Screenings #4: Change in Language

Just ended:
1. Full House (loved this! plus great soundtrack)
2. Witch Yoo Hee (not much cute guys)
3. Coffee Prince (lots of eye candy!)
4. Dal Ja's Spring (funny...)
5. Vineyard Man
6. Bright Girl's Success (the first I ever watched.. and loved!)
7. My Love Patzzi

Currently showing:
8. Boys over Flowers

My exposure to K-dramas is quite recent (yes, I am very behind times). They really seem to like the "poor girl becomes maid to rich guy" theme quite a bit (Full House, Bright Girl's Success), or the 1 girl + 2-3 guys theme (Witch Yoo Hee, Coffee Prince, Vineyard Man, My Love Patzzi). Most of the time the girl is some headstrong, non feminine, non-traditional type who through various twists and turns gets the guy to fall in love with her. I find J-dramas a lot more varied and interesting in theme and subject matter, but that could be due to me having access to a much larger range of J-dramas.

Anyway, my current screening of Boys Over Flowers is actually based on a Japanese story. It's quite impressive how this story has been showed on TV as a Japanese Anime, Taiwanese Drama, Japanese Drama, and the very latest is in Korean. What next.... American TV? (Oh wait. Is Gossip Girl supposed to be sort of a version of it???)

It's been a pretty big hit internationally, I guess girls can't resist the story of poor girl fall in love with rich good-looking boy who loves her so unconditionally and how they overcome the usual obstacles to be together. The incidents that happen are more or less the same across all versions, although strung together slightly differently. So far my favourite version of the lead F4 (Domyouji / Dao Ming Si / Jun Pyo) is the Korean one, simply because he's the best looking of all! My favourite version of the female however (Makino Tsukushi / Shan Cai / Geum Jan Di) is the Japanese one because she is just so cute and strong.

The original name "Hana Yori Dango" loosely translates as "boys over flowers" in English. What it actually means is "boys more than flowers" or "boys (who are) prettier than flowers", although its actually a pun on a Japanese saying. Don't ask me why the Taiwanese version is called "Meteor Garden / Liu Xing Hua Yuan" though!

Spotted! #3

Just as I was starting to marvel at the wonderful deductive powers of the police force next door...

Headline: Woman found hanged on tree wasn't raped.

Para: Police came to this conclusion as there were no vaccination marks on her arms.

... I clicked on the link and realise it was actually the fantastic editorial skills of Asia One that was the problem!

Headline: "Dead woman was a foreigner, say police"
Para 1: "The woman ... is believed to have been a foreigner."
Para 2: "Police came to this conclusion as there were no vaccination marks on her arms"

The Travel Bug & Food Bytes: Sushi for the "Dai"-hards! (Sushi Daiwa)

Continuing on the series on Japan...

Tsujiki market is a place that is a must for first time visitors to Tokyo. Going early (read: 6am) is a must if you want to watch the fish auctions. Shan't bother to blog too much about the place itself, since there are probably a million blogs out there about it already.

Just one note: be careful when walking around and please avoid the little motor carts zooming around. Apparently some careless tourist got in the way and was hit by them. After that, they considered closing the market (its a serious place of business after all!) and I believe they did so for a while. Fortunately for the millions of tourists who haven't yet been there, they decided to reopen it to the public. But only the frozen tuna ones are opened, not the fresh ones.

Anyway the point of interest for *Shinta and I (having been there quite a few times already), is not wandering the narrow lanes of the fish market, but rather, the rows of shophouses just next to the main market. We go early, usually leaving our hotel around 5am (Shinjuku station is already packed at that time!) and hitting there around 5.30 or 6am.

You can easily identify the 2 most popular shops there by the long long queues which start forming around 5am. Sushi Daiwa and Dai Sushi. We usually go to the former, although I suppose there's no reason not to try the latter. The wait is around 30min to 45min even that early in the morning. People are orderly and wait patiently in queue. No such thing as "choping" extra spaces for friends. One person one seat. We even saw this driver waiting in line, only to exchange place with a rich looking lady dressed in formal japanese wear as he neared the front!

Once you've made your way to the front, squeeze into this really small counter restaurant which seats about 8 to 10 pax at the most. The place is really narrow with your back just inches from the wall. Lean forward and squeeze yourself in whenever someone moves in and out.

If you're not picky about your sushi, its easiest to just order the breakfast set. The uni (sea urchin) was very fresh and didn't have the too fishy small which puts a lot of people off it.

I'm not sure what to say about the toro, except that its fantastic. Huge slabs of tuna belly draped over a small ball of rice. Melts in your mouth!

The other fishes and prawn were also exceptionally fresh. They get the fish fresh everyday from the market just next to them, and that's why its so crowded early in the morning. Go late and nothing will be left and the good ones are all closed!

