u m a m i

Bangkok Eating II- The Good things to eat at the shops

It is possible you know. Where? At the mall food courts in Bangkok. Not the best, but really not bad at all.

This was a major discovery for me because I abhor food courts in general, dismissing them as places that sell uniformly indistinguishable mediocre foods to undemanding customers who don't know or don't expect better because they are happy enough just to eat in airconditioned environment. The thing is, food courts in Bangkok are not the same as their counterparts in Singapore. Over there, their food courts seem to have a little more soul, and the food remain yummy and closely replicates the tastes of their roadside cousins.

How it works is thus: You go to a counter and buy some coupons or a stored-value card. What is not spent can be redeemed, but only within the same day. An efficient and hygienic system which I am surprised has not been adopted in Singapore yet.

Another welcome difference is the dispensers of tissue paper placed on each table for customers to help themselves too. Nobody takes more than they need, something that I am not confident can be maintained in Singapore. Do they know that in Singapore people bring their own packs of tissue paper to 'chope' (claim rights to) the table instead?

One of the best food court dishes I tried was the combination of fried pork and braised pig trotter rice I had at the food court at Central Plaza  (Mo Chit) the first evening I arrived.The young lady at the counter kept stirring the braising liquid and from time to time would carefully baste the pieces of trotters and other 'spare parts' in the vat. A plate of rice with pork two ways, preserved salty vegetables and a braised egg set me back 30 bahts. Oh I really wish I had another plate of that wonderful gravy-soaked rice and flavourful pork before I left the Sofitel.

Above: kuehs made of tapioca, sugar and coconut milk. 20 baht for a selection of 10 pieces.

The most well-known food court to Singaporeans is the one located on the sixth floor of MBK shopping centre. It is huge, with loads of Thai as well as 'international' dishes. Prices slightly higher than the one in Central Plaza.

There was a long queue for this beef tendon noodle soup. The soup had an intense broth of beef, herbs and traditional medicine. Probably puts hair on chests and makes one strong, like how they say to Anthony Bourdain in A Cook's Tour. I loved the slippery noodles but found the soup too salty.

Pork rice from MBK centre not as good as the one I had at Central Plaza (Mo Chit) but husband loved it anyway. Pad thai was OK, not great. Fried radish cake heavy and boring.

Better choices were the desserts. 30 baht for glutinous rice with durians! 30 baht for Thai version of ice kacang. Yummy.

Above: tofu dessert with crispy dough sticks from upmarket food court at Central Chit Lom. The place is called FoodLoft, and instead of buying coupons, we get an electronic card which captures prices, customers pay after the meal at check-out counters. Their pad thai was better, so was the Vietnamese dishes but the Thai desserts were average. Surprise find was a perfect little caramel flan that reminded me of the countless ones I ate in Madrid oh, so many years ago.

We also checked out the food court at Emporium, but their food court is smaller and sadder looking. A better bet when shopping at Emporium is the smart cafe Greyhound, there is also an outlet at Central Chit Lom. Their food is always tasty and spot on, whether it is Western or Thai. I had the best pad thai of my trip and husband enjoyed his spaghetti with spicy Thai anchovies. Dessert of banoffee pie was quite scrummy too.

The malls also have their chain restaurants. Being stuck in a hotel next to a mall for five days one gets to know these cheap and crowded places well. The one I least enjoyed was Thasiam, distinguishable by their logo of an evil looking pig- their food is recklessly thrown together, our group of six could not find a single thing worth liking and my colleagues are nowhere as fussy as I am, that's how bad it was. Yum Saap was slightly better in my experience- one could actually see the salads being made on the spot, and my phad thai  had lovely soft curd-like pieces of omelet in it which made me happy.

Observant readers may have noted that I ordered pad thai quite frequently, and they are probably right. Phad thai was my personal indicator of how good the cooking at the establishement is, and strangely enough it was to prove quite an accurate tool. But more of that in the next post.

Enjoy!

Bangkok Eating Part I- The Good

Thai food is a big mystery to me. I don't know half of what goes into every dish, let alone what is the real 'authentic' taste. Thai food can be awfully intimidating, with its tendency to incorporate seemingly all the various taste elements, even the simplest salads delivers lethal bursts of chilli padi fire. Walking through the wet markets, I get easily overwhelmed by the pungency and bewildering smells of the various pastes and preserves. And what we are used to eating in Singapore and Malaysia does not prepare for the real experience, these places tend to dumb down considerably all the seasonings and spiciness.

