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Tuesday, November 26, 2024
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You haven’t lived in Asia until you’ve tried these dishes

Food is a big thing in Southeast Asia. We’ve all tried Nasi Goreng, but what about the less familiar ones? Sometimes the really good ones are in restaurants that are no more than just a hole in the wall but you know they are good because the locals frequent them. If you are the kind of guy/ gal that likes to check these places out but don’t want to put a dent in your wallet, there is a way to do it on the cheap if you know how. Let’s start with these four:

1. Patin Pak Usop, Temerloh, Malaysia

Patin is such a signature dish in the country that it was even served to President Obama when he came to Malaysia. Temerloh, Pahang is THE place to go for you to sample the Patin or Silver Catfish. Cooked with durian, it can be an acquired taste to some, but those that love it say Pak Usop serves the best iteration of the dish. Temerloh is easily reachable, just hop on a bus or a plane to Kuantan and travel to Temerloh via bus or hired transports. Expedia and BusOnlineTicket can hook you up with travel an accommodations. For further discounts, Saleduck has coupons and deals available on their site to give you further reduction on your ticket prices.

2. Pempek Beringin, Palembang, Indonesia

Pempek, a savoury fishcake delicacy, is a must try if you visit Palembang, Indonesia. Served with yellow noodles and kuah cuko (vinegar sauce) it is the quintessential Palembang dish and can be eaten as a main course or as a snack. Pempek Beringin is one of the more popular joints and is worth a visit. Most direct way to Palembang is via a 1.5 hour flight from Singapore, with about 5 flights to the city a week. Bookings can be made via Expedia to find the most economical flight option.

3. Buffalo Thai Restaurant, Ko Lipe, Thailand

Not exactly serving traditional dish, but if you are having some fun in the sun in Ko Lipe, check out Buffalo Thai for the best burgers in town. With quite a decent menu on offer, it is their Mega Burger that fans has been waxing lyrical about all over the internet. With fluffy sesame buns and and amazingly juicy patty covered in melted cheese, it is just way to good to pass over. Easiest way to get to Ko Lipe from Singapore is via Langkawi Island. AirAsia has daily flights to Langkawi from Singapore and once you arrive in Langkawi, you can take the ferry to Ko Lipe at the jetty which is only 10 minutes from the airport. Pro tip: Check out Saleduck’s AirAsia page for further discounts for your flight ticket.

4. Bun Cha Dac Kim, Hanoi, Vietnam

People say that when you go to Hanoi, don’t forget to eat Bun Cha. There are 2 places that are famous for their Bun Cha in Hanoi and their names are almost similar. The only thing differentiating them is the colour of their awnings, one blue and one orange. Both have great Bun Cha, but I think their spring rolls are more special. You may think that spring rolls are a “taste one and you’ve tasted them all” sort of affair. Not so in Hanoi. It used to be that a new bride is judged by how well she could roll spring rolls so you know that there is something really special about the rolls here. Hundreds of netizens have vouched on how good they are. If this has piqued your curiosity and you want to make your way over, there are many decent accommodations for you to choose from. Check out Saleduck’s discounts for hotels to get you an even better deal for your bookings.

There you have it, 4 interesting foodie places that you can check out in South East Asia. Most of the time, these places are not one of the fancier ones that you can find, but the most important thing is that the locals vouch for them and their prices are relatively decent, perfect for that budget trip you are concocting. Others may disagree, but that’s the beauty of the whole exercise, to become passionate about food in the region and creating your own opinions. And in that, I think I am successful.

4 Tips For The Right Health Insurance

1. Get The Right Level Of Cover

Knowing you have medical insurance that provides adequate coverage is one important factor that can help you feel at ease. Determine your level of coverage comfort zone: basic, medium or comprehensive. In Singapore, a basic policy will cover hospitalization and inpatient costs, including surgery. The next tier will usually cover outpatient services (GP), but excludes specialists and restricts you to a specific list of local primary care doctors. Comprehensive plans typically cover all your medical expenses and will rarely leave you out-of-pocket by reimbursing costs for specialists, dental, maternity, physiotherapy and/or routine screenings.

