Bun mam, a Southern Vietnamese dish

I have realized that I seldom talked about Vietnamese cuisine, besides a few popular dishes. This is quite strange as I like eating as much as shopping. Maybe it is because the huge backlog of my travel posts which I am trying to clear as quickly as possible.

I do not consider myself as a foodie. That requires a lot of knowledge and researches when eating and writing about a certain dish. I just like to eat good food. And good food to me might not taste so great to others, except for desserts. I am very confident in my sweet tooth. And very picky with which cakes/chocolate/snacks I consume. Every calorie counts after all.

Therefore, I can rarely recommend a good Vietnamese restaurant in Singapore. It is very frustrating to eat Vietnamese cuisine in this tiny island. The country is near to Vietnam, but hardly offers some decent places. At least, what I think good enough to pay more than 6 bucks for a bowl of beef noodles (known as "pho" to some). So once in a while, I will have to cook myself.

Yep, I do cook, if gasping is what you are doing. And I believe I cook quite well myself. I am just too lazy to cook more regularly. I do not like rice much, which is very strange for an Asian. I prefer noodles (especially those made from rice). And to have a delicious bowl of rice noodle soup, it takes some effort to churn out a good pot of soup. Only when I am in the mood, I will jump into the kitchen and cook some special Vietnamese dishes. This time, it is "Bun mam".

This is a less known dish from the South of Vietnam. It is particularly popular in the west of Southern Vietnam, i.e. Soc Trang, Bac Lieu, etc. In this region, it is also called "Bun nuoc leo" with different versions for different towns. However, there is always one common point, the soup.

Ah yes, the soup. This is what makes the dish so well-known with the local and might make foreigners walk away hastily. It is cooked from a variety of "salted fish" sauce and the smell of these sauces is very strong. Many people, even Vietnamese, could not stand the overwhelming smell. Some told me these sauces stank. So yeah, if you can't stand the smell, it must be hard to enjoy the food itself.

For my version of "bun mam", I use "mam ca linh" and "mam ca sac" to cook the stock. Then I add "ngai bun", a root which I think only those who know how to cook this dish have heard about it. And you must have it for the soup. If not, the dish will turn into "mam va rau", which could only be eaten with rice. After removing all the bones from those salted fish and other undesirable and unidentified things, I throw in some stalks of lemon grass to lessen the strong smell of the soup. At the same time, I fried some finely-chopped lemon grass and garlic to give the stock another extra kick of taste. About 5 minutes before turning off the fire, I add the above fried mixture and some eggplants into the soup. And it is ready to be served.

Due to limited resources in Singapore, I could only use squid, prawn and roasted pork as the main ingredients for my "bun mam". For the "bun" part, I buy thick bee hoon, or laksa noodles which is quite sufficient. After arrange all the ingredients into a big bowl to my liking, it is time to pour the soup in. And depending on personal liking, I will add Chinese garlic chives (he) and bean sprouts to the bowl. But it will definitely taste better with all the above ingredients. So if it is your first time to try this dish, you should try all of them and adjust your next bowl according to your taste.

Even though it has been more than 10 years since I cooked this dish, I seemed to retain my skills. If what my housemates reacted was true. And if you have a chance to try this dish, don't walk away because of the smell. Give it a try and you might have a new favourite Vietnamese dish.

Brugge eats - Drinking the best hot chocolate

I had very fond memories about chocolate in Brugge. It was cheap and available everywhere in the town. After 4 days there, I brought back quite a huge amount of chocolate that helped me to survive a travelling hangover. And of course, I had to try some hot chocolate when I was there.

I passed by Chocolaterie Sukerbuyc when finding my way to Minnewater. The claim of "The place to be to drink the best hot chocolate" sparked my interest. This shop had to have something to back up its confidence. So on my last day in Brugge, I stopped over and walked up the stairs to enter the café.

The shop was decorated in a quaint and lovely style. Colorful glass windows, wooden furniture and flowery tablecloth made me feel so happy. This was my favourite shop decoration. And it was hard to find such shops in Singapore and Vietnam. I had found one in Saigon but the whole atmosphere seemed so pretentious that I had had to leave after an hour.

I ordered the café's signature hot chocolate and a plate of waffle with butter. The food and drink were brought out promptly.