This was only my third trip to Bangkok. The first time was at least seven years ago, on a company incentive trip. We ate mostly hotel meals, no surprises there, everything was bland and the only really exciting discovery for me was the banana jam served at breakfast.

The second trip was a short weekend with husband about four years ago. We ate at the highly recommended Baan Khanita restaurant. It is set in a traditional teak house, all resort like with gurgling fountains and dancing statues, but the food was strangely disappointing- the betel leaf appetisers were fun and novel but the rest of the food was too predictable and curiously, sweeter than I had expected. Maybe it was just us, because this time round I see that there are more Baan Khanitas lookalikes in the city. It was also during my second trip that I needled husband into trying some of the soup noodles sold along the streets, but was myself defeated because husband said the colour of the soup reminded him of the water in the monsoon drains and that made me lose my appetite, plus the soup  seemed to have an unreasonable amount (to my more subdued Cantonese palate) of fish sauce.

So it was with a bit of trepidation that I set out for this 10 day long trip. Kind friends gave some useful advice, e.g. experiment with the condiment tray to get more balance in seasonings, eat the accompanying vegetables to offset the strong flavours and so on. I made a little resolution to not get upset if I don't get it, and let my palate adjust at its own pace. Seemed to work. This time I was able to enjoy the food more, and most of the eating was good. There are some not so good moments too (Part II) and some trendy places that managed to be good and not so good (Part III) but for now I will recount my favourites.

One of the best meals was at a restaurant that the local colleagues took me to. I didn't get the name, and it was a simple place set along the road near the Lat Krabang Industrial Park that we were at, colleagues said it is is the best restaurant in town. We sat in the shady and breezy wooden deck out back, overlooking the lazy river. The colleagues apologised, saying it was hard to order food for three people as the portions are big. Nevertheless,we managed handsomely. First some kangkong stirfried with salty bean paste, simple and homely, but I didn't eat much of it because ever since a friend told me how worm-ridden this species of vegetables are, especially in their hollow stems, I have never quite regained my liking for it, though of course I was not about to say so to my hosts. Next, a whole coconut baked with seafood curry inside, that dish was simply magnificient- all the seafood plentiful, sweet and succulent, and the smooth rich curry scented with loads of sweet basil and little pea-sized eggplants. In between mouthfuls of kangkong and curry, we also dug into a fiesty salad of fried catfish; a bonus was the little sacs of roe in the fish belly, fried till crispy and smoky. The dishes were more spicy that what my colleagues usually eat at home, they too were sweating and fanning their flaming tongues, hmm it wasn't just me who is not used to the spiciness then.

Another memorable meal for me was at the Chatuchak weekend market. There are many stalls selling cooked food, and we stopped at one because we were tired and wanted a cold drink, not because we were hungry. Everyone around us were eating this very simple dish of green chicken curry  on rice with duck eggs on the side, the two skinny young girls at the next table even ate two plates each. We ordered ourselves some, and were bowled over by how delicious it was, nothing in your face, nothing too spicy or sweet, just the right balance of spice and herbs blanketed lightly with coconut cream. A few pieces of chicken, plenty of sweet al dente eggplants-that-looks-like-tomatoes. The stall also serves wonderful spiced fish cakes, similar to otak otak but with extra bounce and crunchy green beans bits, as well as a subtly seasoned beef noodle soup that did not bring to mind any drain water images, thankfully.

Something else I ate quite a lot of when I was in Bangkok was the local pineapple. Very sweet, with just enough tartness,loaded with juice and not too fibrous. Absolutely fabulous. Missing them already. 

Back from Bangkok

Work went well in BKK. This time I did not lose my voice from talking all day. Should learn how to speak from abdomen, less strain on the vocal cords.

Dear husband flew in to join me last Friday. I checked out of Sofitelus horriblus, but not before eating a a most dreadful and overpriced lunch at their Vietnamese restaurant Le Danang. The F&B outlets at this hotel are quite dire, besides Le Danang, the Chinese restaurant and Japanese restaurants are just as bad. The only good meal we enjoyed was the Thai place Suan Bua. Will upload photo later.

We checked into the Ascott Sathorn, a shiny new serviced residence, all glossy and shiny with marble and granite. Huge bathroom, sitting room, kitchen and dining room plus utility room for washing machine. Duvet, yes, hard pillow no. It is not really that near the BTS, but taxis are plentiful so we usually taxied to the nearest station which is Choo Nongsi.

