I'm beginning to embrace the fact that Singapore is really a "food obsessed" country. So much so that describing its culinary pot as overflowing with great dishes to be had is still a restrained statement. Food here comes from all walks of life (if that can be said). From the unassuming street shops and hawker centers, to the posh and classy five star restaurants established by no less than the creme de la creme of the culinary world, a myriad of taste sensations are waiting to be discovered. While my taste trek to the restaurants of top celebrity chefs at the now esteemed Marina Bay Sands is still yet to happen, I tracked down the unembellished yet genuinely rich food spot in the island-state, Makansutra. I was lucky enough to meet in person its founder at the recently concluded Food Festival 2010. Makansutra claims to celebrate the best of Asian food culture and lifestyle. Judging from what I've seen and experienced from my recent visit, it indeed lives up to what it calls for. This foodie place is no simple street eatery.

Compared to other homegrown food centres, Makansutra offers a more subtle and relaxing ambiance. It doesn't bear that typical noise of a hawker place. And since it's located within Marina bay area, diners are treated to a charming scene of the skyline and a bay view while devouring gastronomic meals. It's true, dining here transcends to discovering the food culture of asia. Popular dishes from asian countries like India, Malaysia, Indonesia, China and Singapore just to name a few are well represented here. As I hop from one food stall to the next, I am amazed at how make shifts kitchen via push carts were able to concoct wonderful dishes. This is certainly the place where no michelin star is needed to gauge the skills of the cook. Plain and simply, the foods are tasty. Here's a sneak peek of some of the options available..

Roti Prata

Prawn Roll

Sambal Kangkong

For someone who's used to the abundance of sweet treats back in the Philippines, I can't help but crave for the customary rich and indulgent sweet delights every once in a while. That's why, it's satisfying to discover that Singapore has its own exciting range of baked goods and sweets as well. Among the ones notable for good products are Bakerzin, Bread Talk, Four Leaves and Bengawan Solo. Recently, another new establishment was born to conquer the tastebuds of many sweets afficionados. Let's Sweets, claimed to be the first and the latest dessert buffet restaurant in the island is opening today. It promises to offer a sugar rush experience out of an extensive selection of more than 40 scrumptious desserts. Being the newest addition to the growing family of Japan Foods Holding Ltd., the brain child behind Ajisen Ramen among others, it's expected to delight food enthusiasts with the signature touch of the intricacy and dainty of a Japanese creation with contemporary French inspiration. The banner products that the dessert house will showcase include the following:

Gateur Opera, Mousse aux Orange, Mousse aux Cassis and Baked Cheese Cake

I was privileged enough to be given the chance of joining a select group of people to a Food Photography Session spearheaded by NOVUS Restaurant-Bar-Cafe Courtyard in cooperation with CASIO and FOOD & TRAVEL magazine. The Food Photography workshop was facilitated by no less than the most sought-after Food Photographer in town, Mr. Calvin Tan. The event walked us through the bits and pieces of "Fine Dining Etiquette" and an Introduction to Food Photography. It's definitely a day filled with new discoveries and learnings in so far as bringing out the best in foods is concerned.

NOVUS generously shared the dos and don'ts in Fine Dining. From the table arrangement to the use of utensils down to the standard manner of eating the different types of food, we were once again reminded and informed of things we normally forget when dining. It was a good practical dining arts 101.

On Food Photography, Calvin emphasized on the important elements of taking food photos. Foremost among them are texture, color and sharpness. In terms of lighting, daylight still proved to be the best source for nice shots. In taking the actual shot, it's essential to note that the food must be viewed in 3-dimensional form. Otherwise, unidimensional shots might just look plain and boring. Also, some aspects like shadows, background and other effects can be used to lift the overall appearance of the shot. These will undoubtedly make the food come to life. Similar to Food Styling, mild disorder and glare is allowed. Let the food shine in itself and always create something different.


We were given three dishes (prepared by Novus' Executive Chef Stephan Zoisl) to shoot. Below are some of the photos I've taken with the Casio Camera provided in the session.

Adobo had truly evolved through the years from being the unofficial national food of the Philippines. With millions of Filipinos all over the world, it's now being prepared by hundred and one ways. This is a classic dish that has gone through being a quintessential or local to being glo-cal. Ask a typical filipino housewife who cooks this dish of a standard recipe and really there's none to share. Simply because every household had developed its own version to follow.

For all Filipinos living in a foreign a land, I'm sure cooking this dish every once in a while will somehow connects us all back to our roots. In essence, it can be deemed any Filipino's comfort, nostalgic food. And since the ingredients of the dish are no difficult to procure it can be prepared anywhere else.

The most popular choice of meat for Adobo is pork belly. It has the tasty duo of meat and fat that provides a pleasing mouthfeel, texture and flavor to the dish. In terms of preparation and cooking method, there are different ways to consider. One, is the all-in stewing where the meat is no longer marinated nor fried. Just add all ingredients in a pot and boil the meat to tenderness. The other involves marinating the meat for at least 30 minutes then boiling. The last, includes frying after the meat has been boiled to softness. This is what I consider the most "sinful" version of the dish. It's rich, fatty mouthfeel to high heavens. But the browning of the meat and the caramelized, fried note add an exciting kick to the overall taste of this version of adobo. At home, I usually opt for the second type. I normally just marinate and boil. I skip the frying part unless I'm really craving for a rich and very tasty adobo.

