11 Jun 13 – Day 5 (Granada)

Woke up at 6+am and as usual messaged little big sis. Had breakfast at 7:30am and we left for Granada at 8:30am. Nancee told us the journey would take up the whole morning and that we would have two rest stops where the last one would be for lunch. Most of the time I was either dozing off or looking at the scenery while on the coach. At the first rest stop, I bought some Turron candy which is said to be a Spanish specialty. I was already on the lookout for the candy since I got to Spain. Those in the supermarket that I went came in big blocks uncut and knowing that I might not get many chances to visit supermarket, I better buy some when I see fit. Also saw a lot of bowls, plates, dishes and so on in colorful paintings and was so tempted to buy but again, transporting them back to Singapore is going to be a big problem because I didn't bring bubble wraps.

Continued the journey and soon it was for the second rest stop where we also had lunch. Kim zoomed into chicken dish while I opted for the Hake dish which came with potato wedges and mixed vegetables. It was really yummy. The best meal I had on my own by far. Walked around the shop and found the Rabitos, chocolate covered figs. Read in TripAdvisor that it is another Spanish specialty so bought a box of nine to share with M. Besides olive and olive oil, Spain is also big on fig so I guess that’s why Rabitos is a specialty.

Finally we reached Granada and checked into the Sercotel Gran Luna about 2+pm. Messaged little big sis for a bit and we were out again at 3:20pm to meet the local guide to visit the Alhambra Palace and the Generalife Gardens. The sun was very glaring and it was really hot. There were already many groups of tourists in the Alhambra Palace and I saw a Chinese guy who looked very familiar yet I couldn't recall where I had seen him before. Anyway, after we got in, we were handed the audio guide. We went through the Gardens; saw many beautiful flowers yet taking nice photos of them were not very possible because of the traffic flow and the need to keep up with the local guide. Then walked through the higher Alhambra and we were brought to a small shop where the people there replicate the furniture in the Palace as well as make boxes with Moorish designs. The local guide did some explanations of how the designs were made but I couldn't catch a lot of details. I thought we would be given some time to browse through the stuff but we were hurried to the main section of the Alhambra Palace because apparently there was a given time slot for the tour.

Before the tour began, we were given loo break but Kim and I didn’t need to go. Saw the Palace of Charles V and immediately the design reminded me of chocolate bars so both of us took photos. When the rest of the group was ready, we proceeded to start the tour. Big haversacks had to be carried in front because they were afraid that the big bags might knock on to the intricate columns and stuff. As we walked, the local guide gave brief explanations of each room and their designs. Most of the time I couldn't catch anything partly because the local guide was mumbling and also partly because I was busy taking photos to pay any attention. There were many rooms and now I couldn't remember which was which, just that they were all very beautiful. We were at the Patio of the Lions trying to take photos with The Fountain of the Lions, Kim took a photo for me but because I was carrying my haversack in front and it was an eyesore, she suggested holding it for me while I went to pose.

Took more photos along the way as we made our way back to the place where we came from and along the way saw some people doing photo-shoots in the Palace. We were brought to a souvenir shop to browse. I was a little disappointed because I think that was not the official souvenir shop of the Alhambra Palace. In any case, I didn't get anything there because the main things were boxes of difference sizes featuring the Moorish designs. Then our coach came to fetch us back to the hotel where we had dinner in the hotel restaurant at 7pm. It was buffet style and the food was not bad. However, as usual, I skipped most of the main course and just went for starters and desserts. As Kim and I finished up fast, we left the table, leaving Mr and Mrs Chia, Madeline and Alan to continue with the dinner after paying for the bottle of water for the table, to go to the nearby Hipercor supermarket.

