There are food items that are very flexible in terms of consumption (i.e. those that can be eaten in various meal occasions). One good example of which is salad. It can be served either as an appetizer, a dessert, a snack or even a meal. With its flexibility, also comes a great deal of variety. There are those that are considered light and healthy. At the same time there are those that will suffice as a complete meal due to the high calorie content. The featured recipe below fits into the later. Macaroni salad can be regarded as one of the standard salads in Philippine Cuisine. It's typically found on the dining table during special occasions. In our household, we need not wait for any particular occasion to enjoy ample servings of it. Especially so when there are adorable requests from family members that calls to be granted.

Personally, I have developed a liking for this kind of salad. I pretty much grew up with it. Anyhow, what's not to be liked about it? Every dollop of this mixture renders a creamy, rich, sweet-savoury taste. The union of the different flavors from fresh spices, vegetables and fruits gives a mellow-luscious bite. To give it a twist, I added some cashew nuts. Apart from the nutty taste, it also adds another dimension to the texture of the dish. I kid you not, this is toothsome! What you need:


250 g elbow macaroni pasta (cooked according to package directions; drained)
250 g chicken breast (boiled and shredded)
1 cup pineapple tidbits
1/4 cup cheddar cheese (cut into small cubes)
1/4 cup raisins
1 small carrots (blanched and cut into small cubes)
1 med sized onion (finely chopped)
1/4 cup cashew nuts (roasted and unsalted)
470 ml mayonnaise
salt and pepper to taste

How to make:

My Love affair with Seafood is far from over. In fact, it has just started; only this time around it's in a new land. From occasional visits to street hasheries locally acclaimed for serving delish eats, I braved the area of Chinatown for the same objective - a hunt to a mouthwatering smorgasboard of seafood dishes. Prior to my dining experience, must I give Chinatown a pleasing nod to its well maintained dining area. Truly astonished and pleased I was with how clean the food place was kept. Without trying to be mean or offending, it's my first time to dine in a Chinatown less the stinky smell nor the unwanted flies or insects which are sometimes common in an open-air dining set up. I was truly amused to find that fundamental trademark of Singapore even in Chinatown. (Should you think otherwise, I was speaking from what was before me the day I went and it's actually commendable.)

Olde Cuban (BA DAO GUAN) in No. 2 Trengganu St., was our host for lunch in a fine yet very warm afternoon. With the heat enrobing us, we want nothing but good food. Fortunately, our instinct didn't fail us. We stumbled upon sumptuous fare and every morsel we had is a joy to the palate.

Steamed Hongkong Style Sea Bass - so fresh and succulent that your mouth will just keep on asking for more, the sauce is mildy soured by plum and lightly spiced with ginger

Crunchy Oat-Fried Prawns - the crunchiness is just right that the shell can also be eaten, creamy and really tasty, the taste of the curry leaf blends well with the oats

Apart from Seafood, Vegetables are equally abundant around the island. Going green and healthy diet wise, is no difficult to adapt. Some of my colleagues at work introduced me to a few of the most common and favorite local vegetable dishes. My interest was caught by the popular Dou Miao or Snow Pea Shoots. I had my first taste of this flavorful veggie in Long Beach Seafood Restaurant. It goes very well with a lot of minced garlic. If cooked just right, the crunchy texture of the shoots provides a good mouthfeel. Indeed, it's a delicacy in its own right. I tried to cook it at home and was pleased with the outcome.

I keep on coming back to this XO Seafood restaurant in Clementi West for a number of times now. If there's one type of resto that I would be more than willing to visit, it's that kind which offers any seafood cuisine. This is precisely one of the major things I'm loving in Singapore. The abundance of seafood dishes is heaven to embrace. Apart from the famous East Cost Seafood Centre that houses a long strip of seafood restaurants, there are hawkers centers or open-air cafes (normally situated on the ground level of HDB buildings) that equally boast of quality seafood treats. Bao Gong XO Fish Head Bee Hoon is considered among the most popular in this category. In terms of ambiance, this is certainly what you see is what you get. But that doesn't necessarily translates to the quality of foods in-store. This is more of getting the value of your money's worth beyond expectation.

