Stupendous Chinese Desserts!

What's this - new sculpture by Thomas Schutte, I hear you all cry?

Nope it's Chinese Snow Ice desserts. They like their ice shavings with sweet stuff over here (the Malay ais kacang being another example). They're up there with 'dessert-style drinks with stuff in'. And to be fair, ice things can be very refreshing in this heat. It's maybe an acquired taste, but I'm a fan. 'Sweet' Asian desserts seem to be polarised - they're either milder than European desserts, or will blow-your-head-off with sugar-content. Snow Ice falls into the former category.

Our choices were Mango Snow Ice, Green Tea Snow Ice (with sweet red-beans), and mine - Almond Snow Ice, which was like eating creamy-tasting, fluffy snow (with a few fruity bits thrown in for variety). There were about 18 flavours to choose from (chocolate, mocha, sweet-corn, durian, watermelon..) If you've spent a day tramping around in this sticky heat, it's well worth having a sit-down with one of these.

We got these pudds at Mei Heong Yuen Desserts, 63 Temple Street, Chinatown, Singapore.

Living overseas: language creep

No, not a lecherous male tutor.. but an observation on native language once you live abroad...

In London I had informal classes (usually involving coffee and cake!) with a Japanese teacher, who told me to my surprise that since moving to the UK, she'd forgotten some aspects of her native Japanese language. She said that sometimes when speaking to friends and family on the phone, she had to pause to remember technical words in her own mother tongue. She had been living in Europe for around 15 years, and I guess if you use a completely different language daily for that length of time, there is a chance that even the tongue you learnt from childhood could get rusty.

So I thought.

In fact, it can happen a lot faster!

I have now been in Singapore for 13 months, and my British English is already changing. This might sound even stranger, as (unlike say Japan or Thailand) Singapore is supposedly an English-speaking country.

In actual fact, Singapore is not really an English-speaking country. Top Execs will speak British or American English, but most people speak 'Singlish'. Singlish is basically Chinese using English words, with a strong accent and swallowed endings. So the grammar constructions (if my junior Mandarin serves me well!) are Chinese: it's not English as we know it.

In Singlish, you drop particles and tenses; so whereas in British English you might say "Actually, you can stop outside the building, that's OK." (Adding particles etc is more polite to us British!)

In Singlish you would say: "Outsite, can."

"Can you take me toToa Payoh?" is "Toa Payoh, can? Canort?"

Or "I've become too old to do that martial arts move" is "Too ol alre-dee."

A lot of (even University level) Singaporeans drop the tenses in written English. You'll see things like 'you will have pursue your dreams'. And the general lack of 'd' can considerably change the meaning of a sentence. One example was an expensive sign on a posh restaurant door stating: Restricted Access. Keep Close at All Times.

I am getting used to the Chinese constructions but still occasionally have a tough time with the accent.

In return, people here seem to have difficulty understanding my British accent - perhaps because American English is more recognisable - especially from TV and movies? This island was once a British colony, but don't forget most people from that generation will have long passed away. Today it's a different ball-game. (Unfortunately most people don't understand any of my meagre mainland-style Chinese either.. it can be tough!)

Add to this the fact that most of my social group here are Asians with English as a second language, and I guess I have just started to adapt so that my English is more universally comprehensible. Though not necessarily correct!

I have even started using the 'can' thing at work,"Thursday afternoon, can?" And it's much easier to omit particles for something more substantial:

British English: "I have been here for a year."
Easier English: "I have been here one year." (Not incorrect, but awkward British English!)

These incremental changes are becoming ever easier, and I now find myself hesitating for proper grammar and having the check dictionary spelling when writing (which is part of my job, as well as for fun blogs like this!)

So I am now starting to see exactly what my Japanese Sensei was getting at. If I stay here for another 14 years... I wonder!

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Bak Kut Teh

At last! I have been interested in trying out this local dish for about six months, and finally I did. Hurrah!

Bak Kut Teh 肉骨茶 means literally 'meat bone tea'. It's actually a watery soup, containing pork ribs that have been slowly simmered in a concoction of herbs and spices. The 'teh' part refers to the Chinese tea which is served as an accompanying drink. (Apparently Chinese oolong tea helps the body deal with ingested fat... must buy some for the kitchen. And my guess is that despite its watery appearance, Bak Kut Teh might not be a low-calorie meal!)

