Singapore never ceases to amaze the new settlers in us. More and more we're uncovering places and things that undoubtedly prove this is no small country after all. Last weekend, we found a place that perfectly typifies the peacefulness of the Lion City - the Little Guilin.

Located in Bukit Batok Town Park (just beside Bukit Gombak Stadium), the place is quite similar to the Guilin of China - a highly acclaimed scenery for its beautiful rock formations in the heart of a lake or body of water. The Little Guilin exudes a relaxing ambiance that makes it ideal for leisure walk, yoga, fishing and other forms of exercise.

Much has been written in the blogging world about the widely known "Kaya Toast". In the Philippines, I heard that one coffee shop is increasingly becoming a big buzz around town for serving this yummy sandwich. Kaya Toast is a typical breakfast or snack item. It's basically a toasted bread that's spread with aromatic kaya jam and butter and is usually served with soft boiled eggs. It's best relished with a hot cup of coffee or tea. There are many places that cater this kind of treat in Singapore where the food's fame hailed from. But most people vouch for the authenticity of the hawker centers' and kopitiams' versions. I finally had my day for the much awaited Kaya Toast date. I tried the one served at Ananas Cafe (an MRT cafe).

The taste of the toast is pretty straight forward. Buttery, sweet, milky and nutty. What makes it more enticing is the aroma of "pandan" that's inherent in the kaya jam. It just makes you munch for more. The coffee taste is enchanced with the condensed milk that's added to it. No doubt this team of toast, egg and coffee is a complete, delectable morning treat.

The Lunar New Year or Chinese New Year is also known as "Chun Jie" or "Spring Festival". It's a long period of celebration that starts from the eve of the new year and ends with the Lantern Festival. In Singapore, the later is synonymous to the famous Chingay Parade. Apart from this colorful street parade, there are other activities that equally present awesome entertainment and glee during this season. Most of which are normally showcased in malls and community centers for public viewing. We were lucky to chance upon one in Vivo City. I was mezmerized and awed by the acrobatic skills of these ladies. I cried out a few gasps on their performance. They were really amazing!

Nearly two months of living in Singapore, I can't help but wonder how time flies real fast in this country. Before I can even savor with much gusto the needed weekend rejuvenation, it's back to work again. For this reason, weekends should be spent with absolute pleasure and joy. Back in the Philippines, our family weekends were typically spent going out and exploring places. In Singapore, it still remains the same. So, last weekend we visited two of Sentosa's attractions - Merlion Walk and Underwater World. The kids had a great time roaming around.

There's not much big difference in the experience between Underwater World and Manila Ocean Park. However, the observation tunnel of Underwater World showcased more diversity in content. Space wise, I think Manila Ocean Park has a more relaxing ambiance.

Our new surroundings that is largely dominated by Chinese - Singaporean Cuisine is daring the cook in me. How can I prepare authentic Filipino foods in this foreign land? By and large, this seems to be one of the tough challenges any expat deals with in living overseas (and I'm no difference to experience that). My first struggle began with the classic "Tinola". It's a Filipino favorite chicken soup that's typically cooked with papaya and chili leaves. I've searched shelves inside out from one supermarket to another yet I didn't find any chili leaves here. Although most of the ingredients of the dish can be easily substituted like chayote with papaya and chili leaves with moringa or malunggay, I haven't tried substituting both with some other types. Much with the limitations of the available susbstitutes in the supermarket here, there's no other option but to take the risk of trying from the available ones. This explains for my Chicken Tinola with Spinach and surprisingly, it came out acceptable.

Singapore's Uniquely Singapore fame will never be such for nothing. In fact, it's even translated to its cuisine. Indeed, the food fare here is unique in its own way. The country is known for having a multi-cultural mix of inhabitants and this is synonymous to the hodgepodge of foods available. There's the local, genuinely Singaporean such as the Hainanese Chicken Rice, Chili Crab and Black Pepper Crab, Indonesia's famous Mee-goreng and Satay, Malaysia's Laksa and India's Roti, Teh Tarik and Fish Head Curry. Undoubtedly, the lion city is a complete melting pot of Asian taste and good eats are everywhere.