2. Alleviate Exposure To Financial Risk

The treatment costs for the unexpected can be exorbitant. You need to know if you are adequately protected should you be diagnosed with a critical illness or require treatment after an unforeseen accident. If you are underinsured, the bill will fall to you for payment once your expense limits are exhausted. Top-Up health insurance is available for employee health benefits program holders and their families. Usually these benefit programs only offer minimum coverage for the policy holder with little or no support for major accident or crucial illness expenses.

Private hospital stays in Singapore average $500 per night and should you be admitted to the ICU, you are looking upwards of $600-$900 per night for the room charges alone before including any treatment costs. This is why we buy medical insurance: to protect ourselves from the financial burden of hefty hospital bills when life throws us a curve ball.

3. Understand Hidden Exclusions

Within your medical policy, your advisor will point out any hidden exclusions that will leave you vulnerable to large, uncovered medical expenses. The most common exclusion is pre-existing conditions. Depending on the type of condition and severity, insurers may offer to include the condition by charging an additional premium. In many cases, this additional charge is less than if you were to bear the costs of the condition out of pocket.

Also keep in mind, pregnancy and newborn insurance come with a waiting period of 12-24 months. Often newborn babes need a little extra care and paediatric attention or spend time in neo-natal ICU for even minor matters like jaundice. Daily visits back to the doctor to check levels after discharge can be ongoing and expensive.

At Expat Insurance we have seen bills exceed $180,000 in the first 30 days for extreme cases. Even in routine delivery, typically the bills for baby will exceed $2,000 just for the routine care immediately following birth while in hospital 3-4 days.

4. One Plan Doesn’t Necessarily Suit All

For families, keep in mind that it is not necessary to put all members on the same plan or with the same insurer. The employed spouse may just need a top-up plan because work provides basic cover, the other spouse may have a pre-existing condition best served by another policy and, while the kids are healthy, they tend to frequent the doctor’s office for minor accidents and illnesses. Expat Insurance, Singapore’s leading brokerage for expatriates can provide this flexibility for you.

Expat Insurance Pte Ltd, Call +65 6401 9201 Email: info@expatinsurance.com.sg
20 Upper Circular Road, The Riverwalk, #B1-52, Singapore 058416
Web: www.expatinsurance.com.sg

Top 5 Healthy Food Deliveries

Healthy eating without the fuss – our pick of the top 5 healthy food deliveries.

1 Grain

Average cost per meal: $10.95 – $12.95
Delivery fee: $9.50 islandwide
A weekly rotation of healthy Asian and Western grub, complete with nutritional info on the box, is sent to your email weekly. Delivery is free around the CBD area.
grain.com.sg

2 Spinacas

Average cost per meal: $9-$17
Delivery fee: $4-$6 ($30 order minimum)
The salad delivery service with ten different dishes offers less carbs and more protein in their diet. Prepared daily, the meaty salads are delivered via red Vespa scooter.
spinacas.com

3 Fitthree

Average cost per meal: $12.90
Delivery fee: Free
This bi-weekly service caters to active gymgoers looking for three or five prepared meals designed by a dietician are delivered to your gym, ready to be heated and eaten.
fitthree.com

4 Food Matters

Average cost per meal: $7 – $10
Delivery fee: Free
The six meals each day are designed by a nutritionist, ranging from local to Western fare. The service works as a tiered subscription, from once a month to daily.
sg.foodmatters.me (checked on 8 June 2018 and no longer answers)

5 YOLO

Average cost per meal: $10.50 – $17.50
Delivery fee: $3 ($15 order minimum)
The restaurant’s menu serves up purpose to each dish – for example, ‘Energise’ with low GI meals, or ‘Build’ for high protein plates. There are smoothies up for grabs too.
yolofood.com.sg

10 Minutes with…Honor Harger, Executive Director at ArtScience Museum

  

You’ve been with ArtScience Museum for two years now. What a milestone to share with the new Future World exhibition.
Exactly! I was mentioning to a colleague that the media launch for the i Light two years ago was the very first thing that I did as the Director at ArtScience Museum. I was just amazed being at Marina Bay and just realising the opportunity that we had. And just what’s happened in Singapore in the last two years…it’s been a big couple of years for the country.