There was also a El Corte Ingles and we remembered Nancee telling us that El Corte Ingles is like a departmental store selling clothes and consumer goods while the Hipercor is something like our Giant. Walked the El Corte Ingles and bumped into Alan and Madeline. Headed to the bag section and I saw a bag similar to the one mum bought for me when I just started working. I held it for a long time, trying to decide if I should buy. Asked the salesperson if there was a new one but we had problem communicating. After a while, I managed to get it that the one I was holding was actually the last piece. Flipped and turned the bag in all directions and finally put it back on the rack. The condition of the bag wasn't tip-top and also the material was quite stiff compared to the one I owned previously. Went to the supermarket and I bought a 2.5 liter of water and a box of five sachets of seafood paella seasoning.

Thoughts: It was a pity that we didn't get to see much of Granada other than the Alhambra Palace and the Generalife Gardens so my impression of Granada is only on the Moorish designs of the buildings. Hopefully I will get to visit the place again.

10 Jun 13 – Day 4 (Valencia)

Today we had to leave Barcelona to go to Valencia, hence we had to wake up early, eat breakfast early and leave the hotel early. So woke up at 5+pm and messaged little big sis while waiting for Kim to be done. Had breakfast at 7am and this time round dare not eat too much like the first day. Left Barcelona at 8am and my last message to little big sis didn't get send. The journey to Valencia took up the whole morning with one rest stop where I saw the paella pack that consist the pan, the seasoning, the rice and olive oil that cost €15.30. I was really tempted to buy but didn't, thinking that perhaps I might get a chance later in the trip. So just took a photo of it and then left to continue our journey into Valencia.

We got to Valencia and to the restaurant about 1:30pm. The staffs in the restaurant were still having their lunch and hence we were told to return at about 1:45pm instead. So all of us went separate ways to wander around the neighborhood to kill time. Kim and I popped into a toy shop to browse and on the way back we saw two very obedient dogs. They were waiting quietly outside the restaurant for their owners and they really sat very still. Kim and I were very impressed and even though we stood quite close to take photos, they still didn’t budge. Returned to our restaurant and we were served lunch.

Valencia is the place where the Spanish rice dish, paella, originated. So our lunch for the day was seafood paella. We were given hard bread and noodle soup first. Then the big pan of paella was brought out for us to take photos before the kitchen distributed them to us by individual portion. It tasted rather good and I was hoping that I could have second helping. The lunch ended with a piece of chocolate cake which tasted good too. Then we left the restaurant to go to the Towers of Serranos & Quart for photo stop as well as to meet up with the local guide who boarded the coach and gave us information such as history and culture of Valencia and buildings in Valencia as the coach cruised through the city. 

After that, we went on walking tour where the guide brought us to the Mercado Central, a public market in Valencia, 15 minutes before they closed for the day. As the market is big and has many exits, the local guide brought us to the middle where the central dome is and told us to meet back there in 15 minutes. So we went separate ways to explore but most of the stalls were either closed or closing. The market is something similar to the one we saw in Barcelona with many stalls selling different kind of stuff such as fruit cum juice stalls, seafood stalls, meat stalls, snack stalls and even stalls that sell food and people just sit at the bar counter to eat. Near the meeting point, there was a snack stall selling preserved fruits and nuts. Some of the group members actually went to that stall to try some of the snacks and then bought some. 

After the visit to the Mercado Central, we walked over to see the La Lonja de la Seda (The Silk Exchange) which was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996. Saw gargoyles on top of the buildings and were told that they are used for draining purposes. Then we saw San Juan del Mercado which was nearby before being led through the small alleys passing through small restaurants, shops and so on. We were then given sometime at the Town Hall Square called Plaza de la Virgen to take photos. Over there we saw the Basilica of the Virgin of the Helpless, the Valencia Cathedral, the Little Michael Tower and the Turia Fountain. After that we were led through some small alleys again to reach another place where we saw the narrowest house in Europe before passing by Plaza Redonda. Saw some shops selling interesting stuff but we didn't have the time to look around.

