a little bite of everything

A coconut ice cream with sticky rice

I love this dessert. It tastes like the real thing. Coconut ice cream and sweet sticky rice, just like my grandmother would prepare it. The place is the best and most authentic Thai restaurant in town. The owners, cooks and staff are all native Thai. Even most customers are Thai –or can order in Thai (if you can't, just point at the pictures on the menu and smile, that will do). It’s a low-key, family-friendly place, where almost everybody is a regular (or will soon become one). House specialities include Thai green curry chicken, pad thai and catfish salad. The tom yum soup is delicious, although very spicy. Advise them in advance if you can’t take spicy food… although they might not take it into account. Don’t expect great service or ambience, unless you’re a regular, then it’s fantastic (I've already said that I loved personalized treatment, that’s why I tend to go to the same places over and over again.). You’ll really have the feeling you’re in Bangkok: it is not all-clean and all-safe like the rest of Singapore but (or rather, therefore) it’s definitely worth the trip and adventure.

 

Diandin Leluk

Golden Mile Complex

Beach Road, Singapore

A rye bread sandwich

A simple but perfect sandwich. Supernatural, healthy, seasonal ingredients wrapped in delicious handmade fresh baked bread, almost made-to-order. No chemicals or preservatives. If you're looking for a rich, ever-changing variety of tasty fresh breads or a quick healthy snack in London, GAIL's is the place. On top of that, the service is great. PS: You should know that Portobello GAIL's basement is as cosy and inspiring as a good coffee-place, but I would only recommend it if you're not claustrophobic (there's no window) and if you're not a Starbucks fan (if there is such thing as NOT being a Starbucks fan).

 

GAIL's Notting Hill

138 Portobello Road

London, UK

An egg and onion prata

After an ordinary yet fabulous dinner on a low-key foodcourt in "Malaysia", a sightseeing tour at Mustafa Center, an impromptu pre-before-party at Q.'s condo, a before party with my French mates in Le Noir at Clark Q, a swift pass-through at OverEasy, an inevitable, glorious visit to Hernán at the Zouk, a foolish stop at the Living Room… our late-night (rather, early-morning) meal at Spize felt just right! To me, this is the ideal laid-back afterparty place, where you can sit down, relax, chat freely, meet other hungry late night crawlers... and grab some gorgeous food. The extensive menu mainly offers Asian dishes such as the Indonesian nasi goreng (fried rice), Malaysian murtabak (minced mutton pancake) or this Singaporean egg and onion roti prata (a pancake bread, that stems from Pakistani and Indian cuisine and is usually served with curry, 2.50 SGD ie 1.25€) that tastes simply fantastic –and is adequately filling at this hour of the night. (Now I wonder, what food is NOT fantastic at 5.30am when you've been clubbing all night -on high heels on top of that?). Spize is also the perfect place when you're eating out in a large group, or when you're on your own and don't have an idea of what you're up for. PS. this post is dedicated to my beloved T. for repeatedly and relentlessly showing me that Singapore nightlife had nothing to envy HK or BKK for.

 

Spize Concepts

336 Bedok Road

Singapore

Tel 6734 9194 (home delivery is available)

A wet market

This is it, I thought. It can't get better than this. This IS the wonderland of good food I dream of and travel miles and miles for. Talad Nam Don Wai ie Don Wai wet market is a mesmerizing, chaotic and extensive food market parked on the banks of the Nakhon Chaisi River, located in Nakhon Pathom Province, 40mn from BKK by car -that is, if you leave very early in the morning. Like any food market, it is the local supply for the freshest veggies, spices and tropical fruits. But there are also loads of one-man stands where absolutely superb boiled ducks, spring rolls, deep-fried king prawns, grilled freshwater fishes (mostly carps and catfishes), egg-fried noodles, coconut pancakes, fried bananas, sticky rice with durian (my favorite) and so forth, are cooked, sold, and eaten. I bought as much food as I could carry. And when I got tired of watching, photographing and buying food, I stopped to eat at one of the many joints that lined the river. I had a traditional Thai meal composed of small portions of minced fish salad, green papaya salad, spicy pork sausages and these notably peculiar, salty, grilled crispy duck beaks, enjoying a very fine view on the river. Then I bought a living fish that I set free in the river, for it brings luck according to Thai beliefs (as if I could possibly get any luckier.).