You were able to bring big tech-focused exhibitions to Singapore like Collider and Dreamworks Animation. Was Future World already in the works when you came on board.
No, but there was always an intention to launch a permanent exhibition. That’s been in the planning since the beginning of the institution. Thinking about how we would go about doing this, what the content would be, this was all ‘to do’. When I joined it was very high on our priority list. The permanent exhibition would have to be permanent, yet changing, which is an interesting concept. The most logical way to approach that challenge is to look at new technology, immersive and interactive digital media, particularly considering this is a museum that doesn’t have its own collection.

We wanted to do something that was an embodiment of our purpose as an institution, which is to show that intersection point between art, science and technology. We didn’t want to tell that story in a pedagogical way, but to show. TeamLab is the embodiment of that, and it became obvious quite quickly that they were a partner we wanted to work with in a big way.

The interactivity of the exhibition is a big highlight. Tech can sometimes be dull on its own, so interactivity could envoke more of an emotional reaction.
That’s very perceptive. The whole philosophy of how TeamLab go about making projects for children is exactly rooted in that analysis. They love technology. Lots of them are technologists, they’re mathematicians, they’re physicists…however lots of them have children, and they see the distancing effect that technology can have with children. If your child has an iPad or phone, chances are their interaction of the outside world is through the screen. TeamLab have seen the effect that it has in children, and found it really distressing. They wanted to get a way for children to play together, but also to play with their parents.

With such a big project, when did you first get to experience Future World in its entirety?
It’s only really been the week of the launch that it’s really stated to operate as an exhibition. Up until then it was a building site – hard hats, cranes, lifters, putting down carpet. It wasn’t until the last two days that we were able to walk through the show and go ‘Wow, there it is. We did it.’ It’s a pretty amazing experience.

Which of the 15 installations was the hardest to put up?
The one that has been the logistical challenge, and we always knew it would be, was Crystal Universe. This is 170,000 individual LED lights that have to be hung in exactly the right position because they’ve all been individually programmed. It’s a gigantic 3D screen, and every light is a pixel – but they’re not pixels, they’re physical objects that need to be hung. To put up and program 170,000 different lights is a challenge.

Future World is currently running at ArtScience Museum. Go to marinabaysands.com/museum.html for more information.

Trapizza

If a meal at the beach sounds like something you and your family would enjoy, look no further than Trapizza on Siloso Beach, Sentosa – facing the South China Sea, located near the Siloso Point Cable Car Station.

Travel by taxi, car or the resort’s shuttle bus from VivoCity, and let time wash away over lunch or dinner. Embracing the peaceful atmosphere at the casual openair Italian eatery, we were seated under white canopies; though on weekends expect a bustling scene. Take a stroll on the smooth sand, wade at the water’s edge, or join in activities like rock climbing, making use of the children’s playground or attempting acrobatic feats on the flying trapeze, all operated by Shangri-La’s Rasa Sentosa Resort & Spa.

Wood-fired thin crust pizzas are a highlight, with the signature Sicilian pizza ($24.90) bursting with flavours from traditional Sicilian pork sausages, salami, capsicum, onion and oregano. I also enjoyed refreshing Siloso prawn salad ($18) for the freshness and juiciness of the colourful tropical fruit, crunchy cucumber and capsicum – complemented by inviting prawns, all drizzled with Italian dressing. Trapizza linguine with prawns, mussels, crab and arugula, tossed in white wine with saffron, tomato and cream is tasty and filling. Another pasta item, the spaghetti aglio olio, is presented with oven-baked tiger prawns, redolent with aromatic herbs and dressed with delightful pesto. A children’s menu includes chicken wings, pasta and suitably sized items for little fingers.

