One year on, have I grown older, wiser and more importantly, can I fit into those damn skinny jeans?
Yes. Maybe. Depends.
My 2009 was pretty bangin' though much of it has been off the record. A freshly-minted job with a brand that I truly believe in; new opportunities and experiences that caught me by surprise; trips that took me out and around my comfort zone – what an incredible journey 2009 has been. Though not as thrilling as a roller coaster ride, I feel as if I have hopped onto a roaming hot air balloon that hints of spectacular views beneath the semi-cloudiness.
For the past couple of years, I have done one of these annual round-ups and being a person who loves tradition (er, we are only talking about food right?), may I present to you my Tip Top moments of 2009.
Yang's birthday at Morton's
I liked how Morton's pulls off kitsch with the finesse of Philip Seymour Hoffman in perverse dark dramas - discomforting but memorable.
Sartorealist Party
My unquestionably enjoyable fifteen minutes of David Tutera-fame.
Omakase birthday dinner at Akashi
If there were a Shrine of Omakase, I would probably like to be a devout pilgrim. Though I’m still experiencing a mild case of Fine Dining Fatigue, I don’t think I will ever say, No to omakase.
Ho Chi Minh
Spontaneous trip that converted me into a LUXE Guide groupie.
Sureally
Pays my bills - can't complain.
Food Blogger PMS, anyone?
Seoul-ed out for the weekend
The perfect weekend
Looking at this picture makes me happy in a whimisical, floaty way.
Third time to Tokyo
But on a brand new adventure
Heartbreakingly awesome kaiseki at GOTO (yet to be published)
Where will 2010 take me? I haven’t got a clue but I can’t wait to find out what the new year has installed for me.
Happy 2010, guys.
Showing posts with label vietnam. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vietnam. Show all posts
Thursday, December 31
Thursday, October 22
Sightseeing in Saigon - Part 4
Saigon's street life
Cam-whoring in Saigon
Ok, I was supposed to be somewhere mid-air when this shot was taken... but gravity works fast on some of us.
This is one of those pictures where I thought, Hey there, Facebook Profile Picture! But that would be totally narcisstic so I'll just blog about it for the whole world to see.
So this sums up my Ho Chi Minh trip. Ta-ta folks!
Cam-whoring in Saigon
Ok, I was supposed to be somewhere mid-air when this shot was taken... but gravity works fast on some of us.
This is one of those pictures where I thought, Hey there, Facebook Profile Picture! But that would be totally narcisstic so I'll just blog about it for the whole world to see.
So this sums up my Ho Chi Minh trip. Ta-ta folks!
Tuesday, October 20
Sunday, October 18
Sightseeing in Saigon - Part 2
Cu Chi Tunnels
Though I’m usually cool with not doing touristy stuff, a half-day trip to Cu Chi Tunnels is considered beyond optional. I didn’t have pho or banh mi, so the next most touisty thing I could should have done was burrow my way through Cu Chi Tunnels. And though less gory than the War Remnants Museum, Cu Chi Tunnels was no coochi-coo affair.
Ben Than Market
Touristy and feisty, Ben Than Market sells everything from dried herbs to skanky heels, coffee beans to mail-order brides (kidding!).
Though I’m usually cool with not doing touristy stuff, a half-day trip to Cu Chi Tunnels is considered beyond optional. I didn’t have pho or banh mi, so the next most touisty thing I
Ben Than Market
Touristy and feisty, Ben Than Market sells everything from dried herbs to skanky heels, coffee beans to mail-order brides (kidding!).
Friday, October 16
Sightseeing in Saigon - Part 1
Back to Ho Chi Minh, the non-food posts
Reunification Palace
Built on the site of the Norodom Palace, the Reunification Palace was the home of former president Ngo Dinh Diem and his family. Best remembered for the fall of Saigon in April 1975 when North Vietnamese tanks crashed the party through the gates. I won’t say much as you could probably get a more decent write up from Frommers.
Reunification Palace
Built on the site of the Norodom Palace, the Reunification Palace was the home of former president Ngo Dinh Diem and his family. Best remembered for the fall of Saigon in April 1975 when North Vietnamese tanks crashed
Monday, October 12
Park Lounge, Ho Chi Minh City
Hey, pssst.
If you want to luxe it out in Ho Chi Minh City, stay at the Park Hyatt. Sure there are many other 5-star (or in Vietnam’s case, one hugeass yellow star) hotels, but they can’t compare to the sophisticated Park Hyatt.
On our last day, with a few hours to spare before we flew off, we had tea there at Hyatt’s Park Lounge. The triple-tier high tea was what most people went for but I could feel my triple chin emerging so we only had a cloud-soft warm bourbon pineapple pudding.
A lovely wrap-up to our long weekend vacation.
Park Hyatt Saigon
2 Lam Son Square
District 1, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Tel: +84 8 3824 1234
Fax: +84 8 3823 7569
If you want to luxe it out in Ho Chi Minh City, stay at the Park Hyatt. Sure there are many other 5-star (or in Vietnam’s case, one hugeass yellow star) hotels, but they can’t compare to the sophisticated Park Hyatt.
On our last day, with a few hours to spare before we flew off, we had tea there at Hyatt’s Park Lounge. The triple-tier high tea was what most people went for but I could feel my triple chin emerging so we only had a cloud-soft warm bourbon pineapple pudding.