 

Talad Nam Don Wai

Amphoe Sam Pran, Nakhon Pathom Province

Thailand

A roti

 

Most guidebooks would recommend avoiding hotel restaurants. We like things simple and nice, especially when we travel. Hotel restaurants, bad. Bottled water, good. I'm not saying that guidebooks aren't useful -as a matter of fact, Lonely P. is my most indispensable travel companion. My point is: guidebooks are to be used like recipe books, i.e. more like a source of information/ inspiration than a roadmap to be rigorously followed. Actually, I love hotel restaurants. In France I love grabbing the freshest bread and pastries before checking out. In Singapore, I love the chic and cosy St Regis Continental restaurant (especially the make-your-own miso soup cooking station). In Bangkok, I love Baiyoke Hotel Sky restaurant on 76th floor for breakfast. Ok, that's Thailand's tallest tower, if you're interested. And the view is spectacular. But the breakfast there is like a big multi-cultural party. You'd be served a large variety of top quality, fresh, made-to-order European, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Muslim and Thai food. I had this glorious Indian roti, which was made from a small ball of wheat flour and water dough that was rolled out and then partially cooked on a hot griddle and then finished directly over high heat with astonishing agility from the cook. I had it with a tea spoon of honey. It surely tastes better in India but I haven't been there, so until I go there and have a better roti, this one will set the bar.

 

Baiyoke Sky Hotel

222 Rajprarop Road, Rajthevee

Bangkok, Thailand

A little bite of everything

      

This is a little bite of FUN, as if all the dishes had been created and hand-crafted in a way to ignite your emotions and sense of adventure.

 

This is a little bite of JOY, when you get the chance to taste a few (too many!) gorgeous "surprises du Chef" that you didn't order.

 

This is a little bite of EXCELLENCE, where the "mets" are handled, served and introduced to you with a sense of humility and great professionalism.

 

This is a little bite of BEAUTY, where various disciplines such as design, architecture and even chemistry are combined with refinement to produce ephemeral pieces of art like this irresistible Zen-inspired creation (the most compelling thing about it being that none of the ingredients composing this pre-dessert, namely aubergine, badiane, basilica and balsamic vinegar, is of Japanese origin).

 

This is a little bite of LOVE -what else?-, for you get the feeling that every little dish has been prepared by someone who meant to make you happy.

 

This is a little bite of EVERYTHING that is worth living for.

 

Château Cordeillan-Bages

Route des Châteaux

Pauillac, France

A wonton noodle

 

With its impressive concentration of magnificent skyscrapers, its stunning wildlife and its vibrant streetlife, Hong-Kong is always literally draining my energy away… although I'm essentially a city girl. Indeed, I feel comfortable in perennially busy and cramped places, I'm fascinated by the mysterious beauty of subway maps and I don’t mind queuing all the time (for I take every wait  as an opportunity to meditate or to contemplate. That’s why waiting is one of my favourite hobbies.). The truth is, I'm quite good at finding bubbles of quietness in the middle of dynamic, chaotic metropolises like Hong-Kong, be it in a Buddhist temple in Bangkok, a roof-top terrace in Paris or this very noodles shop located on one of Hong-Kong's busiest streets. Tsim Chai Kee's home-made wonton noodle is traditionally served in steaming hot soup and garnished with leafy vegetables and shrimp wontons (dumplings). On the menu you'll find 3 types of noodles: King Prawn Wonton Noodle (see picture), Fresh Minced Fish Ball Noodle and Fresh Sliced Noodles (1.60 euros for each soup, or 2.40 euros for the 3 topplings). Don't expect any particular attention from the staff and don't be offended if you're asked to share your table with other customers. Napkins are to be purchased at the counter before ordering. A great place for a delicious, cheap and filling bowl of soup for snack or dinner, and about as local as it gets. 