Crème brulee and tiramisu make their appearance alongside ice-cream cones, while the chocolate brownie on offer is lusciously rich.

Thirst-quenchers range from beer, wine and soft drinks to specially crafted mocktails and creative chilled concoctions.

On the two occasions I visited, service was friendly and laid-back, befitting the location. During a weekday lunch, my companions included a handsome peacock out for a stroll.

Trapizza
10 Siloso Beach Walk
Tel 6376 2662
shangri-la.com

REVIEW BY RAELENE TAN. IMAGE COURTESY: SHANGRI-LA’S RASA SENTOSA RESORT AND SPA

Hokkaido Izakaya

The brighter version of your usual Japanese restaurants – there’s the typical bright wood furnishing – this after-work izakaya has rock music playing at lunch. The compact kitchen to the left has three chefs managing to deal with the lunch rush in their small workspace. The smell of the soup from other tables during the wait stoked the flames of hunger.

The suggested choice on the small menu is the Kikiage Tempura Soba ($12) –freshly made soba noodles (buckwheat flour) and naturally derived soup stock, with a rectangular slab of fried tempura made with chives, baby shrimp and carrot. Served in a gigantic bowl, the almost disintegrating tempura on top melts into the hot broth, giving a mix of a crispy crunch and a slippery slurp with each bite. The amount of noodles is up to each individual, with a choice of 100, 200 or 300g of noodles – free of charge for any choice. I should’ve went for 300g.

Dinner’s menu includes a larger menu of sashimi, sushi, grilled seafood and salad.

Hokkaido Izakaya
95 Tanjong Pagar Road
Tel 6221 7118
hokkaidoizakaya.sg

IMAGE COURTESY: HOKKAIDO IZAKAYA

Tips for the Finding the Right Dress

Choosing the right dress can be overwhelming, but it’s doesn’t need to be. Rent A Dress is on hand to help take all the second guessing out of finding the perfect dress. Just think of them as your own fairy godmother!

Take time to think about what you want:
First ask yourself questions to define your own personal style. What kind of dresses do I like: strapless, short-sleeved, or low cut dresses?

Do your homework:
Look at a magazine or the internet for dresses you really like, and save them on your phone – or print them on a piece of paper – to take with you when you’re shopping.

Get the perfect size and fit:
Make sure you feel comfortable in the dress, the size and silhouette that compliments your body type – and probably something great for dancing in too!

Find a colour that looks good on you:
We all have different complexions; find a colour that looks great on you.Feel beautiful: There’s a saying: ‘If you don’t absolutely love it at first, you won’t wear it’. Make sure the dress is the one. It should define your personality and bring out the best in you. If you do not feel ‘Glitz & Glamour’ in the dress, try another one on until you do feel like a million dollars.

Take advantage of the exclusive ANZA Discount:
Save 10{d2c05350095ed942d62ca1635aad234a702e9575e5f9632e6c89e76dec25dfbf} on your booking for the 2016 ANZA Ball. The price charged for the dress includes delivery and dry cleaning, personalised fittings of gown and refreshment. Individual appointments or group parties welcome – for up to 4 ladies. Appointments for fittings from 12pm – 7pm by appointment. Contact: 9059 4209, customercare@rentadress.com.sg, www.rentadress.com.sg.

No calm at the Commonwealth Cup

A match with the British Club had many close calls, Rohan Wilson says.

  

With the 2016 League season about to kick off, the ANZA Dream Team led the way taking on our friends at the British Club in the Commonwealth Cup.

While the strings of the old country may have held sway in years gone by, the youngsters of this side flexed their independence and one – possibly a Kiwi – was heard mentioning the removal of the Union Jack from the flag!

