SINGAPORE DAY 1: FIRST STOP - CHEN FU JI NOODLE HOUSE!

Bring it on, Singapore!

         Since we were traveling to a country we were unfamiliar with, for the first time in my life, I found myself totally lost when Rina and Chaikka asked me, "Where are we going to eat?". All I knew was that we had to be at "The Singapore Flyer" by 1:30pm to start our tour. Where that was, and how long it would take to get there, I had absolutely no clue. I asked our receptionist Charmaine, (who after our 15 minute English dialogue, ended our conversation with a very Filipino, "Salamat po, ingat po kayo!") what would be the best place to grab something to eat before we went to the Flyer. She suggested going to Sun Tec City Mall, because we would find a lot of choices there, and we could easy grab a cab en route to the flyer. 

    As mentioned in my earlier post, everything you've heard about Singapore is true. It's sparkling clean, it my four days there, not once did I find myself caught in any form of traffic, and whether you're commuting or driving, there's a strong sense of discipline among its people.

      We got to Sun Tec City Mall at around 11:30am, and started going around, trying to find a place to eat. I wasn't really impressed with the choices, especially since Charmaine made it seem like it would be a food paradise. (I would later find out that she wasn't lying, but that's a whole other post) Since were were pressed for time, we couldn't explore the mall, so I had to make a choice right away. 

     With the clock ticking, and my wife and her sister's stomach growling, I decided to go with Chen Fu Ji Noodle House - The restaurant with the best tasting noodles I would try in my short stay in Singapore.

THE PICKIEST EATER'S SINGAPORE SWING!

 The Pickiest Eater In The World Goes To Singapore 

from richiez168 on Vimeo.

      During some time in November 2010, I was alerted about one of Cebu Pacific's half off sales. (But aren't they ALWAYS on sale?) It was perfect timing too, because Rina's sister Chaikka, had stayed over the house and got excited at the thought of going out of the country for the first time. Our first target was Hong Kong again, but since we had already been there for our honeymoon, Rina and I thought it make more sense to go to a country we had both never been to before.  Rina has one requirement when traveling out of the country: there HAS to be a theme park, while me, my only requirement is that there has to be awesome food.

       Given our criteria, there was really only one other obvious choice- Singapore.

MY "UP" MOMENT **"UP"-DATED!!**

I've been so busy sorting through the tons of pictures from my Singapore trip, that I haven't been able to work no a new food post, so here's a non-food post to make sure ya'll don't forget me..

  

             Today's post is going to be a little different. In fact, since it has nothing to do with food, I'm going to have to say that it's going to be a lot different from what you're used to in my blog.  A video came out this week that caught my eye. It was first brought to my attention by the lovely Mrs. Joanne B., the wife of My Giant, Joel. She posted the video on her facebook account and tagged me in the video. As a sign that I picked the best "Foodie Community" to be a part of, even the Myfoodtrip.com Facebook page featured this video!

       It was a segment from "Good Morning America" about two guys, obviously with too much free time on their hands, that decided to see if they could actually make a house fly using balloons, just like in the Disney Pixar movie, "Up". Of course, they had to use 8 foot rubber balloons instead of your traditional party ones, but it was still quite an achievement.

     Throughout the day, I got a few people asking me, "Hey, did you see the real life "UP" on youtube?".  I found it amusing how my friends associated me with the movie. UP ranks high among my favorite movies of all time. And to be honest, it's the only movie that has ever brought me to tears more than once (3D glasses are godsend, btw). To this very day, I'm lucky if I can get through the first ten minutes without shedding a tear. 

      Though Rina and I were not Childhood sweethearts, I could totally relate to how Carl and Ellie Fredricksen were partners in everything they would do. At that time, we were having difficulty having a baby as well, and though I never said it out loud, I was slightly concerned that Rina and I might have the same trouble as well (Thankfully, as my mother and the rest of our family found out, that would not be the case). But it was the thought of losing Rina the way Carl lost Ellie that really hit me hardest. And it is that thought that brings me to tears every single time. 

SOMS ENCHANTED EVENING

If you want "Authentic Thai Foods", go to Soms. Remember, not "Food". "Foods".

       My trip to The Mango Tree Bistro made me want to revisit an old favorite of Rina and I. Perhaps the only place we think of when we crave for Thai food, mainly because it's really cheap and, truth be told, pretty darn kick ass. While The Mango Tree Bistro gives you a sophisticated and authentic Thai dining experience at an upscale rate, Som's cuts through all those "unnecessary" luxuries, and gives you no frills, delicious Thai food. 

      My first few Som's experiences were rather interesting. Their dining area was actually the side of the road, across the front of the restaurant. As it was very possible that a waitress could get run over by a passing car while crossing the street to serve her customers Pad Thai.

