A Splendid Hainanese Lunch - Soul Food That Is Homecooked Food At Its Best!

11.45 and we were on the way up when Soundman's call came through. "Is it the right address? No one seems to be answering the door."

And as we were getting into the lift, the signature aroma of Hainanese Chicken Rice was already infiltrating the entire block, all the way down to the first floor. Yes, we knew we were in for a real treat today. And then some.

Malaysia Boleh - Penang Chendol and KL Wanton Mee

We had originally wanted to visit the Power Nasi Lemak at Boon Lay, but it was closed for the day. Well, funny how some things turn out, but we eventually ended up at Jurong Point's Malaysia Boleh and was thrilled to find some gems there.

For those who are not in the know, Malaysia Boleh is a new food court concept started by the people behind Fei Siong, and while you may have some reservations over their other offerings, Malaysia Boleh is an altogether different proposition.

Vietnam Splendor - The Scooter City of Hanoi

The city of Hanoi is literally filled with scooters. Cars are utterly swamped with the weaving in and out of scooters on every corner and every junction of the city.

From a visual standpoint, the traffic here seems even more dense than that of Bangkok, but for some reason, it never seems chaotic. In fact, there is some weird order in chaos voodoo magic working in the streets.

Yusof Arni's - Cooking With Heart and Soul

I get cynical when people tell me they are cooking with their heart and soul, as I always discover that those that really do so do not need to trumpet so loudly the essence of genuine cooking.

Cooking with real heart and passion is about the actual delivery on the plate, not a slogan you need to brand. And thankfully, this is what I got from the couple that is Yusof and Arni, and at their humble eatery at Far East Plaza, appropriately called Yusof Arni's.

Rilassi at Eunos

Chef Peter's success at Pietro has allowed him to start his 2nd outlet, this time near Eunos and simply called Rilassi, which is the Italian word for relax.

And relaxing it is, situated at a corner of a 2 storey shophouse, it is not air conditioned and yet it is fully comfy and cool for an alfresco like eatery.

Vietnam Splendor - The Video

Vietnam is an incredible country and the Vietnamese is an incredible people. You see it on travel shows all the time, but until you get to the heart of Vietnam, and travel through the cities and its villages, you will not fully appreciate how beautiful the country of Vietnam is.

So often, Singaporeans have relied on tour groups to visit foreign countries, but trust me, Vietnam is a place best experienced if you travel there on your own, and let the adventurous side of you take over.

Indonesian Delights - Exquisite Food in a Kopitiam

Hidden away in one corner of a rather obscure Tampines coffeeshop is this rather delightful discovery of Indonesian cuisine. Yes, it may be housed in a kopitiam, but the lady owner serves up some rather delicious dishes.

And she has only been at it for a couple of months, and business has been slow due to its rather quiet location. Nevertheless, this place is something to shout about.

Bishan White Bee Hoon - A Touch of Finesse

Since posting my own home version of the original Sembawang white bee hoon recipe, I thought it might be interesting if I could refine it and elevate to something that would not look and taste out of place in a fine dining establishment.

In doing so, my recipe has been modified and I have since named this version my definitive Bishan white bee hoon. It adds a couple of extra ingredients and coupled with a more elegant plating, it is now a favorite of Pauline's.