Lion City [On The Road: Singapore]

That's like putting your whole mouth right in the dip!

From now on, when you take a chip just take one dip and end it 

Timmy (Seinfeld episode “The Implant”) 

Singapore is an island country formed by 63 islands. I had the chance to visit the country thanks to my job. Once a fishing village today Singapore is a cosmopolitan city, with an amazing skyline, vibrant nightlife, and diverse cultures. 

Merlion

Sadly I didn’t have enough time to do a proper sightseeing, so I only can comment on shopping in the Orchard, the huge Singapore Flyer, walk the three quays (Robertson, Clark, and Boat) along the Singapore River to look for a bite or maybe some drinks, wander around Merlion Park and enjoy the lights and skyline of Marina Bay at night. On the other hand I got a better glimpse of their culinary scene. 

Seafood time

So let’s talk about food, as I got the chance to try a couple of the local specialities. 

The Japanese Ramen chain 

I visited Ippudo in one of my first stays, the chain originated in Hakata Japan and now with restaurants in 9 countries. The place is a noisy, I sat in the bar in front of the open kitchen and the chefs screamed every move they made. Plates and spoons as décor. I opened with a Shrimp bun, nice the bun was fluffy, shrimp nicely battered, lettuce gave texture and crunchiness, and the mayo hold it together. Finally, I had to try the Ramen pork belly, broth was pretty nice, noodles gave depth, pork belly finely sliced, overall great flavours. 

Ipuddo

Ramen

Shrimp bun

Ippudo

T: +65 6235 2797

Ramen Bar

Area: Orchard

Singapore
Twitter: ippudosg

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The Hainanese at the Hawker Centre 

Hawker Centres are opened air food courts originated in the 50s nearby housing areas or transport hubs selling inexpensive food. I ended in Maxwell Food Centre thanks to Anthony Bourdain, specifically looking for Tian Tian stall to get their Hainanese Chicken Rise. Bad news for me the stall was closed, but as I was over there I had to try it, so I look around and ended a couple stalls away in Tong Fong Fatt.

Tong Fong Fatt

Maxwell Hawker Centre

The Chicken Rise is a quite simple dish but laborious one, boneless pieces of chicken, white rice pre-fried in chicken fat and cooked with chicken broth, soy sauce, chilli and ginger. As a side a bowl of the chicken broth. The technique to create the dish is explained in Bourdain’s episode, but basically first you boil the chicken until it is cooked, then immediately soak it into cold water to stop the cooking process and ensure the chicken is tender, and you easily can separate the meat from the skin, keeping a layer of fat. 

Chicken

Hainanese Chicken Rice

Chicken rice was really tasty, I don’t have any other to compare but it’s a nice and cheap meal I would recommend to try if you’re in Singapore. 

Chicken time

Tong Fong Fatt
Chinese cuisine
Area: Redhill
Singapore

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The Chilli Crab 

One thing I was obsessed was with the Chilli Crab, yes the highlight of Singapore culinary creations. I checked where were the best places to have it, and what type of crab I had to order. Wandering around you can see the many options you have Alaskan, Australian, Sri Lankan, King Crab, Snow Crab, and so on. I ended in Long Beach and got the traditional chilli crab and the restaurant specialty the black pepper crab. Both with Sri Lankan crabs following Bourdain’s recommendation. It was by far the best thing I ate, the chilli crab with the tomato and chilli notes, a mix between mild spicy notes and sweetness. Toasted buns were at hand so you can dip and double dip the amazing sauce. The black pepper one, a bit bolder on the spiciness, but overall lighter as there is no sauce. Great food, crab and beer a combination from heaven.

Chilli Crab time

Chilli Crab

Black Pepper Crab

Long Beach
T: +65 5323 2222
Seafood
Area: Dempsey Hill
Singapore
Twitter: longbeachseafd

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Wien Schnitzel Time [On The Road: Vienna]

Tell that to Bobby Colby. All that kid wanted to do was go home. Well he went home all right, with a crater in his colon the size of a cutlet. Had to sit him on a cork the eighteen-hour flight home! 

Frank Costanza (Seinfeld episode “The Fatigues”) 

One thing I was looking forward to eat in Vienna was to eat schnitzels. A couple days before my trip I saw in Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservation episode how he ended eating a cordon blue schnitzel in Naschmarkt. You have no idea how many nights I dreamed about having this thin tender meat slightly hammered, coated with flour, breadcrumbs, and fried. 

