we arrived. The place is teeny-tiny and we now understand the line. Biscuits are made from scratch and specialty biscuits vary daily. We had traditional ham biscuits. I liked the crunchy top; hubby liked the soft middle. The ham was decent, but tough to chew. I would opt for the buttered version with a bit of jam next time. Upon exiting with our precious cargo, a line had formed. The only change I would make is to have these guys do enough business to open on Sunday.

Enjoy a few photos.

Early Bird Entrance

Cute Vintage Touch

Making Biscuits - Notice the square design

Ham Biscuit - Crunchy on top soft in the middle

Early Bird Opens at 7 AM Tues - Sat

Lunch at The Continental Westhampton

I dare you to leave The Continental Westhampton still hungry. Portions are always generous.

The Continental Westhamption

A few Sundays ago we wanted a late lunch with a TV to see how badly the Washington Redskins would be playing on that day. The Continental Westhampton fit the bill. We were escorted to a booth in the back and hubby and I shared a bench to watch the game and become depressed.

I ordered the roasted turkey sandwich with house-made cranberry sauce and Swiss. Satisfying comfort food for me. I like that the offering does not come dressed with the typical lettuce, tomato, and mayo. For the side option I chose the house-made chips. Not bad, but I got tired of the hard crunch after a while.

Roasted Turkey Sandwich - Comfort Central

Hubby got his grub on and selected the Cuba Libra Burger - a burger with pork, ham, pickles, mustard, and Swiss. It was supposed to be pressed. Maybe it was, but the thing was so big it needed a second pressing. Tasty and filling. Hubby could not eat all of it.

Big-assed meaty burger

For this hearty meal we sipped a Matchbook Tinto Rey.

A little red wine to help with digestion

After our huge lunch, the waiter had the nerve to ask us about dessert. Sadly, dessert was not an option. Eventually, I will need to visit and just order the Baked Alaska. The last time I had this dessert was in a Home Ec class. Definitely a less-than-stellar experience way back then.

So, if you are up for a game, The Continental Westhamption's got you covered.

Condiments at Play

A Visit to Tazza Kitchen

While it's been around for a while and it's garnered lovely reviews, we had never been out to Tazza Kitchen. Quite frankly, we just don't get out to the Short Pump area very often. And when we do, we almost always regret the traffic and the hassle and the mind-boggling layout of some of the parking lots. We don't need the stress.

Well, last week we were both there and we decided to give TK a try. We went early since we had no reservations. A good thing, too. The place filled up as the evening progressed. It seemed to attract hen parties. There were three in our seating area alone. Later on we saw some cock parties strutting in as well.

Tazza Kitchen has a decent layout. In the front there are small casual tables and a fire place when it's chilly. The bar offers a view of the wood-fired oven and a glimpse into the kitchen. The outdoor patio is extensive with another small bar thrown into the mix. Appealing to both hens and cocks alike.

Next time we want to enjoy the patio

We ordered a Barbera to enjoy with dinner. The wine list is an eclectic mix, but everyone should find something to satisfy.

A very nice Italian red

To eat we shared the Meatballs - pork, beef, and veal served with Parmesan, tomato sauce, and "brick oven bread." Neither one of us liked the dish. The tomato sauce had a charred, almost burnt taste. It wasn't that it was bad; it was not to our taste.  I did like the bread, soft and kissed by the wood-fired oven then drizzled with a little bit of olive oil and sprinkled with salt. Here is where our waiter excelled. He asked us about our meal. We told him it did not suit our taste and let him know why after he probed a bit. He apologized and offered us something else. We said we didn't need another starter; we were going to order entrees, and we were fine.

While the meatballs were not to our liking, the service was stellar

We both ordered the Steak and Peppercorn Potatoes - a grilled flat-iron steak with smashed fingerlings, salsa verde, and a sunny-side up egg. This was a very tasty dish. The steak was cooked perfectly, and the egg paired very well. The salsa verde added a little twist, but did not take away from the main attractions.