There are several types of Bak Kut Teh, originating in different regions of China. The one we had was Teochew style - a pale broth with a peppery tang. But there's also a Hokkien one, which has dark broth and a more herby flavour. There are probably more, even here in Singapore.

I actually found this dish pretty yummy. The broth was particularly nice - a strong taste that was a little salty, a little fennel-y, a little herby. It's not a 'hot spicy' dish, although like many meals in Asia, it comes with raw chilli as an optional condiment. The meat was very tender - takes a bit of handling to eat these ribs with chopsticks even so! - and had a very mild flavour. I actually added a little soy for more taste.

Five of us were eating - a Japanese, Indonesian, Korean, British combo - and luckily we had one expert who ordered side dishes too. These were salted (slightly pickled?) veg; steeped, slightly sweet, flavoursome groundnuts; braised tofu skin; and my favourite, fried bits of dough - you char kway - which you dip into the soup to absorb the flavour before eating. If you're eating Bak Kut Teh for the first time with friends, I recommend the side dishes for variety.

The tea we had was served partly using the traditional Chinese tea ceremony technique (see Nov 2012's A Chinese Tea Ceremony ) It was pretty strong stuff, actually. And the the tiny thimbles we were given to drink from were ample!

You Char Kway or 'youtiao'

You can find Teochew style Bak Kut Teh at Song Fa, 11 New Bridge Road, Singapore.

Photo credit: Yopi

Taxi taxi teksi

I've been having some most variable experiences with cabs recently. So here's a comparison of the services in three cities I have lived/worked in long enough to know!

1. London, UK
You have a couple of taxi choices here:

Black Cabs
These are the famous ones, and you flag them down in the street. If you hail a black cab you can be pretty sure that your driver will both know London geography really well (they have to take a stringent test called 'the knowledge' to get their cabbie license) and he/she will be trustworthy. They work on a meter system.

BUT black cabs in London are monumentally expensive! A 20 min ride between my office and house in London zone 2 would cost me about £20 (SGD40). Basically, unless you are really stuck - or really rich (or can claim everything back from your office!) - locals rarely take black cabs in London. Traditionally people are supposed to tip drivers of black cabs too. Locals mostly don't any more. It's too expensive! And (especially given the point below) I am not sure what the tip is really for.

Also most taxi-drivers (of all types of cab) will now refuse to help you with luggage. They won't even get out of their seat. Something about 'health and safety'. If you have a lot of suitcases, or back trouble - be warned!

Ordered mini cabs
If you know you have to go somewhere at a set time, or need to be collected at home, you can order a cab in advance. You get given the fixed, quoted fee on the phone when you order. Usually you need to wait at least 20 minutes for a minicab. These cabs are a little bit cheaper than black cabs and they aren't the famous design. They are regular cars, called minicabs. There are many reputable minicab companies - the big ones like Addison Lee are reliable. If you want a decent, local one, you SMS a police number, or use their phone app to get details of safe minicab firms in your area.

Minicab drivers usually won't help you with luggage either!

Minicabs 'off the street'
The reason there is a police text service as above, is that alongside the reputable minicab firms, there are unreputable ones, which take on drivers without checking their records. There have been many cases of rape and robbery involving these cab drivers. If you are male or female, please do not risk using minicabs which have not been recommended by the police. If you need to flag down a taxi, get a Black Cab. It might cost more, but you will be a lot safer!

Handy link: http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/gettingaround/taxiprivatehire/default.aspx

2. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Having worked in and visited KL on many occasions, there is one simple rule to travelling there: do not use the cabs (the local word is 'teksi'). The one exception being the pre-paid airport transfer teksi from KLIA.

Otherwise, these guys will swindle you left, right and centre. They are supposed to operate on meters, but if you are foriegn or even speak local languages with a foreign accent, they will do their best to charge you some exorbitant, made-up fee for your journey. You can ask them to turn on the meter (which they are supposed to by law) but this can lead to heated and unpleasant arguments. I simply won't go near Malaysian cabs any more for these reasons.

