Singapore

These photos are all of the lovely Raffles Hotel.  Such a tranquil and charming oasis in the city centre.  It's so tropical-colonial with the white marble, dark wood, cane furniture and ceiling fans.  We particularly like our personal butler who, at the press of a button, brings us a tray of tea in the morning.  It's certainly another world.  Cam is also staying here and we caught up last night in the Long Bar where we sucked back Singapore Slings and scattered spent peanut shells onto the floor.  So far our time here is all about food.  I think we sampled nearly everything at the breakfast buffet - my favourite being the spinach and shrimp dumplings with chilli jam.  From breakfast we jumped in a taxi to the suburbs to try Dean Brettschneider's latest venture - "baker and cook".  Mainly we went for the Allpress Coffee (thanks for the recommendation, Jody) but the food was stunning.  Berry meringues the size of my fist, hot from the oven hot-cross-buns, mince and cheese pies, fruit tartlets, hazelnut tarts, stunning salads.  Cam scored a sampling of various things.  God knows where we managed to put it.  Dean, who lives in Denmark, spends a week a month in Singapore and happened to be there today.  He came and sat with us for half and hour and told us all about the ins and outs of setting up a business in a foreign land.  Fascinating stuff, and then he shouted us more coffee and hot cross buns.  My sides were aching!  His next venture is in New Delhi.  Of course, when he mentioned this it took me a while to work out he wasn't talking about his new deli.  DUH!  After this expansive morning tea we all went our separate ways.  I went to Vivo City for some mall shopping.  Didn't buy anything and of course all that wandering around made me peckish for Hainanese Chicken - a Singapore specialty.  Our concierge told me about a local place in Purvis St called Chin Chin, only two blocks away from the hotel.  I hot-tailed in down there and entered what looked like a hole in the wall, but was more like Grand Harbour inside (without the Grand).  Massive round formica tables with plastic chairs, a rainbow of plastic bowls, plates, forks, chopsticks and an all Chinese clientele.  A surly looking waitress gestured for me to take a seat (or was it the fingers).  I ordered the Hainanese Chicken and a fresh coconut juice.  All appeared very promptly and were slammed down on the table (I think she spat in the coconut).  The chicken was succulent and flavoursome, the chicken broth delicate and laced with fresh coriander, the condiments all there - ginger paste, chilli paste and thick, sweet soy sauce.  And of course the rice to mop it all up.   The waitress cheered up considerably when I left 15 minutes later, flashing me a gap-toothed smile.  She didn't say, "Come again," but I will.  Spent the rest of the afternoon by the pool, under a thundering sky and air thick enough to smother.  No sign of Cam yet.  He must be lost in Chinatown.  Dad has been hanging out in the hotel - he loves it here.  Tonight we are going to the Shangri-la Hotel for teppanyaki, supposedly the best in Singapore.  This was Dad's idea.  Mr Meat- and-Mash-with-Gravy is having a Japanese craving.  Go figure.