How do you normally prepare your noodle dish? Do you opt for the use of the wet and fresh type or the fried, dried and pre-packed one? I recently found a good brand of the latter in the supermarket -Hong Kong Yee Foo Mee. This is the flat egg noodles that is the counterpart in Chinese of Linguine Pasta. Just like any other noodle, it can be prepared either in soup or dry. Recently, the dinner at home became another one of those days where I simply can't figure out what to stir in the kitchen. A close examine of the pantry lead me to this dish. Again, this is another quick fix meal. No sophistication in ingredients neither any complexity in the preparation. My kids enjoyed the smooth texture of the flat noodles. Likewise, it blended well with the taste of kangkong and dried shrimps. For more variety in taste, mushrooms can be added if you like.


What you need:

There's always something to look forward to when dining at Seafood Restaurants and indulging in a typical Chinese set meal. Be it the complete satisfaction from the whole repertoire or from the food itself, we are normally filled with a good munch of gastronomic proportions. Unlike other cuisines though, I'm still intrigued why dining in a Chinese Restaurant or in this case a Seafood Restaurant, equates to almost always having a whole set of meal. A la carte choice is hardly a second alternative. But come to think of it, that's maybe what a typical chinese dining experience is all about. Needless to say, just like any other set meals, the choice of food that will comprise of the set is key. One wrong choice might end up to satiation otherwise, ruin the entire dining experience. Fortunately, my first West Coast Seafood encounter proved to be a satisfying one.


It's an 8 course meal that started with appealing soup, mix seafood appetizers and the must try roasted pecking duck rolled in an egg wrap. Then on to the more filling dishes of crispy fried fish, cereal cray fish, stir-fried vegetables with mushrooms, a noodle dish and capped with a thick, oily, sweet yet pleasingly tasty dessert. Overall, this was one good set meal to remember.

Just for the name alone - Coco Exotic, I'm already intrigued what this popular cake of a local bakeshop has to offer. It was recommended by a colleague many times over. Then, finally my palate found its way to sample a nibble. Rich yet far from overwhelming, chocolatey, medium sweet with a playful texture in mouthfeel, this is how I will describe the exotic element of this cake. This heavenly goodie is made up of layers of chocolate chiffon, mousse, cookies with a wafer like crunch and ganache. It's finished with a few chocolate carvings and red berry on top. It's not supremely to die for dessert or sweets but it's sure is one delectable, luscious treat in its own right. The interplay of the overall taste of the cake with an enjoyable texture or bite made it no less one hot item in the glass shelf.

How does food usually entice you? Is it through the aroma, taste or overall appearance? The popular idiomatic expression explain it all right, "beauty is in the eye of the beholder". But does this apply to food as well? It's true that people look at things at different angle. And when it comes to food, the differences likewise, won't matter. As we normally coin it "to each his own". The featured dish in this post talks about that. It's so rich in color and appeal that it actually exudes an element of freshness, varying textures and a myriad of taste. Beyond it's vibrant beauty, it has the perfect melding of sweet and savoury. The marriage of the caramelized - wok notes of spices with the inherent sweetness of the vegetables and nuts, brings a harmonious sensory union. What's more, the interplay of the different textures from the medium-softness of the eggs to the crispy-crunch of cashew nuts is another enjoyable tang. Add to that, since it's a vegetable dish, it's healthy too. Thus far, don't you think this is a dish that's a sure bliss to the palate?

What you need:
2 tbsp butter, 1 small chayote (cut into cubes), 1 med size carrots (cut into cubes), 1 tetra pack whole corn kernels (drained), 5 cloves garlic (chopped), 1 med size onion (julienned), 1 cup toasted or baked cashew nuts, 1 small tray (15 pcs) quail eggs (hard boiled), salt & pepper to taste, 2 tsp corn flour dissolve in 1 1/2 cups of water

How to make:
Melt butter in a wok. Saute onion and garlic until fragrant. Add in chayote and carrots, stir-fry until tender. Add in corn kernels and corn flour mixture. Cook for 2 - 3 minutes. Season with salt & pepper. Add in hard boiled quail eggs and cashew nuts. Mix well for 1 minute. Serve.

The first half of year 2010 has been very good to me. I've been blessed with wonderful opportunities and new experiences. There were just too many to be thankful for. Among the significant ones was the wonderful recognition by the Singapore Blog Awards 2010. To be included in the list of the 10 finests in the Best Food Blog category is already a price to behold. I was elated, honored and humbled all at the same time. Tomorrow is the long awaited awards night. Whoever will grab the prices and the winning trophy, my heartfelt congratulations is sent in advance. Personally, winning is beyond my expectation now. No matter what, I think I've already walked away with a good many recollections. Now and again, I will take on my blogging journey the bits and pieces I've earned out of this acknowledgment. I am encouraged more than ever to do better if not best, to dream big and share more. Thank you to everyone who supported Our Taste of Life, from here and beyond.