 

Tsim Chai Kee

98 Wellington St

Hong-Kong

A tamago sushi

 

 

Paris is very neighborhoody, so you have your favorite little places on your patch. As a matter of fact, I tend to go shopping and dining in my district exclusively: I’d go to l’Enoteca for fabulous wines, Mariage Frères for fine tea, Malineau for their delicious pain au chocolat, Verger Saint Paul for their incredible choice of quality hand-picked fruits –and friendliness. However, I do take a 24  minute-subway trip for those incredible tamago sushis (sweet egg omelette). You know why? Because they're so... true. The simple decor, the authentic menu, the lovely Japanese staff, the perfect shape, taste and consistence of the nighiri sushi make me feel as if I were back to a noisy eatery in a small street close to Ueno station in Tokyo, where I used to live. Toritcho is the place where I go when I’m in Paris and I get lonely and I want to have real sushis prepared in the traditional way by Japanese sushi masters. And I love their counter too, where the watching of sushimen’ hands preparing sushis is a delight.

 

Toritcho

47, rue du Montparnasse

75014 Paris

tel +33 1 43 21 29 97

A cheeseburger

This is not the most delicious, delicate, perfect cheeseburger I have ever had. I can’t talk about this one because one of my dearest friends asked me to keep it secret. I was so flattered by his imagining that there are people who would actually read my posts and go as far as to follow my recommendations that I agreed not to mention it. Burger Joint’s cheeseburger is not as good but is still one of the best I’ve had in New York. Funnily enough, the tiny, unpretentious place is hidden behind a velvet curtain in the lobby of an exclusive French hotel in Midtown. You may have trouble finding it, except if you see the line coming out of the hallway.  Despite its unusual location, the joint, which simply consists in a few booths, a counter and an open kitchen (or rather, a grill), is very popular among locals and tourists and quickly gets packed and loud. Avoid the peak hours if you can: you’d still have to wait but you may get a table if you’re lucky. With its single menu above the counter that only offers burgers (5.50 USD for a cheeseburger), drinks, fries (2.50 USD) and brownies (1.50 USD), Burger Joint is a typical fast-food place, only nicer. To limit the wait they’ll tell you how to order as fast as possible (the rules are written on a cardboard above the counter): first you decide between a hamburger and a cheeseburger (with Cheddar cheese), second you choose the meat temperature and last, you choose what you want in the burger (lettuce, onions, tomato, pickles, ketchup, mayonnaise, and/or mustard). Or just say “THE WORKS” if you want everything! The meat is juicy and thick and rightly tastes like BBQ-grilled meat, the buns are soft and all the ingredients are fresh. What else can you ask for? Enjoy till it lasts and order another one.

 

Burger Joint at Parker Meridien

118 W. 57^th St

New York

A cheesecake

 

It is no secret to my friends that cheesecakes rank among my top 5 favourite desserts. All things considered, I’ll go as far as to say that cheesecakes are my ultimate favourite desserts (as of today. This may -this will- change.). Cheesecakes are very popular in NYC: they are listed on every Italian or American/ Continental menu. I even found it in a Mexican restaurant! They are so many different cheesecake recipes, but NYC cheesecake is usually invariably made of cream cheese, egg, sugar, vanilla and heavy cream. Obviously I couldn't resist to step into this cute little shop "EILEEN SPECIAL CHEESECAKE", which immodestly claimed to make “the Best Cream Cheesecake in New York". I had the traditional strawberry-covered cheesecake (see picture, 3.5 USD), which was the lightest, most perfectly balanced and tasty cheesecake I had ever had. I cannot say whether it’s the best cheesecake in NYC (as I haven’t tried all of them) but to be sure, the one I had was the best I ever had so far. The shop’s range of cheesecakes is amazingly varied and beautifully presented. Along with the traditional fruit-covered cheesecakes (blueberry, pineapple, strawberry, cherry or an assortment of the 4 of them), you’ll find an original range of flavoured cheesecakes, with cookies and cream, peanut butter or more surprisingly, pina colada cheesecakes. You can enjoy your individual serve of cheesecake in the little shop or take it away, but you can also order a cake for 12-16 people to be delivered.

EILEEN SPECIAL CHEESECAKE

17 Cleveland Place (Kenmare Street)

SoHo, NYC, USA