So what was so special about this drink that made it the best? Well, the white liquid in the white bowl was actually hot milk. And do you see the cup full of chocolate on the right-hand side plate? That cup was also made of chocolate. Before drinking, I had to put the cup and the chocolate inside it into the hot milk. Then stirring my mixture of milk and chocolate by using the mixing tool given. Until the chocolate was all melted into the milk. Tada, my hot choclate was ready to be drunk. And darn! It was so yummy that I had to share with my friends on Facebook. Yep, I was facebooking on my iPhone in the café as well. There was complimentary wifi for its guests. Couldn't bear to pay for the super duper expensive data roaming so I only went only if there was a free wifi connection around.

What about the waffle? Sad to say this but it was mediocre at best. I chose butter to go with my waffle and that was a big mistake. I should have chosen fresh/whipped cream. It would be a much better experience. Oh well, I went there for chocolate, not waffle after all. So I guess it was not a huge loss. So yeah, if you are around the town, don't hesitate, head to Chocolaterie Sukerbuyc and enjoy the best hot chocolate in town.

Boulangerie patisserie in Riquewihr

Two words to describe what I always feel when looking at these pictures: colorful and delicious.

"Delicious" here was more about smelling. I did not know why but I did not eat much cakes or sweets during this European trip. Breads and chocolate, yes, definitely. But cakes and other sweets, no. Whenever I stepped into a boulangerie patisserie, I could ooh aah over these beautiful cakes, but I never bought a single slice. Even when I was Paris. Except for macaroons, which is another story for another day (if I even get into that).

The same happened when I was in Riquewihr. I walked past this shop after the wine tasting session. The smell from the shop practically called to me. I stopped and back tracked to the shop. After ogling for a few minutes, I decided to buy something to eat, part of hunger and part of buying something when you were in a new place. And I was curious about Gugelhopf. So of course, I bought its smaller version. What did it taste like? Well, strangely enough, I could not recall much of the taste. I think I did not like it very much. That might be why I never bought it again when I got back to Strasbourgh.

Food aside, this boulangerie patisserie was a feast for vision. Why are cake shops in Singpore and Vietnam so boring?

Singapore eats - Chocolate truffles from "Truffs"

In case you have not figured out yet, I am a chocolate lover or chocoholics. There are always some kinds of chocolate in my fridge, be it a Marks & Spencer hazelnut milk chocolate bar, or Royce's Petite Truffe in Orange. When I feel a lack of energy or just plain bored, I would pop a piece of these goodies into my mouth. And immediately, I will feel much better. So yeah, I could safely say that I might not be able to live without chocolate.

There is another fact that I have quite a sweet tooth. That is why I don't really like those 70% dark chocolate. They are too bitter for my taste. I prefer my chocolate with nuts, especially with hazelnuts or macadamia. The best chocolate with hazelnuts I have ever tasted were from Belgium. I don't know what Belgians do with their chocolate, but they taste very delicious. In Singapore, for a cheap option, I could go to Marks & Spencer. For a more expensive price, I would say Beschle at B2 Taka (and only when these go on sale). Without nuts, only truffles would satisfy me.

For my normal chocolate truffles craving, I'd say Royce make a perfect snack. I usually get its Petite Truffe in Orange. The price is very reasonable, with $12.5 there are around 10 pieces of chocolate truffles. Two pieces a day and I am a happy girl. However, when I feel generous with myself or too stressed out, Truffs is where I would go to for the best stuff.

Even though the shop is located near Amoy hawker centre, it might be hard to find the place. The reason is the shop is on the second level of a shop house, where the door could be hidden by hungry office people queuing to buy lunch from the fish-head curry food house next door. Not to mention the fruit stall in front of the house. And that is during lunch time, when I normally go there. It can be very hot and crowded outside, but everything will be different once you walk up the store.

Inside the shop, it is very quiet and calm. Sometimes I could even be there when the staff was preparing for cakes. But don't be afraid, just tell them what you want, the staff would be happy to serve you. They would ask about your preference and then give you a sample to try. One of the reasons I like about Truffs is that the sample they give you is a whole piece of chocolate truffle. And 9 of these whole pieces are priced at 25 bucks. So yep, they are not stingy with the tasting at all.

The first time I went there, I tried Truffs' 55% équateur dark chocolate. Since then, I have gotten hooked with it. Very balanced between sweetness and bitterness, smooth and rich in texture. These morsels are heavenly. Just one piece and you feel happy and satisfied. That is what I call chocolate in its finest. Usually I would buy a box of 9 as I would like to finish them when they are still fresh. A box of 18 is a little cheaper but it is pretty hard to store in the fridge for me, and the taste might be spoilt when I could not finish them in time.