Chicken Satay

Oyster Omelette

I already lost count on how many times I did mention in the blog about my missing our habitual pasta treats. What with the recent move to a new country, it all makes the craving more intense. Now that I've finally found my way in our new kitchen, the weekly pasta feast is eventually back into our menu. For this resurgence to Ruth Daniels' Presto Pasta Night, I'm sharing a Seafood Linguine recipe. This is supposed to be part of our Chinese New Year fare, but for some reasons the dish did not reach the table on time. Anyway, as the cliche goes better late than never. Rather than the usual toasted garlic or butter bread, I paired it with Chicken Wrap. (such a substantial meal indeed!)

What you need: 250 g linguine (cooked according to package directions), 1 med bottle of traditional pasta sauce (italian), 100 g shrimps (peeled & deveined), 1/2 cup squid rings, 1/2 cup fish fillet, 1 can of tuna flakes (in water), 5 cloves of garlic (minced), 1 small onion (chopped), 2 tbsps olive oil, salt and pepper to taste, 1 tbsp lemon juice, parmesan cheese

How to make: Combine shrimps, squid and fish in a bowl. Add lemon juice, mix well and let it sit for 2 minutes. Cook linguine according to package directions, set aside. Cook all seafood except tuna in boiling water for 1 -2 minutes. Set aside. Saute onion and garlic in olive oil until fragrant. Add in drained tuna flakes, saute for 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add in pasta sauce and allow to boil. Stir in cooked seafood and pasta. Mix well. Serve hot sprinkled with parmesan cheese.

What you need: Tortilla wrap (cooked according to package directions), 2 - 3 tbsp shredded roasted chicken, 1 tbsp caesar salad dressing, 1 - 2 tbsp chopped tomatoes, 1 tbsp chopped onions, grated cheddar cheese

How to make: Cook tortilla according to package directions. While hot spread it with salad dressing, add chiken, tomatoes, onion and lots of cheese. Fold both sides to make a wrap.

This week's pasta event is being hosted by Mrs. Ergul of Passion for Life and Food . Chow down and enjoy!

Gong Xi! Gong Xi!

Chinese New Year + Valentines Day = merrymaking to the highest level! People were all over the place celebrating. Chinatown looked so vibrant with all the decorations. The main street was well adorned with beautiful flowers. It's also quivering with sounds of joyous people. Restaurants were filled and witnessed to lively reunions. This was Chinese New Year in Singapore...

Chinese trinkets and novelties were abundant in Pagoda street.

Kiong Hi Hoat Chai! Believed to be the most important traditional festivity, Chinese New Year is often times well celebrated anywhere in the world where Chinese community abounds. It is generally the tradition that speaks of the Chinese culture and beliefs about the coming year. Food, gifts, money and a lot more are generously poured out. This is pretty much how we keep Christmas in the Philippines. Oranges, flowers along with other popular decorations are the typical icons of the celebration. Each has its own symbolism that can be related to prosperity, luck, longevity and happiness.

It's a lucky chance to be experiencing this kind of festival the first time. We visited Chinatown and Clarke Quay (among the popular spots during CNY) to view some fanfare and spectacles. Unfortunately, due to time constraints and the large cluster of people we were not able to view any. At home, we celebrated it plainly with food (a far cry from any of the traditional Chinese repertoire). But the real essence of which was actually finding the right time to get back to what I love to do - cooking! Pardon the food shots, my kitchen is still limited at the moment. I've yet to snag a couple of household stuffs to make my food plating more enticing.

Pan-fried Salmon with Cream Sauce

How to prepare: Season salmon with salt and cracked black pepper corns. Pan fry in canola oil for 2 - 3 minutes until it's cooked. Melt about 30 g butter in a pan. Add 250 ml full cream milk and 1/2 of chicken stock cube. Allow to boil and simmer until the sauce thickens. Don't forget to stir continuously.

Tofu Asparagus
How to prepare: Cut tofu into small squares, coat with corn flour and egg then fry until it turns slightly brown. Set aside. Saute onion and garlic in 2 tbsps olive oil until fragrant. Add 250 g boneless chicken (cut into cubes), stir- fry until it turns brown. Season with salt and pepper. Add 1 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce, 1/2 cup of water, 2 small packs of golden noodle mushroom (enokitake) and 250 g asparagus. Simmer and cook until the vegetables are done. Stir in fried tofu and mix well.