1010 Hunan Pop, Eslite, Taipei

Spicy, spicy, spicy!!!! If you are ever in Taipei for a short trip and like screamingly spicy food, you should visit 1010 Hunan Pop at the eclectic Eslite Building in the Taipei 101 vicinity.

Their stir-fried green peppers start off deceivingly mild but start kicking in as you work on your meal. The deep fried chicken with dried red chili was an excellent rendition of one of my favorite hunan dishes and the steamed fish with green chili was decent. The beef with pine nuts and rice cakes was also nice but rendered almost bland by the preceding dishes.

1010 Hunan Pop

Eslite Xinyi Branch

11 Song Gao Road, 6F

02 2722 0583

Cascal in the valley

It's been at least two years since I last went to Cascal, the Spanish restaurant at the end of Castro St in Mountain View. Unfortunately, the only reason we went there was because Nami Nami was closed on the Monday night we were there. My memories of Cascal were mostly of the amazing sangrias on the menu, but i have to admit the food is pretty decent as well, not the small tapas sizes common in San Francisco, but much larger variety found in the south bay. Quality does not always equal quantity, and there was nothing 'tapas sized' at all with the dishes.

My favorite dish that evening was the Mexico City style beef shortribs, tender, juicy and flavorful, and in some ways reminded me of the Indonesian beef rendang dish. The tuna tartar didn't turn out the way I expected, it didn't look tartar-ish at all. More like a salad, but nonetheless still quite savory and tasty.

Lian, Indochinese chic at the IFC

So, I finally managed to get a table at the ever-popular Indochinese bistro Lian on the second floor of the International Finance Centre in Central. I had just flown into Hong Kong just hours before, and was fortunate to get a slot for an early dinner, and although it was a Monday night, we were requested to vacate our place by 8:00pm for the next seating. I guess in these tough economic times, people still need to eat well.

Walking past the curvaceous foyer and into the main dining hall, we were greeted by an amazing water feature that was the centerpiece of the dining area - a lily pond with counter seats encircling it, bathed in glowing light in the water and adorned with hanging lilies from the ceiling. The decor was what you'd expect of a very hip, modern Indochinese bistro, with dark wood furniture, shades of rich fabric in brown and beige hues, and Asian accents embellishing the dimly lit room and dining booths.

We opted for a the counter seats in front of the lilly pond centerpiece, and ordered our usual Indochinese favorites. First up was the fresh tom yum goong with a large prawn that was so amazingly flavorful it almost didn't qualify as a traditional Thai soup. It reminded me of a blend between tom yum goong and a Vietnamese sweet and sour fish soup. But this is what Lian did best, deftly mixing the best of Indochinese cuisine into a unique, blended potpourri of exotic flavors.

Next we had the grilled beef with garlic, a typical Vietnamese restaurant staple that was done perfectly with tender beef strips and crispy garlic slivers. Then there was the jumbo prawn fresh roll that reminded me of a Japanese tempura roll, except the dip was made from prawn roe and coconut cream and tasted absolutely decadent. Not your typical Vietnamese 'goi cuon', but very tasty nonetheless.

Our last appetizer was the pomelo salad, and unlike your regular fare, the dish was served with just pomelo slices and a spicy sweet and sour dressing. This was the most refreshing dish for me, simple yet mouth-watering delicious. Our main course was 'pho', the traditional Vietnamese beef noodle soup, which we shared a bowl between the two of us. The broth was one of the best I've had since my hunt for the best 'pho' started in earnest two months ago - rich, flavorful and just the right amount of spice, accompanied by thin, smooth flat rice noodles reminiscent of the best 'hor fun' from Ipoh, Malaysia. But I'd have to say the sliced beef was the best part for me, they were so melt-in-your-mouth tender they could have been wagyu grade.

We ended the meal, too full for a go at the dessert selection. I'm glad I was able to give Lian a try this trip, it's been on my To Do list for the longest time, and will remain there for some time to come.