Another reason to call Truffs chocolate truffles an indulgence is that they are lovingly wrapped in a beautiful box. A simple but elegant design, with a white leather band to give it an appearance of a gift. This definitely makes a perfect present to anyone.

Besides "55% équateur", Truffs also offers "66% antilles" and "70% honduras" dark chocolate. But those two varieties are too bitter to my taste so I have never bought them. Maybe in the future, when my taste changes. Everything changes through time, so you never know.

A small note: this is not an advertorial. I am neither a food blogger nor a popular one. So there is no reason for any shops/restaurants to pay me to write. Whatever is written on my blog is purely personal opinions and experience. But do feel free to contact me if you would like to know more about anything mentioned on my blog.

Strasbourg eats - Drinking hot chocolate in a cold autumn afternoon

There is nothing better than drinking a hot chocolate in a cold day, be it autumn or winter. Of course drinking anything hot in cold weather is always wonderful. But hot chocolate is especially more heavenly due to its sweetness and chocolate-ness (yep, I created the word). Another reason is that I can't drink tea or coffee, meaning that hot choc is virtually my only choice.

While I was walking around Le Petite France, I came across this little coffee shop. It looked so lovely and cozy inside that even though I walked past it, I went back a couple minutes later. It also helped that I was thirsty and a little hungry at the time. Well, time for a sugar intake, I guess.

The cafe was decorated with books, porcelain tea sets and beautiful wallpaper. It is a very typical European coffee shop in my imagination. And I love it so much. There were seats upstairs, where you have to climb through a wooden stair. But as I had had an ankle sprain less than 2 months ago, I didn't want to risk my leg to go up. So I sat downstairs, by a window, looking at tourists walking by and enjoy a quiet afternoon in Strasbourg. Sadly I didn't have a book with me, and all the books and magazines in the cafe were in French. If there were, I think I would spend much more time here.

I ordered a cup of hot chocolate and a slice of flour-less chocolate cake. The drink was nice but not really special. In fact, it was better than most of the hot chocs I had had in the States the trip before. But compared with the one I had in Brugge later, it was just normal. And the cake was nothing to write home about. It was too sweet, even for a sweet-tooth like me. And I didn't like the texture of the cake either. I guess I understood why their tiramisu was sold out so quickly. But I did have my sugar intake for the day. Yep, just for the day as I only finished one third of the cake.

As usual, here are some shots of the cafe, the food and drink.

Happy 29

Nowadays, birthday is just a reason for me to pamper myself. To buy something extravagant, to dine in fine-dining restaurants or to buy tickets to a musical and a concert. When spending my hard-earned money, I usually have a guilt trip right before and after the moment handing out my plastics. So birthday is the best excuse, only followed by Christmas. And I no longer care about how old I am (or getting upset over aging). After all, age is just a number and I feel absolutely much better than when I was 21.

That day was all about me, aka I did everything alone. Unlike when I was young and loved to have a big birthday party with lots of friends, I prefer much few companies nowadays. I feel that I don't want to fake my laugh and waste my time on those who are just being there for the sake of being there. Trust me, it is a very tiring experience, for both host and attendees. You fake yourself enough while at work. You shouldn't do that in your private time, much less your birthday.

I had quite a full-day event scheduled, considered my saturdays always start at around noon. First I had a complimentary birthday make-over, in cutesy of Chanel. Then I treated myself a nice meal at Osteria Mozza, and then enjoyed myself with a musical. I had written about my experience of watching "The music of Andrew Lloyd Webber" previously, which means I will focus on the make-over and the dinner.

It was my second professional make-over experience and Chanel won my heart wholly. The staff was very polite without making me feel awkward. The make-up artist was knowledgeable and professional. Even though it was a complimentary session, I had a feeling that she didn't do any shortcut with my make-up. She even gave me some good tips on how to draw my eye brows or apply blush. There was no hard-sell of their products, and I personally think that was a very clever sales strategy. Making customers satisfied and happy and they will spend money in your brand. That was exactly what I did. I bought a liquid foundation at full price when I could buy it at a 20% discount elsewhere.

Here was I after the make-over

And Chanel even gave me a surprised birthday gift, which made it a much sweeter experience.