       Som's didn't have much in terms of ambiance, but what they did have, was excellent Thai food, at a very good price. I had heard about Som's "modernization, and I for one was elated at the thought of finally being able to enjoy Som's food with the benefit of air conditioning, or watching my waitress turn into roadkill.  

     One night, Rina and her BFF Lia made plans to have dinner. Lia had promised Rina and I that once she started at her new job, she would treat us to dinner at Som's, since we took her to lunch at Bob's one time. 

     Since she had been at her job for a few weeks now, and I was running low on things to post, I thought it was high time for the lovely Lia to pay up!

OUT OF THE TOAST BOX

 

Talk about Great Expectations

       If you are reading this post sometime between March 2-5, then that means I am now in Singapore with my wife Rina, her sister Chaikka, and hopefully her boyfriend Don. At this very moment, I am probably feasting on some chicken rice, or riding a roller coaster in Universal Studios, or having pictures taken at the Merlion statue (I wonder if i'm allowed to eat that hehe).

       In honor of my trip, I'm posting my two visits to the Singapore based "Toast Box", the newest coffee shop from the people who brought you the very awesome, "Bread Talk". I'm a big fan of Bread Talk, (especially their Cheese Floss), so hearing that they were the brains behind this operation got me all giddy. 

     One of my Bosses at work, Miss Menchu, had been here already, and she suggested I try a few things. Unfortunately, she and I have the complete opposite tastes when it comes to food (I'm a firm believer that bacon should be a part of everyone's diet, while she can live on salads and tofu and all that gunk), so i wasn't sure what to expect from her suggestions. 

    Nevertheless, Rina and I trooped over to Greenbelt 5 (I'm there a lot, I know) to get us a taste of some of Singapore's finest food. (Not to mention, to meet up with our friends Ted and Karen as well).

ONE KRAZY GARLIK NIGHT!

Perhaps my first post that features my own personal photography-

which apparently sucks.
(Rina had work so she couldn't join me)

 
For some reason when I do it, it's not sexy. Not even a little bit.

 

     One of my (many) Bosses', Marcus, invited me and my giant buddy Joel for dinner one night to help him out on a little project that he and and his Fiancee', Marjo are planning. Sir Marcus knows about my blog, so when he asked where we could meet, he said, "Where haven't you been to yet that you've been wanting to check out?" My being the shy type I am (believe it), I told him I'd be more than happy to go to wherever he recommends. Sir Marcus is also notorious for his love of awesome food (and funnily enough, instant noodles) so I trusted his taste. 

    I was actually really glad he suggested Krazy Garlik, because I've had quite a few people tell me I should try it, especially their Crispy Pata.  I was so excited when he said it, I don't think I even let him finish his sentence when I agreed. He kinda said, "Do you want to meet in Krazy Gar-" and I butted in and said "OK!!". 

A CHUCKIN' GOOD TIME AT CHUCK'S DELI!

This is my first post from my new home, www.thepickiesteater.net.

I'm gonna miss my old blogspot address (You'll still be re-directed), 

but it was time to move on into some new digs..

I'm looking forward to making some major strides with this blog, so it was important that I make the move already..

still going to be the same level of pickiness though, I promise :)

On that note:

Getting ready to get all chuck'd up!

     After our first trip to the doctor to get Rina's ultrasound, we passed by Market Market to do a little grocery shopping. I was contemplating going to Brother's Burger in High Street to do a review, (Which after going to the "older" Greenhills branch, I now wish I did) but i stopped in my tracks when I remembered a place I had read about a couple of weeks back, and was eager to try- Chuck's Deli.

    Like virtually all red blooded males, I looooveee huge sandwiches, so when I heard about Chucks Deli opening up at Serendra with sandwiches so huge, they call them "SLABwiches",  I knew I had to see (and taste) them for myself! 


    So it was a sunny Thursday afternoon, when the three of us, (Me, Rina, and my baby still in my wife's tummy) had a late lunch all together for the first time as a family, at Chuck's Deli. 

BURGER WARS EPISODE 1: BROTHERS BURGER

I see many food trips with these two, coming very soon..

        One of the greatest inventions of man, The Cheeseburger has got to be up there with the automobile and the telephone. I stress that it's the cheeseburger,and not just a burger, because I don't believe that the burger Cheese should be separated from the burger. EVER. Some things just truly belong together. Can you imagine Peanut Butter without Jelly? Or Mulder without Scully? Or me without Bacon-.. I mean, Rina?