Continued on, the local guide then brought us to the place where she recommended a shop for ice cream drinks and so on and told us that we could use the shop’s toilet if we patronize. Then for those of us who are energetic, the local guide recommended us to climb the Little Michael Tower. Nancee also encouraged us to climb because ASA had already paid for the admission fees. So Kim and I as well as a couple of others climb the Tower which has 200+ steps. We got to the top and were rewarded with view of the Valencia City and cool breeze. Took photos here and there before going back down where we took another few quick shots of the interior of the Valencia Cathedral. While walking back to the meeting place, we detoured to a nearby park for a few shots and saw many orange trees. Valencia is famous for its oranges and so orange trees were aplenty. 

The coach came and brought us to Alicante where we spent the night in Holiday Inn. While the coach was leaving Valencia, we managed to catch a glimpse of the Plaza de Toros de Valencia. Reached the hotel, got connected and realized that the message that was not sent out in the morning got sent and it then dawn on me that it was 1am in Singapore. Oops. Nancee told us that there is a supermarket near the hotel and closes at 9:15pm. Dinner was provided in the hotel but the dinner time was 8:15pm. We were served hard bread with salty scrambled egg, two pieces of pork with sauce and ended with chocolate fudge crepes. I only managed to take photos of the starter and dessert. The photo on the main course was too blurry. By the time we finished dinner, it was already the time when the supermarket closes so we didn't get to go. Fortunately, I had the sense to bring my big bottle of water to the hotel room.

Thoughts: Compared to Barcelona, can feel that Valencia is slightly smaller and I find that there are more interesting things that attracted me than those in Barcelona. I like walking in the old Quarter but I think I will get lost if I were to walk alone. Too many small alleys and they look so similar. Saw the paella pans of many different sizes and was again tempted to buy but again no time. Dinner was not fantastic because I was struggling with the two pieces of pork which were very tough.

9 Jun 13 – Day 3 (Barcelona City Tour and Montserrat)

Woke up at 6+am and messaged little big sis while waiting for Kim to be done with the toilet. After she came out, it was my turn to prepare for the day. We went for breakfast at 7am and then left the hotel with the group at 8am for the half day city tour around Barcelona. We met the local guide who boarded the coach and gave us information such as history and culture of Barcelona and buildings in Barcelona as the coach cruised through the city. We had a few photo stops and the first was somewhere near the Las Arenas Shopping Mall which used to be a bullring. According to the local guide, bull fighting is banned in Barcelona although some other cities still have it and bull fighting only occurs in certain months such as July.

Then we boarded the coach again to go up to Montjuïc Hill and along the way, made another photo stop at the Olympic Stadium. Continued to the top of Montjuïc Hill and from the top we could see the Port of Barcelona which consists of Port Vell and the Industrial Port. Saw a sculpture depicting the Sardana dance also known as the Barcelona Catalan Dance while on the way up so Kim and I quickly went over to take photos before the rest of the members came crowding.

We left the Montjuïc Hill to continue with the city tour briefly before going to see the La Sagrada Familia, a Roman Catholic Church, designed by Antoni Gaudi. Along the way, the local guide provided more information which I could not remember much now coz it was really information overloaded. We passed by Casa Batlló, Casa Milà (La Pedrera), The Arc de Triomf and so on but I couldn’t take any photos coz they weren’t on my side, so I depended on Kim to take them. La Sagrada Familia is a church with a very unique design and very interesting to see sculptures of fruits as part of the design.

We were told that different parts of the exterior design represent different things and mainly to tell the story of God, Mary and Jesus. The ceilings and columns inside the church mirror trees and branches. Local guide continued to explain while we moved around the church but again I couldn’t remember most of the details now. Tried to take photos but most didn’t turn out well coz the shutter speed was slow and I had to keep up with the group. Finally we were done with La Sagrada Familia and we proceeded to Barcelona Cathedral where we were only there for photo stop. While we were there, we saw church goers dancing the Sardana dance after their Sunday service. Managed to take a few shots and filmed short video clips of the dance before moving off to have our lunch.