Fuel - Nice name for an espresso bar

While walking around IFC this morning, I came across Fuel, a coffee bar on the 3rd level. Friend of mine was raving about the Chai latte they served here, but I'm not much of a Chai drinker, so I ordered an espresso to go. Not too bad. But I've had better. But definitely a notch above the usual coffee chains. The next day, I was at the IFC again around lunch time, so I swung by to grab a latte and one of the freshly made sandwiches. The roast beef, horseradish and caramelized onion sandwich on a multigrain bread was wonderfully tasty, and the latte was a great accompaniment to wash down my quick lunch. at HKG$25 for an espresso and HKG$34 for a latte, it's pretty steep by local standards, but for the same price, I'd have my caffeine fix at Cova any day. It's just a question of taste. Pity that they have a tiny seating area in the rear though, four single bar stools against the wall. More like a longer hangout than the sort of cafe that nurtures conversation over hot drinks.

Modern Thai cuisine in the park - Kha

I was recently introduced to Kha, a new Thai bistro situated in the heart of Hort Park in Singapore, surrounded by lush tropical greenery and stunning views of sunsets overlooking the water pond on the upper level of the main building. I've always preferred traditional Thai cuisine, but I couldn't resist experiencing a meal in this beautiful location. So I made a booking for lunch at noon.

The view from the upper level looking into the tropical forest beyond Hort Park was at once calming and a refreshing change from the noise of the city. There was hardly anyone here for lunch on a Thursday afternoon.

There are several options for seating, the area in front of the pond (so you can see the golden sunsets), the back garden outside, or the dining room inside. It was a hot afternoon, so we picked the table inside the air-conditioned room.

We started with several appetizers - tom yum goong, which was a runaway favorite because of the delicious clear broth and herbs, the grilled pork salad with an amazing sweet and sour plum sauce and a cool, refreshing pomelo salad with prawns and chili.

For the main course, we had the pumpkin massamun curry with chicken which was sweet and aromatic, the olive rice which was a bit too moist, and stir-fried spinach.Overall, the lunch was a very satisfying experience, if not very outstanding, but the lush greenery and generally peaceful atmosphere may be the main reason for returning in the future.

Venturing off the beaten path into Geylang

Ok, this entry definitely comes under the Off The Beaten Path category of cuisine exploration around Singapore. It's been many years since I last ventured to this part of the island for a late night supper, and this was the first place that came to mind. You can't really miss it, there's a gigantic read and white signage in front of this old Geylang establishment facing the main road. Just the location of the coffeeshop itself makes for an interesting dining experience where you see locals and foreigners looking for a good bite amongst the prostitutes plying their trade in this seedy side of town. The beef kway teow (stir fried sliced beef with black bean flavored gravy over flat rice noodles) is what everyone comes here for, as the sign says, even though there are quite a selection of local Chinese dishes on the menu. If food is your love, I'd recommend coming here for a meal on Valentine's Day, it's going to be a memorable evening slurping down beef kway teow in this seedy part of town. It's all about the food, you know.

Another day, another lunch in SoHo

As I walked along Elgin Street this afternoon looking for a new place for lunch, I came upon a new restaurant that had just opened the day before. The owner beckoned for me to enter, and seeing that they probably needed my patronage desperately in these hard times, I decided to oblige. La Luna is yet another Spanish restaurant in this stylish food street off SoHo in Hong Kong. The interior decor was warm and earth-toned, but didn't suggest anything Spanish about the establishment, so I was hoping the food would be the highlight.

I ordered the set lunch, consisting of a tuna salad, and a roasted chicken. Both dishes were well prepared, but nothing spectacular, in fact, they tasted a bit like standard hotel fare. But then again, this was lunch, perhaps dinner would be a whole different matter altogether. It's unlikely that I'd return though, if I wanted Spanish, there are better options in SoHo.