Led by fearless republican Mike Tsesmelis – himself a reformed Pom – who was skippering ANZA as part of his farewell tour of Singapore, ANZA elected to bat.

Progress was steady, as was the fall of wickets. In the intense cauldron, controversy abounded with Mark Ward caught out – possibly off the floppy white brim. Drew Norris caught off the back of the leg – in confirmation he later claimed he could not see it much less hit it. If only the British Club had allowed DRS (Decision Review System)! It should be noted however that it was our own umpiring.

Clive seemed unimpressed to be told ‘it was a mighty good catch’ on returning to the ‘dressing room’, having just failed to clear long off! Paul Stewart and Skipper Mike steadied the ship until Mike fell just short of retirement.

Paul made it back to the sheds 30 not out, ready to return if needed. A small rally into the close got us to 179 with veteran Brad Timbrell giving Paul and Vikrant great support, before running himself out having started a run after the keeper got the ball.

The British Club were quietly confident they would overcome the upstart colonials and square the ledger from last year. Mark Ward and Jeff Bye thought a few whistling past their ears might change that however.

Apart from an unplayable off cutter from Jeff uprooting the stumps, the British Club held firm. Ever watchful of Clive’s tempting swingers ‘they go both ways you know!’, the British Club forged on towards victory.

At the point when all may have been lost, Captain and ex-Pom Mike hit upon a stroke of genius by offering the ball to fellow ex-Pom Drew Norris, who then produced a legendary spell to take 4 wickets for just 2 runs – the last being a massive skied slog over Clive’s left shoulder…no make that his right…no back to the left, and then on 10 more meters!

As we held our breath Clive dived full length, caught it, hit the ground and dropped it…then caught it again. His Fitbit fitness tracker had him running 110 steps just in that one catch, it just couldn’t work out a direction! Victory to ANZA by a whisker.

Many thanks to the British Club for a great day and their continuing hospitality back at the BC. We look forward to the next encounter, the way cricket should be played!

Tee it up on Thursdays

Anyone is welcome to join in and play a few rounds, Louise Ferreira says.

ANZA Ladies Golf Christmas Day

If you play golf and want to enjoy a friendly 18 holes with keen golfers, then look no further! ANZA Ladies Golf group was formed in 1999 by three keen golfers, and since has grown strong with 24 members – and usually around 12 players each week.

Our group includes ladies from countries other than Australia and New Zealand. Members also hail from England, Ireland, Switzerland, USA, Slovakia, Hungary, Philippines, Holland and South Africa.

You only need to be a paid up member of ANZA and to have, or have had, a handicap to join us. The current members have a range of handicaps from single figures to 38.

We play 18 holes every Thursday morning at various courses in Singapore such as Orchid Country Club, Sembawang CC, Raffles CC, Jurong CC and Warren CC. We occasionally play at Tanah Merah Country Club and Sentosa CC.

A couple of times a year we venture further to play over the border in Malaysia at either Horizon Hills or Palm Resort. We also play beautiful Ria Bintan on Bintan Island. If you are concerned about the heat, be assured that all games are played with golf carts – which are compulsory – and we also recommend consuming about 2-3 litres of water per round! The average cost of a game including cart hire is around $130 SGD.

We try to keep the format relaxed and fun, typically playing Stableford with a twist – like ‘Better Nine’, Hidden Holes or a team game. We play in the morning, followed by lunch at the club where the winners for the day are announced and all important prizes handed out – usually a golf ball!

We currently don’t have a beginners group, but are happy to provide advice on how to go about learning golf in Singapore. We can also advise how to get a local handicap with the Singapore Golf Association (SGA).

On days like Australia Day and Waitangi Day, we dress in the respective countries colours and make a competition out of it. Nothing like a bit of Aussie and Kiwi sporting rivalry to create some good-natured banter and competitive spirit.