Video Clip on People doing The Sardana (Barcelona Catalan Dance) after Sunday service (P1)

Video Clip on People doing The Sardana (Barcelona Catalan Dance) after Sunday service (P2)

Arrived at Port Olímpic and we were shown the beach, the golden fish sculpture named Peix, the twin tower – Hotel Arts and Torre Mapfre before heading to a restaurant for our seafood lunch. We were told that it consists of seafood salad, main course of prawns and mussels follow by coffee or tea. Kim and I sat with the couple Madeline and Alan. There were bottles of red wine on each table but we didn’t drink. The salad came followed by dishes of seafood such as fish, squid and so on and we shared amongst ourselves. The portions were big and at the end of it, we thought we were already done with lunch until they came out with the prawns and mussels. We thought it was going to be shared but turned out that it was each person a plate. Many of us were already quite full at the end of the seafood salad and so we tried our best to at least finish the prawns. Had espresso at the end of it before leaving the place to go to Montserrat, the optional tour.

We were told that the Montserrat is a multi-peak mountain and located on the mountain is an abbey called Santa Maria de Montserrat which houses the Virgin of Montserrat also known as the Black Madonna. Many people from Catalonia will hike overnight or cycle up to go to the Abbey for Sunday Service or stay there for a few days to experience life living in a monastery. We were also told that the Virgin of Montserrat didn’t use to be black but because of the years of smoke from the candles, it turns black. Many people are willing to queue for a long, long time just to walk pass and pray to the Black Madonna. As the place we were going is of high altitude so Nancee and the local guide told us that we might want to prepare a light jacket. I was glad that I threw the red flannel shirt that I got from Korea last year into the luggage at the last minute so I used that as my light jacket.

Reached the place, got off the coach and it was indeed chilly. We passed by a lot of stalls selling their local products such as cheese, honey, olive oil and some snacks. I was tempted to get the snacks to try but they didn’t come in small packaging.There was a tram station called Funicular de la Santa Cova and we saw a tram bringing people up to the upper part of Montserrat. The Abbey was some distance upslope and most of the members went to the toilet so Kim and I walked ahead to take some photos.

After everyone gathered together, Nancee and the local guide told us that we could have F&E time and those who are the more religious ones might consider queuing to see the Black Madonna. The local guide warned us that at times it could take up to 45 minutes to an hour just to see the Black Madonna and we were only giving a couple of hours of free time. So Kim and I decided to just explore on our own. We went into the Basilica and there were a group of people singing near the altar. So we went to sit on one of the benches to listen and also to look around the Basilica, taking photos and recording the singing. Then a few from the group started dancing to the song. It was quite enjoyable watching them sing and dance.

Video Clip on Singing in the Montserrat Monastery Basilica

Video Clip on Singing and Dancing in the Montserrat Monastery Basilica

After some time, we left the Basilica and explored other parts of the monastery. Browsed the souvenir shop and I bought a small bottle of olive oil in glass bottle. Came out of the shop and I saw a footpath leading to higher ground which the local guide said people actually hike up to the upper part of the mountain. We wandered around, snapping photos here and there.

Soon it was about time to go so Kim and I took a slow walk back down to the car park and along the way; we stop by another shop where I bought a small rosary. We gathered back at the coach and returned to our hotel. Dinner was not provided and it was only 6+pm when we reached the hotel. According to Nancee, most eating places would only be opened about 7+pm or 8pm onwards. Our coach drive, Pehpeh, was very nice. He showed us the direction where we could find some food places still open. So Kim and I headed out to hunt for dinner without going back to our hotel room. Managed to find two or three shops and we finally settled on one of them. As the menu was in Spanish and neither of us knew how to read, we had to resort to guessing, especially when the staff could not converse in English.