The weather has been gloomy lately. In Singapore, a downpour comes almost in daily servings. And in times like this, comforting soups and dishes are typically a longing. Pork Nilaga (the Filipino version of Pork Rib Soup) is a very fitting choice. This can also be called Boiled Pork with Vegetables based on the manner of cooking. Pork Nilaga is one of the staples in Philippine Cuisine. This is by far, the easiest popular Filipino dish to make. The ingredients and spices are very basic so as the method of preparation. Perhaps, the only key if ever there is, is the choice of meat cut to use and the time the meat is allowed to cook.
One of my favorite cuts is pork ribs (country style or spare ribs). The meat and bones make up a very rich and tasty soup.

How to make: Boil 3/4 kg of pork ribs in water. Discard water upon boiling. Replace with new ones just enough to cover the meat. Add in 1/2 tsp whole black peppercorns and 1 med sized onion (quartered). Allow to boil in medium heat and cook until meat becomes tender (1 - 1 1/2 hrs). Season with salt and 2 - 3 tbsp fish sauce. Add in potatoes (quartered) and cook until tender. Add in remaining vegetables (round cabbage and chinese cabbage) and adjust water and salt level when necessary before serving.

From the quintessential meal Nasi Lemak, Hainanese Chicken Rice, Roasted Pork Rice, Satay and Bak Kut Teh to the steaming hot noodle dishes such as Laksa, Char Kway Teow and Fish Head Bee Hoon to the tasty side dishes like Carrot Cake and Oyster Omelette and to the luscious desserts Ice Kachang and Bo Bo Cha Cha all these and more are what await adventurous foodies in Singapore's famous Hawker Centers. Foods in these unpretentious gastronomic haven gave Singapore one of it's world recognized past times - eating. In the many occasions that I've visited a few Hawker Centers in the country, I never wondered why this was so. How can you resist enticing aromas and appealing food choices oozing with delectable flavors right before your very eyes? That's why the popular local cliche goes "die-die must try". It isn't a surprise really why so many people be it locals or tourists preferred to flock in this area. Talk about food innovation and gastronomic creativity, there's no better place to discover them but here.

For the avid fans of Singapore's Hawker Centers, something great awaits you! Are you a certified Hawker Food Lover? Then you must be who inSing.com is waiting for. Singapore's prime local search and lifestyle guide is running an 8-week online contest to look for the country's Ultimate Hawker Food Lover. He or she will recommend the best Hawker Stalls in the island and will write recommendations on the best found Hawker food fare through inSing.com's Food & Drink section. Aside from the regular column, the lucky Hawker Food Lover will receive S$1000 a month for 6 months and a DSLR camera to use as tool in capturing the discovered delicious dishes. Isn't this exciting?! What are you waiting for? Go visit http://www.ilovehawkerfood.com.sg/ for further details. Let's all look forward to what other food treasures the island city-state has. For all we know, they are just waiting to be discovered.

With the weather increasingly getting hotter and hotter in some parts of Asia (especially the Philippines and Singapore), I'm sure most of us would like to indulge into cold drinks and desserts to chill us a bit. In the Philippines, this is the perfect time for the most common and well loved sweet desserts or snacks - Halo-Halo. While I'm missing my favorite mix of this sweetened shaved ice and glazed fruits, I'm delighted to find an alternative here in Singapore.

Ice Kachang and Ice Cendol are among the popular choices for Singapore's own version. Ice Kachang has sweet corn and red mongo beans as major ingredients whereas Ice Cendol has green gelatin -noodle like strands, coconut milk and red mongo beans. Both are sweet and refreshing. But I still missed the richness of our Halo-Halo back home, especially that of Razon's or Kabigting's in Pampanga.

Together with some colleagues at work, we visited a Korean restaurant in Pasir Panjang for a quest to a good tasting Beef Galbisal. It's a grilled dish that's typically non-marinated and uses boneless meat. Thus, it's pure beef taste to be had. What always fascinates me about Korean dining is the literally numerous side dishes and appetizers being served. It seemed like the table is always not enough to hold everything all at the same time. This is the real definition of bounty!

There's nothing so special about Beef Galbisal in as far as the profile of the dish is concerned. It's pretty straightforward - beef meat. Needless to say, the quality of the beef meat is key for this grilled dish. I would still prefer the Beef Bulgogi though a hundred times over.