Moona the massage therapist at the Centara (at Sofitel) spa was very wise, she said the locals cope with the bad traffic by planning their journey ahead, and they adopt a Buddhist philosophy of not getting too upset with things they cannot change.

The taxi actually can function as a little sitting room on wheels. We conducted quite a bit of our holiday in the car.

Example 1

umami: Where are we eating dinner tonight?

husband: Sirocco. It is a rooftop restaurant with panoramic views of the city.

umami: The guide book says the only good thing to eat is the steak and dessert buffet. I can't fill my stomach by eating the view. Let's go somewhere else.

(Husband then calls up alternative #2, he knows my flippant nature and came prepared with a long list of hot new places.)

Example 2

While flipping through guide book for Hong Kong tourists (better than Lonely Planet IMO)

umami: Oh look I can have my teeth whitened.

(Husband calls the Dental Hospital and makes appointment. Their treatment is less than half the price quoted by my Singapore dentist. My teeth is now whiter by 6 shades)

Example 3:

umami: Massage tonight dear?

(Husband calls Body Tune and makes appointment. Scene repeated almost nightly. It is next to the Sala Daeng Skytrain station. The therapists there did a wonderful job aligning my spine and loosening the tight knots in my shoulders. Functional, clean teak and bamboo cubicles, very reasonable prices e.g. 550 baht for 2 hours)

Example 4:

umami: What are we doing tomorrow?

Husband: Lunch at the best Italian restaurant in town. Gianni's. Must wear long-sleeve shirt and tie.

umami: I don't have a tie. Let's go wash our hair instead. Have facial. manicure. Pedicure.

(The nail place at Central is equipped with massage chairs and inbuilt foot basin. And personal VCD player to view movies. Better than pretentious Italian restaurant right?)

That seems about it. Bangkok is great for a short break of shopping, eating and self-pampering. The shopping malls,for example, are all linked to the Skytrain stations so there is no excuse not to shop really. But better bargains are found at Chatuchak and Suan Lum night bazaar. My colleagues love MahBoonKrong too, where they bought up three years' supply of bras, yes, bras are very cheap in Bangkok in case you don't know.

The city itself, well, I have to say it is quite the ugly one with its unstructured town planning, hoardings and untidy tangles of electricity cables.The air is also heavily polluted so all the best things to do are indoors. At the Suan Lum night bazaar we sat outdoors; while we ate I was myself dinner for blooducking mosquitoes.

Bangkok is a city of many contrasts. Many Mercedez with drivers and sleek rich people inside. The more senior men wear four-pocketed short sleeve shirts, their female counterparts wear armour of stiff silk suits and poufy big hair. While street vendors crisscross the heavy traffic and wear weatherbeaten, resigned faces. A meal can be had for 30 baht or 3000 baht per person.

Everyone so polite and gracious, it made me feel quite a clumsy clod sometimes. Sawadeeka and gentle smiles everywhere we went. The guards in the hotel even salutes when he sees us. At the nail salon, husband was sitting in the waiting area while my nail polish was drying. All the girls that went past him bowed their heads and walked in a deferential manner in front of him. Men get better treatment, definitely.

The society also seems more permissive. Gay men walk about openly like in San Francisco. Male-turned-females and cross dressers flaunt their extravagant makeup and gesture dramatically in shopping malls. Foreign men walking about with girls half their age. Nothing seems impossible, or improbable here.

Isn't it a good thing Bangkok is only a 1 hour 40 minute plane ride away?

Bangkok- extreme edges

Managed to restrain self from logging in to the Internet yesterday. Instead, went shopping and had a most marvelous massage and aromatherapy facial. And went to bed early.

The Sofitel Central Plaza Bangkok is charmless and impersonal. Besides the convenience of its adjoining mall, thick cotton yukata and padded slippers, there is little to recommend this place. The corridor outside my room stinks and the butter served at the breakfast buffet is the unsalted type.