Two particularly bad journeys include: a hostile driver who drove me miles away from my destination / route one night (I'm fairly savvy and well-travelled, but was genuinely scared on this occasion!); and having to angrily exit a cab at a traffic light after the driver turned off his meter and told me 'for you, 50 dollars' (for a regular trip that cost RM10). It's a huge pity, as there must also be genuine cabbies in Kuala Lumpur trying to make a living. I have had one or two good, honest ones, and they will help you with suitcases etc. But sadly the dodgy ones are so common I would strongly disadvise anyone - particularly tourists - from using 'teksi'.

Luckily these days there are efficient and affordable monorail and MRT systems, which serve most of central KL. Use these.

3. Singapore
I have always been pleasantly surprised by Singapore cab services. By UK standards they are very cheap, and by Malaysian standards, they are very honest. I've even heard of passengers leaving their smart-phone in a cab and the driver making the effort to contact them and drop the phone at their office!

Taxi drivers will help you with luggage, and they don't expect a tip - even though the fares are so reasonable it is well worth giving one. Also, having worked in transport here, I know that the cab drivers often have to cover large overheads to get a license, and take home tiny salaries compared to UK cabbies. So if your Sing driver is good, do tip!

The issue here, however, is actually getting a cab. There are several well-known taxi operators here (Yellowtop, Comfort, SMRT etc) and you can either flag a cab down, or order. But at certain times (eg after 9pm, or when it's raining!) it can be next to impossible to get one from any provider. Having said this, it's certainly a lot easier now than it was eight years ago when I worked here.

Also, I have noticed that cab drivers' knowledge of Singapore streets is polarised. Hopefully you'll get a savvy one (I am guessing these are local Singaporeans). But if you get a less-savvy driver, the chances are they don't even know how to get to big, central landmarks. So it's a little pot-luck from this angle!

And if you can speak English with a heavy Singaporean accent, you will find it a lot easier to reach your destination! I've now perfected my route to work in 'Singlish'. If you can speak Mandarin, Hokkien, Teochew (or sometimes Malay) even better!

Handy link: http://www.taxisingapore.com/

Happy travelling!


Image credits: Wikimedia, singaporeshots.com

Nosh of the Day: maple pudding

Oh my! Yum. I bought this from a Japanese-does-Western eaterie. These are not strictly Japanese outlets trying to impersonate Western food, but - if you get a good one - more a Japanese take on Western food*. (For example there is a whole range of pasta dishes, which are delicious Japanese variants.. spaghetti carbonara but done with mentaiko - spicy cod roe - instead of bacon, for example.)

Anyway, I've never heard of maple pudding in the West. But I think it's time it was introduced! Very tasty indeed! Basically a kind of custard with a light maple flavour, topped with cream and fruit. Highly recommended.

*There are also a couple of places in Singapore at least, which are seemingly Japanese and trying to do Western style directly - these are generally NOT yum and worth avoiding!

Find maple pudding at: Dulcet & Studio, Liang Court, River Valley Road, Singapore.

Singapore: tiles in Chinatown

Yesterday I took myself off for a cake in my one of my favoured Chinatown cafes. And was struck by all these lovely tiles in the area.

Chinatown (yes, the region where, historically, the largest concentration of Chinese lived - it's easy to forget that Singapore was once part of Malaya.. and then ruled by the British) now seems to have three personalities:

1. Total tourist hub for foreigners, selling fun junk for souvenirs (most of which have nothing to do with Singapore)
2. An original, local-style Chinese part where people get on with their lives and don't seem to understand my English (or my Mandarin - though that seems to be universal.. poss more study required! ^^)
3. A maze of old shop-house streets, nicely converted into slightly hip/yuppie-fied restaurants, cafes and design studios.

I was in part 3.

Singapore, given its history and location, is a mish-mash of architectural styles. But the tiles here are most probably influenced by Peranakan style - which in turn took elements from colonial Portuguese and Dutch styles in the region. (See Nyonya deco shopfronts in Singapore  and The Peranakan Museum ) 

The more geometric patterns look very Western-influenced (maybe from the 1960's or 70's? There are some art-deco buildings in the area too, so perhaps these geometric patterns are from even earlier?)

Anyway, yuppie or not, it's nice that Singapore has areas like this, where old architecture is restored and put to good use. Some other countries (take note Malaysia!) went through a whole period of tearing down anything old to put up new concrete blocks. Everything has an evolution, but sometimes it's nice to retain a bit of history too!

(You can click on pix - which Blogger will no doubt have loaded in a weird way - to see them in larger format.)