Guess what is it? A very elegant camellia bookmark

After the make-over, I headed to Osteria Mozza for a pre-theater dinner. I chose this restaurant for a few reasons. Firstly , it is located opposite the Grand Theater of Marina Bay Sands, which means I wouldn't need to rush after the meal (who knows how long it would take to finish a meal in these fine-dining establishments). Secondly, I was craving for Italian food. And thirdly, most important, they offer a reasonably-priced pre-theater dinner set meal.

The restaurant is having very good business. When I was there, it was almost full-house. And it was around 530pm at the time. Just imagine dinner time. Of course, I had to make reservation. I didn't want to feel disappointed on that day. And being turned away for your dinner is definitely a big no.

The decoration of the establishment is understated elegance with dark-wood furniture and warm lighting. The tables are spaced cleverly without making you feel like in a tuna can. I dislike hearing others' conversations during my meal. Sometimes I just want to enjoy the food and all I can think is what this guy learns from his culinary school. Well, it is nice to know that chefs think those who order well-done steaks are idiots. But I want to enjoy my tom yam noodles in peace, damn it!

The staff was polite and well-trained. And I was glad that they allowed to have photos taken in the restaurant. You never know which restaurants are snooty enough to forbid their customers from photographing in their premises. Overall, I did enjoy the food but except for the dessert, I don't think I will try the rest again. I am a tomato-base girl, and I won't feel satisfied with my pasta if it is a macaroni or the like. Well, trying to be adventurous had some price after all.

Osteria Mozza @ Marina Bay Sands

Table setting

A glass of wine to indulge myself

A sample complimentary from the chef

Appetizer: Burricotta with radicchio, spiced walnuts, honey & fried rosemary

Main dish: Orecchiette with sausage & Swiss chard

Dessert: Vanilla Panna Cotta mixed berry compote & biscotti

Of course, me dining at Osteria Mozza

Strasbourg eats - An Alsatian lunch

Since Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in northeastern France, it seems to be compulsory to have at least one Alsatian meal during my visit to the city. Well, at least that is what I think now. My research on food for this trip was extremely lacking, partly due to my ignorance in European history. The reasons I chose Europe over North America were the availability of air ticket, Vietnamese food in district 13 of Paris and the low exchange rate of Euro. So yeah, that sounds quite a bizarre and random set of reasons, but that was what drove me to Europe.

Anyway, I did do some digging on where to eat in Strasbourg, but for some reason, I just tried one place. The rest was just ignored. And I just chose randomly when it was time for lunch or dinner. Maybe I was too tired (due to the time difference and the change in season) to walk around looking for all those recommended restaurants.

I stumbled into this Alsatian restaurant on the last day of my visit. I was attracted to the place by the cute duck sculptures in front of the door. It was a very small restaurant with just one cook and one waitress. But the decoration was very homey with warm lighting and wooden furniture. It offered me warmth which was extremely welcomed on that day, when the weather was super cold for an autumn day.

Alsatian cuisine, strongly based on Germanic culinary traditions, is marked by the use of pork in various forms. This was reflected very clear in my lunch, Choucroute Garnie. There were sausages, fatty cut of pork meat, diced cabbage, potatoes, etc. The taste reminded me very much of German food I had had in Singapore previously. In a way, I felt I was eating German dish, and personally, German cuisine was not my most favourite food in the world. Luckily, I also ordered Crème brûlée for dessert and it helped to lessen my disappointment in that lunch. Again, I don't want to say that the food was bad, it was not just my cup of tea.






A small restaurant with a homey feeling

Table settings

Lovely plate which I would love to bring back as a souvenir

Warm bread for appetizer

Choucroute Garnie

Crème brûlée which I am craving for one now

Brugge eats - Bistro den Huzaar

This restaurant always came up when I searched for some good meals in Brugge. So I made a point to come here for a dinner, when I was around Markt. And of course, I was always around Markt at the end of the day because Markt is the easiest place to start your navigation around Brugge and it was on the way to go back to my hotel.

Now thinking about restaurants, Brugge was the place I ate in restaurants the most. Almost every lunch and dinner, and it was worth the money. And like I said before, I don't think about money when travelling. It's my comfort and enjoyment that count.

Back to Bistro den Huzaar. Even though it's near to Markt, it isn't very touristy or overpriced like the rest of the restaurants located at and around the square. Sure, it was expensive (the price is in Euro after all), but the food was great and the service was impeccable. The waitress was professional and she served me with a hint of warmness which I feel it often lacking in Singapore. No wonder it's so popular with tourists and locals alike.