So in the end, we chose the safest food and that was pizza. I saw people eating churros dipped in thick chocolate and I ordered that thinking that the chocolate came with the churros by default. We had to wait half an hour for our order to be ready so we sat in the shop and fiddled with our mobile phone. Finally, food was ready and during payment, Kim added a doughnut and I realized that the staff didn’t give me the thick chocolate. So I assumed that take-away churros don’t come with thick chocolate. We brought our food back to our hotel room and we ate. While eating, a thought struck and that was perhaps, I should have specified that I want the churros with thick chocolate and not just churros alone. Fortunately, the churros tasted good on its own, a pity I was too full to be able to finish all of them.

Thoughts: One thing I realized in Barcelona, similar to the few other European countries that I have visited, there are proper cycling tracks for cyclists. Also there is this bicycle rental services such that anyone who resides in Barcelona with a valid bank account can get a monthly card to use the bicycle rental service. The person can just obtain a bicycle at one of the many designated kiosks which is essentially a row of rental bicycles and then return it at a nearby kiosk that is close to his/her destination. How cool is that!

As for the city tourI find the design of La Sagrada Familia very interesting and it would have been good if we were given more time to admire the structures and take good photos of it.

Montserrat… Might have been really good place to explore; unfortunately we didn’t have the time. I could have queue to see the Black Madonna, wandered around the Basilica to take nice photos, sat inside to enjoy the singing and dancing, walked around the surrounding and maybe even hike a little just to get a good view of the rest of the lower ground.

7 & 8 Jun 13 – Day 1 & 2 (Barcelona)

7 & 8 Jun 13 – Day 1 & 2 (Barcelona)

Reached Changi Airport Terminal 3 slightly after 6pm, saw the tour leader, Nancee, who told us to wait at the designated place after checking in our luggage. Saw some other group members at the designated place and then Nancee briefed us about the slight change of plans for the first two days of the tour as well as told us what to take note of during the flight transit.

After the briefing, we went off to look for dinner and finally settled for Japanese food at Itachio Sushi. After that, we took a slow walk to the designated gate and waited. Boarded the plane at 9:20pm, but the plane only took off at 10:10pm. We were given food shortly after the take-off and I watched “Jack the Giant Slayer” while eating. The show wasn’t great. Snoozed most of the time coz was simply too tired and managed to slip to the toilet while the Caucasian on my right was away. We reached Doha after 7 hours. There was no bridge to connect the plane to the terminal and we had to climb down the steps to take the shuttle bus to the terminal. The journey was quite long.

Unlike the airport in Dubai, Doha airport was much smaller and very crowded. After checking the time and gate for the connecting flight, Kim and I went to the toilet and then proceeded to sit near the gate to wait. Finally it was time to board and after the check-in, we had to take the shuttle bus to board the plane which took another 20+minutes. The plane was the older model with 2-3-2 sitting arrangements. We were allocated the left side of the plane with 2-seaters and Kim took the aisle seat as usual. The plane took off about 2:05am and this time round, I didn’t watch movie, I simply tried to sleep as much as I could and didn’t eat much. When it was close to the morning, the cabin crew started serving breakfast and I ate hungrily.

Finally the plane touched down in Barcelona around 8:10am after another 7 hours journey. By the time we cleared the custom and collected our luggage, it was already 9am. Nancee went to look for the local contact to bring us to the coach and by the time we left the airport, it was 9:30am. The temperature was cool like autumn in Seoul but I felt cold coz I had not adjusted to the change in temperature. As informed previously, our first stop was to La Roca Village, the chic factory outlet in Barcelona. Along the way, the sky wasn’t looking great, it was heavily overcast. Nancee reminded us that we might want to bring our umbrellas along. 