The one in Naschmarkt 

Naschmarkt is apparently the most popular market in Vienna, a central aisle in a two way street full of food, produce, and other stuff. The market dates from the 16th century and it’s one of the city attractions. 

Produce at the market

I got to the place thanks to Bourdain, in his episode he went to this amazing stall called Urbanek and then to a butchery nearby and got a humongous schnitzel. But for me all went south as Urbanek was closed on holidays, and the stall that made the cordon blue was no more open for business. We decided to give it a try in another stall, S’Wiener Naschmarkt Beisl, nothing to do with their sign saying it was the best schnitzel in town, but what was our surprised when we found out that our waitress Elizabeth was Venezuelan, and also she was the one that cooked the schnitzel in the No Reservation episode. She basically told us when she hear me complaining about Urbanek holidays and not being able to find the other place. 

Urbanek

Elizabeth mentioned how tourists still recognise her from the couple seconds she is on the screen in the episode, and then went to explain the differences between the cordon blue she used to make and the one we were going to have. Basically the other one was more expensive as they used a better cheese and ham, and also it was bigger. 

At our table

The veal cordon blue was ok, good flavour, decent size, to e honest nothing memorable apart from Elizabeth friendly service, it helps to be Venezuelan, but she went the extra mile, giving us even recommendations on trips outside the city. 

Cordon Blue

S'Wiener Naschmarkt Beisl

Viennese Beisl

Approx Damage: €20pp

Area: Mariahilf

Vienna

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The one really famous 

Figlmuller queues reminded me the ones in London to have Shake Shack and Five Guys these days. We went three times, and the last one during lunch was the only one we were luck to find a table. One thing though, they have a bigger place around the corner from the original place in Bäckerstraße, but we didn’t notice until the last day and we decided to go to the original in Wollzeile. 

Figlmuller

Wollzeile

The place is an institution in Vienna, home of the schnitzel for more than 100 years. Fourth generations of Figmullers keeping the tradition that started in 1905. A wine tavern to celebrate the Viennese way of life, and a menu making tribute to the traditional schnitzel. 

The place

Our view

The way to describe it is humongous. The schnitzel measures 30 centimetres. They made it from pork, and it’s beautiful. Tastes great, well executed, it’s tender, and the coating is golden crispy. Definitely worth the wait, just remember no beers in the place only wine from Figlmuller’s vineyards. 

Schnitzel time

Rose

Ready to go

Figlmuller
T: +43 1 512 61 77
Viennese Beisl
Approx Damage: €22pp
Area: Innere Stadt
Vienna
Twitter: Figlmuller

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The one by luck 

In one of the occasions when we avoided the suicidal queues of Figlmuller, I went to the Lonely Planet guide and decided to give it a try to a local Beisl nearby. The place Beim Czaak, opened in 1926, fourth generation of Czaak family, offering traditional Viennese cuisine. 

The place

Candlelit terrace

We got our table in the terrace just in front of the place, a fence closed square with tables and covered by a huge umbrella. Their cordon blue is on pork again, deep-fried filled with ham, cheese, onions, and mushrooms. What you could call the Calzone of Austrian. It was amazing, the filling was top notch, great flavours, perfect execution, lovely place in the Innere Stadt. I'm just going to say it's a must to go there.

Cordon Blue

Beim Czaak
T: +43 1 513 72 15
Viennese Beisl
Approx Damage: €24pp
Area: Innere Stadt
Vienna

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Hominy, Humming [On The Road: Charleston]

I couldn't leave Charleston without going to Hominy Grill. The place is a landmark if you want to try Southern cuisine, home food, like the one some grandma in Charleston used to prepare, no cans, all made from scratch from local ingredients. The Kitchen under the command of James Beard Award winner chef/owner Robert Stehling (Best Southeast Chef in 2008). On top of that Anthony Bourdain visited the place in the No Reservations episode “South Carolina” to enjoy the big nasty. 

Hominy

The place

Love the place, warm, rustic, white, simple country side décor. It is so good I went twice one for lunch the second chance for breakfast. First stop got a cup of the chicken and sausage gumbo with jasmine rice, nice, good seasoning, as side boiled peanuts in salt water, they were superb, completely different, finally the dark side of the moon of the southern cuisine shrimp and grits, excellent flavour, nice heath, the bacon went amazing with the shrimp, shrimps cooked to perfection, the grits remind me a homemade polenta, excellent dish, nothing pretentious but full of flavour. 

Inside

Decor

Gumbo and peanuts

Shrimp and grits

Second stop big nasty time, just awesome, chicken nicely battered and fried, biscuit was puffy and spongy, cheddar to add more flavour to the combination, sausage gravy was pretty good, and all together was complete harmony. 