A wonderful entree cooked and seasoned perfectly

While we were eating a manager came over to ask about our meal and the meatballs. We repeated our experience with the meatballs and expressed high praise for the steak dish. Kudos to both the waiter and the manager since they took the meatballs off of our tab.

If we are in the Short Pump area, we would definitely consider eating at Tazza Kitchen again. Let's hope the weather cooperates with some mild air so we can experience the patio and sample the pizzas at a future date.

South of the James Market

Time for another round of South of the James Market photos.

Enjoy!

Romano Beans

Beautiful Red Pepper

Colorful Flowers

Squash Blossoms

Peaches

Banh Mi Sandwich from The Hungry Turtle food truck

Two Market Regulars

Looking forward to seeing you at the market!

Brunch at Pomegranate

I now do a bit of volunteer work on Sundays for the VMFA. Whereas I once praised brunch boites for opening before 11 AM, I now seek out places that remain open after 2 PM. Pomegranate is open until 3 PM. Well done! And most brunch goers had cleared out by the time we arrived.

The first order of business, a '36 Picador cocktail with Espolon tequila, Solerno, and lime juice. A bit more lime than I needed since it hid the taste of the tequila, but probably what most brumchers would want.

For the eats portion I ordered the Quail and Pancakes. The quail purported to be quail confit and then buttermilk fried. I've had duck confit many times and the quail did not seem to have gone through this process; however, I have never had quail confit. It was nicely fried. And the ricotta pancakes with the maple syrup really hit the spot. A perfect pancake to syrup ratio. Not too dry; not drowning.

Hubby took the eclectic path with the Goat Ravioli with ricotta and spinach and a sage butter. When it first arrived he was disappointed in the size. Too small. After the first bite he realized why. The ravioli was so rich that it would have been difficult to eat any more.

We indulged in an irresistible side: a duck fat biscuit. Yummy, although I was surprised that the biscuit did not come with some kind of condiment - jam, jelly, butter, etc.

Brunch was enjoyable. I would consider going again, but I prefer the dinner menu.

New Restaurants Need to Step Up Their Game

Yesterday we decided to grab a late lunch/brunch at the Southerly. We were efficiently seated. At least half a dozen folks on the wait staff passed by us. We waited. Another couple was seated at the next table. We waited. A waiter came by to take the other couple's order. We waited. We waited another couple of minutes and then left. The dining room was not that busy. Very poor impression for a new restaurant whose theme is Southern hospitality.

By that time it was getting late so we decided to try Travinia Italian Kitchen in Willow Lawn. If they stopped serving lunch, we could at least find something else in the area.

We were efficiently greeted and our waitress promptly took our drink order. Yeah! After our disappointment at the Southerly we rewarded ourselves with a Sidecar. Sugared rim and a tart taste. Yes, an adult SweeTart with a cute lemon curl.

Sidecar with a Cute Lemon Curl

For lunch I ordered a Grilled Chicken Pesto Sandwich (no tomatoes) with Garlic Parmesan Fries. The sandwich was good (decent pesto), but it did come with tomatoes. The kitchen needs a little work. The fries were fries. The garlic was extremely mild. While I could see it, I couldn't really taste it.

Chicken Pesto Sandwich After the Removal of the Tomatoes

My hubby ordered Uncle Tony's Pizza. The pizza was supposed to come with pepperoni, Italian sausage, roasted garlic, and onions. There was no sausage in evidence. But there was an extra ingredient, two pieces of blue plastic. The kitchen definitely needs some work. While we did let the waitress know, no one from management addressed the issue. Hubby also said that the crust reminded him of the boxed Chef Boyardee pizzas from the '70's.

Is this really Uncle Tony's favorite? No Italian sausage and a couple of blue surprises.

While the service was better than the Southerly, the kitchen requires much more training and supervision.