I didn't make a reservation in advance, but I went there a little early. After 6pm, when every shops and museums close for the day. Maybe that was why I managed to get a table. During this trip, I had a tendency to have dinner early, in Strasbourg and Brugge. The reason is both places are small towns/cities, and after 6pm, there seems to be nobody on the street. And for a petite girl, that is quite scary sometimes. Paris is a different story. It's big city and I can handle big cities anytime, with caution of course.

Again, I couldn't remember the exact names of the dishes I ordered for that dinner. But there were raw oyster, wild boar cooked with cherry in a pot and some local beer. I definitely enjoy my meal a whole lot for I finished almost everything. That really says something as I didn't have much appetite during the trip. Something about my upset stomach. Proof is I didn't eat a slice of cake when I was in Paris.

Last but not least, some pictures to whet your taste buds and motivate you to visit Brugge.

Interior of the restaurant, very European and warm decoration

Fresh oysters to start a good meal

Complimentary appetizers to settle the stomach after that fresh but dangerous oysters

Brugge local bear, Zot (I think)

Wild boar cooked in cherry sauce. Yum!!!

Brugge - Window displays of chocolate shops

One thing about Brugge that always amazes me is the number of chocolate shops. For such a small city, there are so many chocolate shops which sell decent chocolate at a reasonable price. Well, we are talking about Belgium after all.

Price and taste aside, window displays of these stores were what made me having so much fun walking around those touristy streets. Once again, I was reminded that I was in Europe due to the liberation of the decoration. Designs based on seasons and holidays were quite normal to me. What was unusual was the variety of males and females' private parts on display. I am from Asia, and this is definitely a taboo to show anything even remotely related to those. That was why I was having so much fun taking photos and eating them. I didn't bring back home any though, too bad!

Here are some interesting window displays when I was there in Oct.


It was around mid Oct and Halloween was coming


An Asian-themed window display




Boobs for sale, anyone?


A picture says a thousand words


A dragon made of pure chocolate which had been shown in World Expo (in Shanghai) previously

Brugge eats - Oud Handbogenhof

I arrived to Brugge with an relief, after a tiring day of travelling from Strasbourg to Brugge with the French railway strike affecting my train schedule. But it was late in the afternoon, around 6pm, and the sky was getting darker, which made me feel a little forlorn. Luckily I had called the hotel manager in advance for late check-in. If not, it would be quite dangerous for me.

After unpacking and changing my clothes to a more comfortable outfit, I went out for dinner. At the time, I didn't really care how much I had to spend on a meal in Brugge. After a whole day of just eating sandwiches and drinking bottled water, I just wanted to have a good meal to mark my first night in Belgium. The hotel manager had kindly shown me a good restaurant near there. Remember, I didn't have many choices because I didn't want to go too far and get lost. So I followed his recommendation to Oud Handbogenhof.

The restaurant is literally around the corner. But as I followed the map (it has street names and I'm quite good at reading maps), I took a longer route. I only realized that there was a shorter route, after I finished my meal and walked back to the hotel.

Oud Handbogenhof has no outer decoration. Outside, it looks like any other residence houses. There is just a small signboard, and I had to squint to be able to read it. If not for the address and the name, I had missed it completely. However, once I walked inside, the atmosphere has totally changed. Very European decoration with wooden table and chairs and warm lighting. The restaurant is small, with about 5 or 6 tables, catering to a maximum of 20 guests in a go. This is a perfect place to have your dinner in autumn.

Small but busy restaurant

Lovely interior

I remember ordering a set dinner as I knew next to nothing about Belgian cuisine. It was a very good deal with an appetizer, a main course and a dessert. I asked for a mineral water to go with my meal as I wasn't in the mood for beer. Well, I didn't know about Kriek at the time so yeah... water was my first choice.

After this dinner, I realized that I have fallen in love with Belgian food. I prefer it to French cuisine. Maybe because I'm not a cheese person and the French really loves putting cheese in their cooking. For most of Belgian meals I had in Brugge, there were always hints of fruits in their main course, and this made the food more delicious. But, French foie gras and pate are always the best.

Simple but elegant table decoration

Mineral water in a posh bottle (didn't I look like I was drinking white wine?)

Yummy appetizer

Delicious main course (sorry I couldn't remember what it was)

Dessert: Strawberry sorbet (a perfect end for a great meal)