We reached La Roca Village after about 45 minutes or so and it was rather quiet. Nancee briefly showed us around before giving us about 2+hours of free time to roam on our own. Wanted to take out my camera to snap some pictures but felt kind of weird, especially when Kim wasn’t doing it. Popped into a few shops but nothing interest me. It started to drizzle about 11+am. Kim didn’t bring her umbrella and so I lent her mine while I wore the light parka. Unfortunately, the drizzle turned into heavy downpour and we had no choice but to seek refuge in the Starbucks café in the village. I ordered a cup of hot Mocha and a slice of carrot cake. While I was waiting for my order, there were three tall China Chinese boys who were also waiting for their orders. They were eating while they waited near the counter and I could see the staff looking at them with disdain. After Kim came back with her cup of hot latte and a vanilla muffin, we chatted and whatsapped our sisters on and off over our food. Kim’s sister asked her to check out the prices of two designer bags from Loewe, a high-end Spanish leather brand.

The rain stopped about 12+pm and the bright sun came out. We left Starbucks to continue our walk and the village started to get crowded with people. Popped into more shops and along the way took some photos using the mobile phone coz I wanted to at least have some memories of this place that I had visited. Towards the end of the F&E time, Kim and I bought nothing whereas we saw some of our group members came back with bags of stuff. While we were waiting for the coach along the bench, three China Chinese boys were seated there as well. I didn’t take a good look at them to see if they were the same group as in the Starbucks. They spoke in mandarin and were discussing if we were Japanese or Korean. They said “Konichiwa” but drew no response from me, and then they tried “Annyeonghaseyo” and still drew no response. By then, I was already laughing secretly and told Kim in English what those boys were trying to do.

Finally the coach came and we left La Roca Village at 2pm to go to La Rambla, the downtown of Barcelona. The streets of La Rambla were bustling with activities and people. Nancee wanted to show us La Boqueria, the public market, which is one of the city's foremost tourist landmarks before she gave us F&E time. So we followed her quickly to the market and we were so amazed by the variety of stalls and the way they display their goods and decorate their stalls. There were many fruit cum juice stalls, seafood stalls, meat stalls, chocolate stalls, snack stalls, etc. So many things to see and buy, yet Kim and I didn’t get any. I didn’t get any because I didn’t want to snack too much or hold the food while shopping around downtown. Nevertheless, we enjoyed ourselves by taking lots of pictures in the market.

After that, we walked the main streets and I had to carry my haversack on the side and keep my hand on it all the time. Didn’t really go into many shops and we walked towards Port Vell, passing by the Columbus Monument and saw a lot of living statues. Took photos of the Columbus Monument, some parts near Port Vell and browsed through some stalls nearby that were selling vintage stuff like old coins, notes, glassware, pottery and some handicrafts. Then we traced back our steps back to the main area of La Rambla and headed to Carrefour to get water and then popped over to El Corte Ingles to check out the supermarket. We didn’t check-out the departmental store coz we were short of time. Did a quick browse and bought some mini bottles of olive oil as souvenirs since Spain is the biggest exporter of olive oil. Then we rushed over to the nearby Burger King to get dinner before gathering at the meeting point to wait for the coach to take us to our hotel for that night.

We reached the hotel about 6+pm and as usual; I took shower first while Kim ate dinner. After I came out, ate dinner, did some packing for the next day, charged my camera batteries, mobile phone while using the Wi-Fi connection to access Twitter, Facebook and emails. Discussed with Kim if we should go for the optional tour the next day since Nancee said that most shops closed on Sunday. So in the end, we decided to go for the optional tour and prepared the money for it. Finally went to sleep at 9+pm but not without checking the weather forecast for the next day first.

Thoughts: I expected Nancee to give us some basic information about the history, culture and stuff before we visited the places but she didn’t.

We had 19 group members which consisted a Sim family of four who always keep to themselves, a Tan family of three with the little boy, a mother and daughter named Angie and Hui Min, an older couple named Madeline and Alan who is a SMU professor, a young couple named Yonglin and Pearlyn who is a secondary school teacher, another older couple called Mr and Mrs Goh where the wife is a China Chinese, overly friendly and simply likes to snap photos, another couple maybe about early 40+ called Mr and Mrs Chia who is a graphic designing lecturer (I think) and then there were Kim and myself.