What makes the hotel a really bad choice is the big dig outside which makes traffic really hell as I discovered this evening. Boss chose this hotel for our meeting because it is nearer the local office than a more centrally located place. Turned out she didn't have to visit the local office after all, lucky for her. But not for me. The morning taxi ride to the office was okay, it only took 40 minutes, including the time the driver got out to visit the loo and the three times he had to venture out to ask for directions. But the evening ride back was bad. My taxi was stuck in a typical Bagkok jam so thick we were on the road 1.5 hours. This driver did not get out of his car as many times, but the one time he did, he not only visited the loo, he popped into the store and got himself a bottle of Livita. While my meter was ticking. Grrr. Do I have a face that says, go ahead, take advantage of me? Actually these two were not even so bad, compared to the the first driver that the doorman called for me in the morning, his friend, apparently- this man refused to turn on the meter, and was really only interested in being a day driver and going to places that pay commissions. So all this griping about Bangkok's dodgy taxi drivers managed to undo all the benefits of last night's massage, damn hard to remain calm when vehicle remained stationary for 20 continuous minutes. By the time I reached the hotel, it was already 7 pm, which is really 8 pm Singapore time, quite past usual dinnertime, accounting for bad mood and irritability. Next time I will leave the office earlier.

BKK

Going to Bangkok tomorrow. Work. Shopping.

Have put up a Flickr badge. Enjoy!

National Day Popiah Party

 

Spent National Day evening with makan friends at a popiah party. A most excellent popiah party I must say. The very generous host spent 4 hours cracking crabs for the sweet succulent meat and golden roe; I wonder if I were given that task how would I resist from popping them into my own mouth instead.

There were also plump pieces of prawns and juicy Chinese sausages, and these were just a fraction of the ingredients laid out for us to wrap our own popiah. Popiah parties are such a rare thing nowadays because the prep work is so intensive- I can only imagine how many hours Mrs L spent julien-ing vegetables, pounding fried dried tik-po fish, rendering pork lard, making omelet strips, pureeing chilli and garlic and most of all, hand-shredding the bangkwang and braising it slowly with loads of fatty pork and dried shrimps for the main filling.

I made myself three giant popiahs and wished I had room for more. Everyone had much fun making up their combinations and  stuffing their popiahs to bursting point. We polished off almost everything I think.

It isn't that dificult to wrap your own popiah. Start with a soft yet resilient rice pancake skin. Put a piece of lettuce on the pancake, smear with hoisin sauce, garlic and chilli. Load on the vegetables, seafood and garnishes any way you like, then stack some braised bangkwang on it before drizzling it with tik-po powder for crunch and extra oomph. To wrap, tuck in the excess skin on each side and roll in a direction away from self.

MrsL also cooked mee soto, begedel and roasted quails. Nobody goes hungry at their parties.

For desserts, there was an Oreo cheesecake by famous Jeremy, and a scrummilicious looking (and tasting) chocolate cake by another talented baker . My friend slurp showed me how to take the lovely picture above.

I loved the sweet melons MrsL served, and she very kindly gave me one to take home. Turned out we were eating a designer melon, this particular specimen came from far and sunny Spain. The Abogat melon has a relatively thin skin, and the flesh is firm with a crystalline sweetness and much juiciness. The planets are now in melon-alignment it seems, within a few short weeks I have eaten three different yet utterly delicious species. First, Hami melons from Xinjiang- the ones with special red stickers were especially crunchy and bursting with nectar. Then there was the exorbitantly expensive, highly aromatic and golden-sweet Japanese musk melon that chef Thomas treated us to at Kaisan; Thomas informed us that each melon comes in its own box and can be kept for only three days. The Abogat completes this yummy trinity. Cut up my Abogat this evening, much to the delight of Mimi and Rufus.

Nasi Lemak and Pig Stomach Soup

Who has time to cook dinner for company on a Monday night? Not me, I am too disorganised. Fortunately though, we know some kind and extremely generous friends who do. One example is a dinner we were invited to recently- a fabulous spread of Malaysian style Nasi Lemak with terrific sambal belacan, petai cili prawns and roasted quails.

I have identical soup bowls at home. But our bowls have never held something so down-to-earth yet extravagant as Pig Stomach Soup. Something like what the Chinese say, "same bowls, different fates". The broth was sweet and umamilicious from the long cooking and the essence of the pig spare parts, pork and abalone slices, the pepper in this case was perfectly judged so that it enhanced but did not dominate the final balance of flavours. There were pieces of pig intestines that have been looped through with a chopstick many times till it forms a self-encasing sausage- this is a skill that I doubt many people know, certainly my own mother never took the trouble to do this, well, actually I don't even remember mummy ever buying intestines let alone cook with it.

This friend remarked that she has visions of running her own nasi lemak restaurant one day. Methinks she really should serve her pig stomach soup instead.

Where did I eat July 2005

Was out of town quite a bit last month, but the eating was mostly good.

Crystal Jade (3/15) : The Korean restaurant remains a favourite because the food is consistently good. For a change, we had the beef soup, a fiery and very shiok mish-mash of beef slices, vegetables and tofu.