Our two coordinators, Hazel Tebbutt and Paula Chepelsky, do a fantastic job of organising our games every week, and we all thank them for their efforts liaising with the clubs and with all the comings and goings of the group – Hazel is leaving us soon to return to England and her warm and friendly nature and keen golfing spirit will be missed. Tanya Richardson is stepping in to assist Paula.

Paula had a recent moment of glory by achieving a hole-in-one in December at Orchid Country Club. The second hole on the Vanda course is a 126-metre Par 3 and Paula hit a fantastic tee shot, perfectly directed towards the hole.

The ball bounced a couple of times on the green and went straight in, causing much excitement and hugging amongst the four ladies on the tee box.

Incredibly, Paula has played golf since she was a child and plays off a single-figure handicap, but has never had a hole-in-one, so this was a very special day for her. Hopefully the flood gates have opened now.

If anyone is interested in more information on ANZA Ladies Golf, please email Paula or Tanya at ladiesgolf@anza.org.sg.

Why I Travel

There’s much to reflect on when asked about why we travel, Kimberley Williams says.

  

I remember clearly my first travel experiences: hot trips in smelly cars punctuated by stops at diners to fill up on gas and hotdogs – today’s equivalent being organic penne with olive oil and fresh parmesan. Long stints on bitumen were managed with entertainment invented by iPod-deficient kids: making forts out of whatever could be found, playing ‘eye spy’ – admittedly a hard game in a moving vehicle – and, immediately following a pit-stop at the diner, spit ball fights.

As a young adult I hightailed it to Paris for a year to work and study. I remember my good friend pulling me aside in the airport before leaving. Her interrogation had an air of urgency. ‘Why are you going? You don’t have to go, you know – you have nothing to prove’. My only reply was a smile. I knew I didn’t have the words, and she didn’t have the inclination to understand why I should – and why we all should – go.

Fast-forward five years, the travel bug had surely bitten as I worked and travelled through both North and South America, and even Antarctica. As a student of life and an itinerant worker I was too busy to stay disappointed with the dwindling responses to my travelogues. By the time I topped off the last adventure of my single life, old friends were few, and new friends were many.

Fast forward again, and as a family we have worked, lived, and travelled afar in our 12 years as expats. In light of these adventures, I may have finally come up with some possible answers to those friends who wondered why I never stopped travelling, and even to those who wondered why I left in the first place.
First, travelling presents a fantastic opportunity to learn a language. In my 30-some years of attempting to learn a foreign parlance, I can assert that travel is indeed the best way to learn – proven somewhat by the fact that I can still say ‘good morning’, ‘thank you’ and ‘beer’ in five languages without really thinking about it.

Travelling also presents the possibility of regularly doing something new and challenging. Climb a mountain, visit a temple or spend time in a refugee camp. These are things you don’t do at home, either because there is little reason to break out of your routine, or there just isn’t the opportunity.

Travelling also allows me to meet people from other countries and situations that I would never meet otherwise, as well as develop a tolerance for diverse opinions. Having never been to church I find it interesting to note that some of our closest friends are big believers, and still others sit firmly on the opposite side of the political spectrum – but let’s not bring up gun control!

As expected, meeting local folks is really one of the best, if not the best reason to travel. Although language barriers can complicate this, it actually also makes what you can understand in Swahili or Mandarin all the more interesting.

Through speaking basic Mandarin I have spoken with a woman in China whose grandmother, as a young girl and new wife, had her feet bound by her mother in law to purportedly limit her movements. Not speaking a language isn’t an issue either: having a child hold your hand and lead you through a vegetable patch, speaking shyly in Swahili is just as sweet an experience than fully understanding what is being said.

Lastly, and most importantly, travelling changes who you are – and thank goodness, at least in my case, for that. It took a basically self-centred, inexperienced and unworldly monolinguist, and turned her into someone who is less of all those things – which is of course, a wonderful thing.

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