It would have been good if we were given more time to explore the area but I guess that is always going to be a problem with package tour. Also because Spain has this culture of siesta, meaning taking afternoon naps, and so some shops was closed and were only opening when we had to head to our hotel.

12 May 13 (Sun) - Cinnamon Flavour Rice Balls & Orange Flavour Rice Balls in Longan Red Date Ginger Soup

Have been eating oranges since a few weeks back and have been processing the peels into ant-repellents. Accumulated too much of those and began to think what else I can do with the peels. Searched the Internet and got a few ideas, one of which is to grate the zest and use them in cooking. So I have processed a couple more oranges for their zest and store them in the freezer.

Decided to do experimental cooking today using the orange zest and to play it safe, I made rice balls. The thought of rice balls in sugar water seemed a bit plain, therefore, searched the Internet on recipe to make ginger soup. Saw a basic one and some slightly more complicated ones so decided to adapt all and come up one on my own. Saw a bottle of ground cinnamon in the pantry and thought, "Oh, why not?" and came up with the cinnamon flavour rice balls.

After adding the orange zest to the glutinous rice flour and mixing them up, the orange zest were almost invisible but they showed up after adding the blue solution. Similarly for the ground cinnamon, the colour only showed up after adding the water.

Nice colours

After assembling the rice balls and ginger soup                        The ginger soup with other ingredients

Cinnamon Flavour Rice Balls & Orange Flavour Rice Balls (Make 12)

Ingredients:
25g glutinous rice flour
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp orange zest
1 tsp sugar
hot water
1-2 drops of blue food coloring

Method:
1.  Mix glutinous rice flour with sugar
2.  Divide the mixture into two portions
3.  Add ground cinnamon to one portion and mix well
4.  Add orange zest to the other portion and mix well
5.  Add hot water little by little to the cinnamon portion and knead the dough with hands
6.  Tear out some dough and roll it between the palms to make rice balls
7.  Add blue food coloring to the hot water to make a blue solution
8.  Repeat step 5 and step 6 with the orange zest portion
9.  Bring some water to a boil and add in the rice balls
10.  Turn off the heat when the rice balls floats and set aside

Longan Red Date Ginger Soup (with Lotus Seeds and White Fungus)

Ingredients:
500ml water
10 dried longan
6 red dates, seeds removed
40g ginger, cut thick slices
10 lotus seeds, core removed
1 bowl of white fungus (after soaked)
rock sugar cubes to taste

Method:
1.  Use a fork to poke the ginger slices
2.  Place all the ingredients except rock sugar cubes into a pot and bring to boil
3.  Lower the heat, add rock sugar cubes to taste and let it simmer for 5 minutes or until sugar cubes dissolve
4.  Turn off the heat and remove the ginger slices

To assemble, scoop some rice balls into a serving bowl and fill it up with the ginger soup.


The two flavours turned out quite well, there were hints of cinnamon and orange in the rice balls without getting too overpowering and the ginger soup complimented the rice balls. And if I may add, the orange flavour ones tasted rather refreshing when biting into the zest. The ginger soup can be eaten hot or cold as a dessert on its own with the other ingredients.

Bought three avocado few weeks ago and ate one as part of a salad combo. It wasn't very ripe and so I let the other two stand for another few weeks. One of them turned out to be very soft while the other one was not as soft. Anyway, since they were not as hard as the first one I ate the other time, decided to just go ahead and used them. Made avocado milkshake and instead of the usual gula melaka, I used honey instead.