A very very notable difference about "real" sushi in Japan, is the proportion of fish to rice. The small wad of rice is there simply to support the fish, which should nicely drape over the ends of the rice. Eating sushi in other countries is very frustrating because the huge dollops of rice simply drown the key ingredient, and of course you're too full of rice after a few pieces to eat more.

I found out recently that someone I know has committed suicide. The events are still quite surreal.

First I was stunned that someone who "had everything" could feel so trapped, hopeless and disillusioned that he decided that leaving this world was the only solution.

Then I was angry that maybe somehow 12 years ago when I last spoke to him, I might have been able to say or do something that could help result in a different set of choices and a happier outcome today.

Or is the whole concept of a "wrong" choice just a convenient thing to focus on and blame?

Finally I was disgusted with how the newspapers misrepresented the facts. I'm not clear whether it was just a tactic to sensationalise the news, or was it a cover up because the truth was politically sensitive? Either way its ridiculous and insulting to everyone.

At 28, young, intelligent, good looking, blessed with a loving family, he should have been full of hope, enjoying life and looking forward to things to come. I remember him as an outgoing, humble, friendly and kind person of more than average popularity. What happened to him that he ended up this way? No one should ever be forced to such a place. Why was he drowning in despair and so angry that he thought the only "revenge" he could take at the system which had trapped him, was to kill himself? It shouldn't have been like this.

The Travel Bug: Sun, Sea, Sand & Surf (Club Med, Bintan)

Things I Love About Club Med Bintan

1. Enjoy the sea breeze

A simple worry-free 45min boat ride, with none of the hassle of flying (security, liquids, sharp objects, early arrival before departing etc).

2. Transport provided

Ferry, transfer and hotel are all included. Meet and greet service by their friendly GOs and GEs (guests are known as GMs). They also take care of boarding tickets, land transportation, luggage to room and all. If you're lucky and not going at peak time, you can get an early check in (10am) and late check out (1pm). Just nice for taking the first ferry in, and the late afternoon ferry out. If you have a big group, there is likely to be a group of GOs standing at the reception with cold towels and drinks to welcome you. Or loud happy music with clapping and cheery well-wishes and reminders to "come back next week" when you leave.

3. Everything's included

Leave your credit card in the room. Payment is only needed for the spa, external golf course and the shops. If you want you can get a special in-house card so that it can all be charged to the room. Otherwise, everything including sports activities, food are all included. It's really such a relief and different mindset to wander around wallet-less and not worry or think twice before ordering some food or drink.

4. Stuff yourself silly

International buffet spread which changes every meal. Snacks and mid-day meals available from the restaurant. Drinks and basic alcohol are free flow at the various bars, including the one by the beach. Try not too get yourself drunk too early in the day and miss out on the activities available. The GO's are a friendly bunch and will join you at your table if they see empty spaces. Large groups (10?) will get "VIP" treatment and have a table reserved.

5. Beach & Pool

Choose between the rows of deck chairs laid out on the private soft sandy beach, or the ones around the 2 infinity pools. "Ride" the waves by floating in the clear blue waters (borrow a lifejacket for extra buoyancy/safety), or build a sandcastle with the fine white sand. Or pretend to be swimming in the pool while checking out the lifeguards. If you brought your kite along, you can fly it at one end of the beach. The extremely helpful GOs will show you how to get it into the air and its really amazing how high it can go!

6. Sports activities

Huge selection of activities all included in the packages, with tuition included for some of them. Try your hand at sailing, windsurfing or kayaking. Or borrow a ball to play beach volleyball in the sand. If you have the guts, try hanging upside down (without screaming) while swinging on the trapeze, or do a back flip when dismounting. See how good a hunter you would have made at the archery range. Or borrow racquets/balls for tennis, squash, basketball, badminton at the sports center. If you really must, check out the gym or yoga classes, or vent your frustration at the golf range by seeing how far you can drive. Table tennis and pool tables are also available near the main bar / swimming pool.

7. Organised activities

There are programmes and competitions throughout the day, although you're likely to be too busy doing your own thing. In the evenings, around 9pm there's usually a major event/show at the mini-amphitheatre (eg fashion show, air guitar performance...). Usually performed by the GOs, but if you're game, the GMs and kids also have a special section to take part! This is followed by a 30-45min dancing/performance kind of thing by the GOs at the main bar. Just follow their lead, shake your hair loose and dance along. Just a casual fun event. Around 10pm, sometimes there's karaoke (good selection of English and Korean songs) or the disco will start.

8. SPA

If you're like me and don't exercise at all throughout the year, you'll probably be aching away after all the sports activities there are there. Take a breather and relax at the spa (extra charges apply). The spa can't be considered "cheap" at about $150 for a 2 hour massage (already including special offers), but it was an excellent way to end off the trip before catching the late afternoon ferry back. Book in advance!

