Is It Just Me?

Asia's full of weird and wonderful stuff - and much of it is well worth investigating. Ok you can keep the Phoenix Claws (chicken's feet) and fried frogs legs etc, but fresh gin botanicals in the supermarket? Hell yes!

Following is a little collection of some of the left-field discoveries that I've made in my first month in Singapore.

It's an amazing world and as each culture imitates another, there's bound to be bits falling through the gaps of understanding:

It's gotta be said however, Western concepts do tend to get steered in a funky direction when they get exposed to interpretation!

Take this fella for example. Sure the title's a little bit...questionable, but what are they trying to say in that first tasting note!?

Are we all going to be awkwardly trying to get to the bathroom pitching tents afterwards? What about the ladies?? Aye-oh!

I spotted this whizzing by on a sushi train and had to grab the shot. WTF does that mean!? I mean, I'm not sure if it sounds awesome, or entirely scary!

I'm taking ideas and comments on that one - please put me out of my fear of ravenous Egyptian microchips tasting my sushi intermittently from the inside out. Yikes.

Sorry, I'm not dropping bank on Coffee Sauce Chicken until someone I trust recommends it. No dice.

He he he he he....now this might just be me, but I think this is hilarious and amazing! Why hasn't anyone offered me waffles with my menu earlier!!? Come on World - catch up!

Considering this was my meal - yeah, not so funny. I now appreciate their menu's bold claims that "you'll never forget our famous jumbo dog". No shizzle.

What is this abomination? Probable the greatest snack food on Earth has been seriously molested by an Asian flavour renegade - perhaps a member of a sleeper cell bent on the destruction of all things sacred.

Who knows, but considering I didn't man up for

the ridiculous 15 clams (they'd best be amazing for that!) maybe I'm missing out on something..

La Bella Vita (or something like that...)

Now that things have settled down for the year (for me anyway), it's time to get back in the kitchen to wrangle with some mean flavours. In light of the fact that I'm hotly anticipating a new dining table (selected by the expert eye of the wonderful Missy Bell, this vintage banger will no doubt see some Texas Holdem' action too), it's time to highlight some decadent fare for the winter months which'll keep your arteries well and truly blocked - yet your soul well and truly satisfied!

I'm putting it out there; there are few better combinations than fat, potato and cheese. The dish pictured isn't mine, it's probably French and I don't know what it's called, but who cares! When it's as easy to prepare as slicing potato thinly (but please, please use the guard on your mandolins!), and layering that alternately with sliced onion and cheese before dabbing with thick cream and a healthy sprinkle of seasoning you're on a winner. Provided each component is kept in a respectful proportion, 45 minutes later your moderate oven will yield up a tantalizing result, which in this case I served with green beans, a baked field mushroom and some grain fed porterhouse. Graaaaaavy (that means good, by the way!)

Not to be outdone, and because I really should include some drinks banter, our accompanying wine almost stole the show and made me look bad...damn you Ten Minutes by Tractor! We had their Northerly facing Mcutcheon single vinyard '07 pinot, and boom -what a stunning wine! I really know very little about wines, but this magnificent drop was beautifully structured, with perfect red berries, a bordering-on-minty herbaceous lift and gorgeously fine tannins. Go find some right now. Really...right now.

At some stage I really should make some desserts lest the Gnomes of Zurich strip me of my pastry cooking veil, but until then, have a great weekend all!

Adi