Kimchi Pancake is simply awesome! Hot and spicy, tasty and addicting just like the Kimchi soup. These are good choices for the lover of fiery foods.

Ginseng Chicken is a comforting dish to have. Light, creamy with a very subtle aftertaste of spices and herbs.

Pumpkin Soup - this is sooooo sweet. It can be regarded as a dessert rather than a soup appetizer.

Greens and lots and lots of greens! This is what is genuine of Korean Cuisine. It's such a healthy diet to take.
On the whole, what actually caught us from this Korean dining experience in Singapore is this.... We were just so amazed on the technology behind it.

Generally, this was a good first korean dining experience but certainly not the best yet. Food wise, I think there are still more in the menu to explore.

**Credits to Irene Chong for the photos and video

With a land property of 710.3 sq km and home to nearly 5 million people, Singapore is indeed one of the smallest nations in the world. But don't let its size deceive you because there are so much more to see and explore in this very diverse country. In fact, it could be for this reason that it is largely becoming a favorite tourist destination in Asia. After a good many travels to the lion city and then finally relocating, I must confess that I've started to appreciate the country even more. Now, I even have my personal list of the must visit places here. Some friends and relatives started asking me of this inquiry so I decided to come up with a reference that can be a traveler's guide as well. Herewith are my top picks worthy of a visit in the island city-state:

1. SENTOSA - this is the island that's truly a pride of Singapore. Visiting this place is a complete adventure to be had. Actually, a day is not enough to explore it completely. The choice of attractions will depend on the kind of adventure you like and the company you are with. Among the popular though are Underwaterworld, Songs of the Sea, Imbiah Look Out, Siloso and Palawan Beach and Butterfly Park. For the more daring ones, the Megazip Adventure Park awaits you.
2. RESORTS WORLD SENTOSA and 3. UNIVERSAL STUDIOS SINGAPORE - these are the newly opened and hottest attractions in town. The buzz has it that RWS is in close competition now to the popularity of the famous shopping district - Orchard Rd. For the casino afficionados and for the thrill seekers, these are the fitting choices. RWS claims to offer a multi-resort experience however, it's not yet 100% completed at the moment.

5. SINGAPORE ZOO - the zoological garden that is known to be the best yet in the whole world. Refer to previous post here for our own account of the experience. This is 2 thumbs up for me.


6. NIGHT SAFARI - a one of a kind experience that's how I would best describe visiting this place. This is definitely must try!

7. SINGAPORE FLYER - the best way to indulge into a panoramic view of the entire city. Refer to previous post here for more.

While I still couldn't get enough of the fun I had for hosting PPN last week, it's that time of the week again for it. This week's round up is being hosted by Ruth of Once Upon A Feast. I wonder what the pasta geniuses have brought at the table this time? As for me, I'm having something traditional, quick fix and in a way healthy. Among the first things that enticed me upon relocating to Singapore is the opulence of hotpot dishes. For a lot of reasons, it became a favorite dish at our new home. Primary to that, it's so easy to make and this is the kind of dish that actually gives you enough liberation in as far as cooking and ingredients to use are concerned. Also, it's a food for sharing ergo, great doses of laughters and stories can be thrown in while savoring it.

Making a hotpot can lead you to different options. You may have meat, poultry, seafood, vegetables, herbs, spices all at the same time. The possibilities are literally endless. For this particular version, I used seafood and vegetables.

1 med sized onion - chopped

4 cloves garlic - chopped

1 1/2 tbsp julienne ginger

1 pc ikan bilis broth cubes

3 tbsps canola oil

250 g prawns

100 - 200 g scallops

squid balls (amount to your liking)

crabsticks (amount to your liking)

cabbage or any green leafy vegetables

1 small pack of enokitake mushrooms

chopped spring onion or coriander leaf for garnish

300 g udon noodles

4 - 5 cups of water

In a metal pot, saute onion, garlic and ginger in canola oil until fragrant. Add in ikan bilis broth cubes and allow to melt. Add water and let it boil. Add in all seafood ingredients, mushroom and noodles. Simmer for 2 -3 minutes. Add leafy vegetables and spring onion / coriander. Stir well and serve immediately.