They've recently opened a Macanese restaurant in Bugis Junction, serving favourite dishes from Macau. I visited twice and came to the same conclusion. Either Macanese food is bland and uninspiring or the cook at the CJ is not particularly competent. The Cod-Potato Croquettes which was supposed to have bacalao in it did not have any perceptible taste that indicated its bacalao connection, I reckon the Korokke Chan versions are more value for money. The signature Baked rice with Pork Chop was similarly unexciting- the tomato sauce seemed to have come straight from a can before it got thickened with plenty of corn starch- I had to load a lot of CJ's (excellent, btw) chilli oil into the rice to excite the meal a little. Second outing was slightly better, their Crispy Fried Squid was tasty enough but Spiced Roast Chicken had an unusual spice balance that I could not quite accustom myself to.

Andhra's Spices, Race Course Rd: It's been over a year since we ate here but I don't remember the standard being so abysmal before. The spinach was pureed till it became an unappetising green mush. The naans were flat and hard and the lamb curry was a miserable jumble of gristle and tough fibres floating in its radioactive-orange sauce.

Le Bistrot, Joo Chiat: Good. Report here.

Cedele by Bakery Depot (2/10): On one of the visits, noticed they have a new sandwich.

umami: What is Thai Sawadee sandwich?

server: Chicken.

umami: uh huh.

server: It comes with sauce. Would you like to try our rosemary chicken?

umami: So you don't recommend the Thai Sawadee?

Two girls in front of me laughed. Cashier hastened to reassure me that the Thai Sawadee was really yummy. She was right, the sandwich was spread with a creamy red sauce distinctly fragranced with kaffir lime leaves. Made a welcome change from rosemary chicken.

Liang Kee with makankakis: It is a Teochew restaurant along Havelock Rd. Famous for cold crabs. My favourite dish that evening was the Char Keow Teow, couldn't really tell what was particularly Teochew about it but it was yummy and had plenty of wok-hei.

And then there was the  food bloggers lunch at Mag's.

Ajisen Dining, Takashimaya: Mistake. Maybe they are still finding their feet, but they better find it soon. The conveyor belt sushi is easily the worst in town, and they have a worrying tendency to butane-torch everything. Their mentaiko tofu was inedible, the blameless tofu was covered with a thick blanket of hard un-meltable cheese and the merest hint of the spicy roe. Ajisen should not give up their ramen business yet.

Azhang: A small restaurant with a big attitude. Since they opened, Azhang's have attracted many loyal customers who are fans of their good and unpretentious food. Diners are not rushed over their meal and there is an understanding that their table is theirs for the night; this of course results in some people not able to get in sometimes.

Last Sunday, a friend organised a long and relaxing lunch of sausages and pork leg. Personally I was not terribly excited about the meats but my meat-loving friends were very pleased with the spread. The sausages were admittedly from a local sausage supplier Tierney's and the pork leg was done well but not my favourite way of cooking this cut of meat, I would sum it up as decent but not special. I much preferred their side dishes. The accompanying sauerkraut (or choucroute as husband would call it) was delicious, so was their slow-roasted carrots. They make a most excellent espresso too. The food is, as the owners said with some pride, average, but their consistency, perceived good value, friendliness and familiarity may be what makes it such a successful restaurant.

Penang Place, IBP (1/5): Spring rolls and DIY ice kacang. A little boring but better than the mediocre food court offerings in the neighbourhood.

One Night in Beijing

Our return trip to Beijing was not too bad. The China Southern plane was bigger and less cramped. Not as stuffy. The blankets did not smell bad, but was not packed in a plastic bag like SIA, and there were not many available the attendant had to ask people to share!

Guess what was shown on the TV screen? A promotional video on Malaysia!

Fourth sister C had arrived in Beijing a few hours earlier. She met me at the airport and we proceeded to the Hotel Qomolongma. She had initially booked rooms at Bamboo Garden but at the last minute was informed that there was no room available for her. Bamboo Garden and Qomolangma are two of only three hotels located near the old hutong city areas; C is so not a chain hotel person.

For a second choice hotel, Qomolangma impressed us a great deal. Its front lobby is modest and the receptionist staff helpful and accommodating. The rates were incredibly reasonable at RMB 518 for a standard room. Nothing fancy like in-house spa or marble bathtubs, just comfortable amenities. When we were not quite happy with our room which had a strong smell of cigarettes they happily put us into a second level room with a view of the front street. What else did I like about it? Free internet access. Duvet. Firm mattress. And gorgeous views all around. In fact the grounds still hold a temple and encompass a few lovely gardens, simply wonderful to explore in the morning.