A lovely wrap-up to our long weekend vacation.
Park Hyatt Saigon
2 Lam Son Square
District 1, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Tel: +84 8 3824 1234
Fax: +84 8 3823 7569
Friday, October 9
Phu Xuan, Ho Chi Minh City
The Hue of loveliness
I do miss Vietnamese food. Very much, in fact and it is all due to our lunch at Phu Xuan.
In Singapore, we have bankers/lawyers-turn-something but here in Ho Chi Minh City, or at least in Phu Xuan’s case, the owner cum chef Ho Thi Hoang Anh was an ex nuclear physics researcher, whose grandfather prepared royal banquets.
Nuclear = explosion? Sounds like lunch.
Phu Xuan, which means “wealth and joy,”was the original name for Hue, Vietnam’s first capital city. Phu Xuan’s forte is traditional Hue food and one Japanese tourist was reportedly so impressed, she opened up a branch in Tokyo. Hello, Singapore needs you too!
Like premium sushi, Hue food was disarmingly simple. Many items on the menu were bonded by two common dominators - rice cakes and fish sauce.
I was gobsmacked from the beginning. The bánh bèo (literally "water fern cake") was a small dish of steamed rice cake, topped with a pinch of shrimp and shallot sprinkle. A dash of minced shrimp and fish sauce was all it took to dispel my preconceived prejudice against bland steamed rice cakes.
Here’s how one should eat it: Mark a crisscross with your spoon, drizzle with fish sauce and scrap out each quarter to eat it.
These are crazily delicious especially when they are fresh out of the steamer.
Cuon Diep (lettuce rolls with shrimp, meat, and noodle) paired with peanut dipping sauce. These were ok, since I'm not the biggest fan of raw lettuces and plain boiled noodles.
The chao tom (grilled prawns on sugarcane) might be more familiar to us Singaporeans. Here, they splice off the prawnies and wrap them with lettuce, before dunking them into the ubiquitous peanut sauce.
Banh tom chay, which is similar to the Cantonese chee cheong fun, except that instead of light soya sauce, - yup you guess it - fish sauce is used. Diaphanous sheets that wield considerable chewy power, it was super and still-surprisingly tasty.
Vermicelli with shredded omelette, salted shredded shrimp, chicken, onion, shrimps paste, were served dry and a ladle of soup spooned over it. Very light and homely-tasting.
Before rounding up the meal with a light traditional dessert of lotus nuts and tapioca-like balls soup.
For me, when it came to Vietnamese food, Phu Xuan did what Christopher Bailey did for Burberry - made it absolutely desirable. I never used to think much of Vietnamese food but now, it’s “Phu better or worse” between me and chewy malleable rice cakes with fish sauce.
Phu Xuan Restaurant
128 Dinh Tien Hoang Street
Distrrict 1, Ho Chi Minh City
Tel: +84 8 820 0329
I do miss Vietnamese food. Very much, in fact and it is all due to our lunch at Phu Xuan.
In Singapore, we have bankers/lawyers-turn-something but here in Ho Chi Minh City, or at least in Phu Xuan’s case, the owner cum chef Ho Thi Hoang Anh was an ex nuclear physics researcher, whose grandfather prepared royal banquets.
Nuclear = explosion? Sounds like lunch.
Phu Xuan, which means “wealth and joy,”was the original name for Hue, Vietnam’s first capital city. Phu Xuan’s forte is traditional Hue food and one Japanese tourist was reportedly so impressed, she opened up a branch in Tokyo. Hello, Singapore needs you too!
Like premium sushi, Hue food was disarmingly simple. Many items on the menu were bonded by two common dominators - rice cakes and fish sauce.
I was gobsmacked from the beginning. The bánh bèo (literally "water fern cake") was a small dish of steamed rice cake, topped with a pinch of shrimp and shallot sprinkle. A dash of minced shrimp and fish sauce was all it took to dispel my preconceived prejudice against bland steamed rice cakes.
Here’s how one should eat it: Mark a crisscross with your spoon, drizzle with fish sauce and scrap out each quarter to eat it.
These are crazily delicious especially when they are fresh out of the steamer.
Cuon Diep (lettuce rolls with shrimp, meat, and noodle) paired with peanut dipping sauce. These were ok, since I'm not the biggest fan of raw lettuces and plain boiled noodles.
The chao tom (grilled prawns on sugarcane) might be more familiar to us Singaporeans. Here, they splice off the prawnies and wrap them with lettuce, before dunking them into the ubiquitous peanut sauce.
Banh tom chay, which is similar to the Cantonese chee cheong fun, except that instead of light soya sauce, - yup you guess it - fish sauce is used. Diaphanous sheets that wield considerable chewy power, it was super and still-surprisingly tasty.
Vermicelli with shredded omelette, salted shredded shrimp, chicken, onion, shrimps paste, were served dry and a ladle of soup spooned over it. Very light and homely-tasting.
Before rounding up the meal with a light traditional dessert of lotus nuts and tapioca-like balls soup.
For me, when it came to Vietnamese food, Phu Xuan did what Christopher Bailey did for Burberry - made it absolutely desirable. I never used to think much of Vietnamese food but now, it’s “Phu better or worse” between me and chewy malleable rice cakes with fish sauce.
Phu Xuan Restaurant
128 Dinh Tien Hoang Street
Distrrict 1, Ho Chi Minh City
Tel: +84 8 820 0329
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