Food Bytes: Eton Mess, great coffee & food! (Oriole Cafe & Bar)

I'm interrupting my series of reviews on Japan for a quick one on the newly discovered Oriole Cafe & Bar. Located at the bottom of the Pan Pacific Serviced Suites (the big black building between Singapore Power and Somerset MRT), its not a place you would simply pass by because its hidden at the back and there is construction work on the other side. If you drive, rather than park in the building itself, please use the Grange Road public carpark which is just next to the building and very much cheaper and more convenient.

We went there totally blind and not knowing anything about it, other than that it had been favorably reviewed in the papers recently. It was fortunate that we arrived early, as the 30-40 seater restaurant although not filled up yet, was almost fully booked with reservations. Those who arrived later than 11.45am on a Sunday, had to sit outside. Normally that wouldn't be a bad thing, except the area is still surrounded by construction works, not great for ambiance. The dress code is probably more of smart casual, especially on weekdays where the crowd might trend towards office workers, although in sunny Singapore where everyone under-dresses, you can get away with casual too.

The best item was the coffee. *Shinta's latte arrived first, topped with slightly brown foam and pretty coffee art drawn in. Unlikely other lattes, this one boasted a rich coffee smell and taste right off the first sip. Apparently its because of the way the milk is poured into the cup; the coffee forms a "ring" around the foam enabling the rich flavour to be appreciated right away. Other lattes have a pure white foam scooped on top, resulting in the whole latte tasting more of milk with a slight hint of coffee, rather than real coffee with milk.

My ice blended milk coffee was fantastic. When you get ice blended drinks at other places, the terrible ratio of ice to milk to coffee results in an extremely diluted mix as the ice melts and dilutes the coffee. At Oriole however, not only is the coffee perfectly blended into a smooth mix with the ice, the blend remained smooth, rich and creamy even as the ice melted. There was no rush to finish the glass off since it didn't become the usual uneven mixture ice blended drinks normally become after a while. It was only much later that we found out that Oriole boasts the services of the top 2 barista's in Singapore. A title well deserved I think!

I suspect the menu at Oriole changes very often, because this one was specially printed with the day's date on it. There were quite a lot of tempting items, but given my new drive to "eat slightly less", we settled on sharing a salad, 2 individual main courses and most importantly, Eton Mess!

The Wafu Salad was quite standard, nicely seasoned with fresh crunchy vegetables. Warning: Portions are not very large.

My Steak Melt sandwich didn't look very impressive when it first arrived. Just 2 simple pieces of toast with a beef patty, a bit of cheese and caramelised onions. It tasted pretty good though, with the sweet and juicy onions offsetting the slightly drier and salty flavour of the beef. For the price I paid, I think they should have included a small side salad. Even just a few lettuce leaves or slices of tomato and cucumber would have really brightened up the plate and made it look more balanced.

*Shinta's fish and chips took slightly longer to arrive, but was pretty worth it. The deep fried batter was not too oily, and the fish was soft and tasty. Chips were not too bad too, but the real difference from other fish and chips was the small pieces of fried garlic which added a slightly different flavour to the whole dish. The tatare sauce that we requested was "real tatare sauce" and went well with the fish, while we had to get mayo for the fries.

Finally, the highly anticipated dessert. I had been searching everywhere in Singapore for Eton Mess for quite a while now, but this is the only place that has it. Supposedly originating from the dining halls of the elite UK boarding school Eton, this is a mix of meringue bits, strawberries, berry juices, whipped cream and lightly sprinkled with nuts.

The version served in Oriole was slightly different from the English one because 1) normally I see it in a cup and not on a plate; and 2) the meringue was left in relatively large pieces rather than crushed into small bits. Still terribly delicious (and sinful), I think crushing up the meringue makes a big difference because otherwise it tends to get just a little soggy and difficult to eat in large chunks.

Despite the place being opened for 2 months already, I found the service although polite and eager to please, still very clumsy, awkward and slightly slow. The restaurant is not large, but it took a while for them to re-confirm that every other empty table had been reserved and only one was left for us. There was a slight communication problem, the waiter didn't really understand our orders until we pointed to the item on the menu. I don't think it was because he didn't known the menu, but more of a pronunciation difference, because he kind of distorted the name of the items when he read the menu back to us. Getting our card swiped for the bill also took a while. Redeeming factors are that the manager (?) was friendly and checked on how we were enjoying the food, requests for additional sauces were met with quickly, and they offered us ice/warm water without prompting.

This is definitely a place I would come back to, especially for the coffee and the Eton Mess. Hopefully efficiency of the service will improve with time, and as the furore from the news reviews dies down a little, maybe it will be less crowded. I look forward to trying the many other dishes on the menu.

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Oriole Cafe & Bar
96 Somerset Road #01-01, Pan Pacific Serviced Suites, S(238163)
Tel: +65-6238 8348
Hours: Mon-Fri 10.30am - 9.00pm(food)/9.30pm(drinks),
Sat-Sun 10.00am-9.30pm(food)/10.00pm(drinks)
http://www.oriole.com.sg/
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