Singapore - Dec 08
I normally cherish winter here in Europe. I look forward to the cold crisp air, the snow on the ground, and the Christmas markets. But in August last year, maybe as a sign of aging bones, I wanted warmth. I wanted sun rays blazing on my skin. I wanted tan lines on my neck. I booked tickets home.
We always transit in Singapore for a few days on the way home. What to do in Singapore? Eat, of course. Our friends enthusiastically ferried us around the various restaurants and hawker centres. Upon landing, we were whisked into Long Beach at Dempsey for a reunion with colleagues disguised as a corporate dinner. All I remember from that encounter was the black-pepper crab. Unlike the typical black-pepper crab with its gooey and black sauce, this one was a whole crab fried in a sea of cracked black-pepper. The crab meat was therefore peppery. The steamed prawn in herbal soup was also very delicious as the prawns were sweet and fresh. That dinner sated my craving for seafood.
In a hint of the frenzied eating we would do in the next two days, despite such heavy dinner, we retired to PS Cafe just up the hill. The cafe served great cakes and not so great coffee. It is also better to be there in the afternoon when the green foliage and soothing tropical atmosphere are visible. At night, it was just another modernist cafe lighted with candles and stocked with pretty people.