Big Nasty © www.inspirespacemagazine.com

Great food in a great place as Charleston. 

Grill

Gumbo time

By know I'm sure you know what Shrimp reminds me, yes the Seinfeld episode “The Comeback” 

Bill: Well, if the big man wants a new scoreboard, I don't want to be the one to tell him no 

Reilly: No one in the park is going to be able to see it from there 

George: Well, why don't we just put a monitor in his skybox? 

Reilly: Hey George, the ocean called. They're running outta shrimp

Hominy Grill

T: +1 843 937 0930

Approx Damage: $35pp

Area: Peninsular Charleston

Charleston

Twitter: HominyGrill

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A Butcher named Link [On The Road: New Orleans]

I do remember how I got to this place, it was definitely Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations episode in NOLA. Chef Donald Link invited Tony to his restaurant Cochon, but I decided to try his light version Butcher. A tribute to old world butcher and charcuterie shops, simple menu, sandwiches, charcuterie, wine, and cocktails. Chef Link, James Beard award winner for Best Chef South, and nominated for Outstanding Chef, even his cookbook won best American cookbook.

Menu

Warhol waiting

Got to the place with a couple colleagues before leaving NOLA, we got a charcuterie plate to share, and after hesitating a lot choosing my sandwich I went for the traditional muffuletta. The board was great, the different cuts, cured meats, full of flavours, fresh, just great. The Muffuletta was amazing, the texture was incredible, the main difference is they heated a bit in the oven, giving the bread crunchiness, and again fresh house meats and the olive salad was perfect combination. 

Meat on board

Muffuletta

Close up

No reservations so get early to enjoy fresh cuts and house made meats. 

Counter

Pastrami

Knife art

Butcher reminds me the Seinfeld episode “The Wink” 

Jerry: Hey, salad's got nothing on this mutton 

Holly: That is so funny. Did you just make that up? 

Jerry: I wish I could take credit for it. It's actually the line my butcher uses when we're chewing the fat. How about that beautiful desk over there? 

Holly: That was in Grandma's study 

Elaine: What did you do, ransack the place after she died? 

Jerry: This is some fine mutton

Butcher

T: +1 504 588 7675

Sandwich shop

Approx Damage: $25pp

Area: Warehouse District

New Orleans

Twitter: cochonbutcher

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The Original Po'Boy [On The Road: New Orleans]

One thing for sure I wanted try while in NOLA was a po'boy, the traditional subway style sandwich from Louisiana. Baguette style, crispy crust and soft centre, filled with anything you can imagine from meat to fried seafood. The place to go, no other than Domilise's, I heard about the place thanks to Mr Bourdain, in his episode of No Reservations in New Orleans, he goes there and tries a special sandwich that only the locals know about, and now also the millions of viewers that watched the show. 

Domilise's

The place is quite modest, a bit far from the city, I went using the street cars, took me a while to get there, I should have taken the car. Family run, in a corner on a desolated street, full of pictures and memorabilia, the staff will make you feel like you’re home, I think they are all family, extremely friendly, I got quite late, ate my sandwich had a beer, and called a taxi, the taxi took long time, they offer me a free beer, and the bartender even offer me a ride back to the city. 

Street car

Tables

I ordered the “secret” one, the one that no one knows, fried shrimp, Swiss cheese, and roast beef gravy, fully dressed, that means the tomato sauce, mayo, pickles and shreded lettuce, just awesome! Prepared front scratch in front of you, flavour is great, the spices of the tomato sauce, the powerful gravy, shrimp perfectly cooked, simple comfort food well executed. 

Po'boy time

Close up

Shrimp reminds me the Seinfeld episode “The Comeback” 

Reilly: So, George. You're proposing a snow tyre day at Yankee Stadium? 

George: Long as they don't throw them on the field. Help yourself to some shrimp, I brought enough for everybody 

McAdam: I have to say this, this proposal doesn't make a whole lot of sense 

George: Well, you never know. Let's see how many I can fit in my mouth 

Reilly: You know, George, the ocean called. They're running out of shrimp 

George: Oh yeah, Reilly? Well, the jerk store called, they're running out of you 

Reilly: What's the difference? You're their all-time best seller! 

George: Yeah? Well, I had sex with your wife 

McAdam: His wife is in a coma

Domilise's

T: +1 504 899 9126

Sandwich Shop

Approx Damage: $20pp

Area: Uptown

New Orleans

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