        As I mentioned in my early Johnny Rockets post, the burger selection in the country wasn't anything truly spectacular a decade ago. There weren't very many places to choose from, and even among the choices, you'd be hard pressed to find anything out of the ordinary. You had McDonald's Big Mac and the Quarter Pounder, two all American burgers that have been in existence for decades. But on the local front, all Jollibee had to offer was the "Champ"(ugh), and Tropical Hut had.. Well, to be honest I'm not too sure what Tropical Hut had to offer (Although kudos to them for staying operational to this very day.. wait.. they ARE still operational, right?). Perhaps the most out of the box burger there was at that time, was the "Whistle Stopper" of the restaurant, "Whistle Stop", which broke new ground by serving a burger with.. are you ready for this? A Fried Egg! (*Gasp*)

        I don't think it was until the turn of the new millenium that gourmet burger joints began popping up left and right, that offered a different burger experience that the usual fast food chains did not. It's one thing for a restaurant to give you extra packets of ketchup to load your burger up with, but to offer other add ons was a whole new ball game.

       I begin my quest to find the best burger in the metro, by starting off with the place that is generally seen as the restaurant that has been in the forefront of gourmet burgers - Brother's Burger.

MYSTERIOUS OF THE AYALA TRIANGLE: THE SEARCH FOR THE GOLDEN SPOON

We have a deal that anywhere we go, our cheeks must always be touching.

It's sweet, yes, but it makes going to the bathroom a bit difficult.

        Can I be honest about something? I don't get the big deal about frozen yogurt. I have friends and office mates that go ballistic at the sound of the words "Red Mango" or "White Hat", but I just don't see what the hype is all about. Isn't it.. umm.. too Sour? "It tastes just like ice cream!", my friend explained. "So.. umm.. Why didn't you just buy ice cream?", I replied. "Because it's not non-fat!", my friend answered back. I stared at the cup she was holding, loaded with chocolate sprinkles, huge white chocolate bits, and drowned in some sort of caramel syrup. Sorry, but I couldn't believe that what she was holding, was not hazardous to her health. Considering she was firm in her belief that what she was holding was as healthy as a protein shake, I was seriously contemplating finding a bridge I could sell to her.

     I actually find regular yogurt better than frozen, or "Fro-Yo" as it's now more popularly known (See, I'm "down" with the times?). I even like that fruit yogurt with Jelly inside. Its possible it could be because I'm annoyed with this whole fad. I sometimes think people see places such as "Red Mango" as a status symbol, more a "place to be seen" than anything else. 

      I'm an ice cream lover, so if I wanted a frozen treat, I would march straight to Gelatissimo instead, but that's just me. I would probably even prefer a scoop of Better Than Ice Cream's (BTIC) Banana Pecan, than something from Red Mango.

       Basically, you get it. I'm not a fan of Frozen Yogurt.

     So you can imagine that I was less than enthused when my brother Ryan told me to try Golden Spoon. "It tastes like ice cream!" he said. "Yeah, I know, I've heard that before.", I yawned back. "No Rich,", Ryan said as he looked me straight in the eye, "It REALLY tastes like ice cream." My brother and I have almost the same taste in food, with him being less picky than I, so i take his food suggestions seriously. But this time he said it with serious conviction that belonged on a member of the Harvard Debate team. And we were talking about Yogurt.

     His passion for Golden Spoon got my attention, so I asked him, out of curiosity What flavor he got that he seemed to love so much. Than he said the two words that would forever change the way I looked at Frozen Yogurt..

    "Cake Batter".

MY MOM'S BIG BIRTHDAY FREAKOUT!!

OUR BIRTHDAY GIFT TO MY MOM from richiez168 on Vimeo.

The (Full) Back Story:
My mom has been bugging Rina and I for the past few months to have a baby already.. It's not like we don't want to have one, 

but apparently its not exactly that easy. 

After going to the doctor more than three times a week for over a month just to make sure everything is "In order", Rina is now pregnant.

This was first confirmed with three home pregnancy kits in two days.

Then finally by a doctor through Ultra Sound.

It was her birthday last Saturday, and with the exception of Cara who is studying in the States, it was the first time in a long time that we would be complete as a family.
In other words: The perfect time for the big announcement. 

This video shows my mom's reaction to the good news. 

My mom loves getting picture frames with her grandchildren in it. 

Little did she know, she'd be getting the first ever picture, of her newest one.

Now we're getting ready for the arrival of our own little picky eater!

7 1/2 months to go!

Wish us luck, and please pray for a safe pregnancy for Rina, 

and the delivery of a healthy baby!

I have never been more excited in my entire life! 

(Not even compared to the first time I went to Spiral, or the time I found the Altar of Bacon!)

Our Facebook announcement Picture!

(Photo by Carlo Hernandez & design by Mark Mijares)