The petals drop like snow. The gardener sweeps the petals into tidy piles.

All day he did this. Camera-shy yet friendly. In the morning when he saw us again he invited us to try the tiny sweet apples that have dropped onto the ground.

View of the main street from our room. Tree-lined avenue, old walls, cyclists passing unhurriedly by. The ambience was unique, C and I have never quite encountered feeling so comfortable in all our travels. This place is tranquil and historic yet at ease in the 21st century.

More views of the grounds. Moon gates. Beautiful temple details, better preserved than the ones we saw at the Palace.

After unloading our bags we explored the hutongs. Not as slum-like as I thought. People carry on as they've been doing for hundreds of years. Sounds of crickets chirping and children playing in the back lanes. The weather was so hot the men mostly went about topless.

Many of the houses are still in good condition, architecturally and historically they are very important. The walls are built thickly and the insides of the homes cool in summer, warm in winter. We took a slow trishaw ride around the lake areas (Houhai, Beihai..), touristy yes, but easier on the feet especially with the blistering sun overhead.

Then it was back to the hotel for a quick rest and shower. Since I only had one night in Beijing, I suggested we do the obvious thing and eat Peking Duck. Quanjude is the most well-known so we tried that.  Their version is quite revelatory. For many years now I have been used to the more elegant Cantonese version which takes only the crispy skin and enfold it in either thin crepes or omelet. Here at Quanjude, the duck is sliced with skin, fat and meat together. The duck had a very becoming sweetness rather than gaminess, the skin was crispy on one side and a bit more 'crackling' like on the other side. The wheat crepes are thicker and have a delighfully chewy bite. The brown sauce is more assertive, more rounded and not too salty. The waitress helped me to wrap a piece, taking two or three pieces of duck, adding a bunch of scallions,dipping the meat into the brown sauce and urged me to eat, eat before it got cold.

I took a bite, and was struck by how different, and how absolutely delicious it was. Not just the duck, or the skin, or the sauce, it was the coming together of all the ingredients that made such a perfect gustatory experience.

We also ordered their duck liver slices in brine. It was like eating pate, very rich and smooth. Especially delicious eaten together with the roast duck.

The next day, I had an afternoon flight to catch. We woke up early to go to Tiananmen Square and The Forbidden City. Bumped right into millions of other tourists. The sun was in full glare.

Tiananmen Square was surprisingly boring, surrounded by imposing and important looking building. The Palace inside the Forbidden City is also just an empty shell, it looks much better on telly. What I really liked is the irony- the once forbidden and access-restricted place is now over-run with hordes of people every day.

Our taxi dropped us off a few blocks from our hotel. We came across a 'small eats' shop and decided to give it a try. The locals were slurping this intriguing brown gruel so we ordered ourselves some. Hmm, quite an acquired taste, it was quite bland and stodgy and we could barely swallow a spoonful between us. The bean noodles were more familiar.

Walking along, saw a few cake shops. Displaying extravagantly decorated cakes, much like those I saw in Urumqi. One shop had windows to let customers view the decorating being done, and customers can speak to the icing lady through holes in the window. Here is one at work, she was piping pink icing onto a little cone to make a flower.

 

Used a pair of scissors to place flower on cake.

Tada, final result. The peaches symbolise longevity, so does the pine tree and the Chinese word (I think). A design intended to celebrate the birthday of a senior person. Took her about 30 minutes to finish this.

Guess what, the customer was not happy. He wanted the flowers to be arranged differently and he was quite upset with the final result. Her mask did not quite contain her exasperation. But the customer's will prevailed, and she agreed to redo the design.

Now I understand. It isn't about the cake, it is all about the design. Wonder if people actually eat all that icing?

The 24 hour snack shop next to the hotel serves delicious noodles. There is nothing quite like eating freshly pulled noodles in China, the texture so brilliantly pliant, the bite so chewy, the taste nutty and slightly sweet, the strands managing not to clump together. Good in a clear beef broth, heaps better in a cool, mildly spicy sesame sauce with bits of luncheon meat and julienned cucumbers.

Hunger satiated, I prepared to leave for the airport. I was pleased that I managed to cram so much in less than 24 hours. Still, there was so much more that I wanted to explore, well, maybe next time....