Avocado Milkshake (Make 2 cups)

Ingredients:
2 ripe avocados
1 cup milk
1 tbsp honey

Method:
1.  Cut avocados into halves, remove the seeds and set aside
2.  Scoop out the flesh and cut into small pieces
3.  Add all ingredients into a blender and blitz
4.  Put the seeds* into one cup each before pouring the milkshake

*The seeds are to prevent discolouration

Recipe for Cinnamon Flavour Rice Balls & Orange Flavour Rice Balls in Longan Red Date Ginger Soup submitted to Munch Ministry

A Review: Sophie Bakery

Read an article about Telok Ayer Street and McCallum Street in MyPapers couple of weeks ago and the shop "Sophie Bakery" caught my eyes. Searched the Internet about the shop and learnt that it was already opened back in end-January this year. But due to some matters, it re-opened again on 8 April. The shop was relatively easy to find, with the green shopfront and many tables outside the shop. Even before I stepped into the shop, I could feel the Parisian vibe.

The shop space was not big and lined with lots of different kinds of bread and buns. There were a lot of people inside the shop while I was there. Took two butter croissants and queued up for payment. While I was queuing, took a few quick snaps of the shop and checked out the pastries in the display and they all looked yummy. Ordered two chocolate eclairs and grabbed a small pot of honey which was placed together with other small pots of jam at the cashier counter.

The croissant cost $2 each, the eclair cost $3 each and the small pot of honey cost $1.50. Found it a bit expensive until I started eating them. The eclair was quite solid and heavy with chocolate cream compared to those that we normally eat which can be rather hollow. At $2, the butter croissant was reasonably big and rather filling after eating one. Personally, I will give their butter croissant the thumbs up.

I will probably go back to try their fruit tarts and coffee the next round. For now, I will recommend this shop to anyone who love their bread, Parisian-style.

Name: Sophie Bakery
Address: 167-169 Telok Ayer Street
Opening Hours: 08:00-19:00 (weekdays) and 10:00-16:00 (weekends)
Tel: 6221 6269
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SophieBakery
Wesbite: http://www.sophiebakery.sg/
Products: Bread, Pastries and Coffee
Prices: Butter croissant ($2); Chocolate croissant ($2.50); Eclair ($3); Fruit tart ($4.50); Macaron ($2); Sandwich ($5.50); Jam ($1); Honey ($1.50)

UPDATE: THE SHOP HAS CLOSED.

6 Apr 13 (Sat) – Kimchi Fried Pasta with Poached Salmon Steak in White Wine and Hanami-Mitarashi Kushi Dango

Time flies. It has been so many months since my last cooking post. Today did some experimental fusion cooking. Kimchi Fried Pasta with Poached Salmon Steak in White Wine as well as Hanami-Mitarashi Kushi Dango.

The first dish was adapted from Aeri's Kitchen’s Kimchi Fried Rice recipe. Instead of using white rice, I opted for wholemeal spiral pasta and instead of fried egg, I opted for poached salmon. So it was kind of like East meets West. I got to say, the taste of Kimchi on pasta was rather unique and having poached salmon instead of fried egg made the dish less oily. Wholemeal pasta has a rougher texture compared to the normal kind of pasta so probably not many people will like it though.

 

Kimchi Fried Pasta with Poached Salmon Steak in White Wine (Serve 1)

Ingredients: 1/2 piece salmon steak (about 100g) 1/2 cup kimchi, cut to bite-size pieces 1.5 tsp sugar Pinch of salt 1 tbsp kimchi liquid 1/2 tsp sesame oil 1 bowl cooked wholemeal spiral pasta Some lettuce, cut strips

Poaching Ingredients: 1 shallots, thinly sliced 1-2 slices lemon 1/4 cup white wine 1/2 cup water A dash of salt and pepper

Method:

1.  Heat up some oil, add kimchi, sugar and fry for about 2 minutes

2.  Add cooked wholemeal spiral pasta, pinch of salt, kimchi liquid, 1 tsp oil and fry 6 minutes

3.  Add sesame oil, fry 2 minutes then off the heat and set aside

4.  Combine all poaching ingredients in a pan

5.  Bring to boil and reduce heat

6.  Put the salmon steak so it is half covered

7.  After 2 minutes, turn the salmon steak over

8.  After 2 minutes, off the heat

9.  Arrange pasta, salmon and lettuce on a serving plate

10.  Sprinkle some pasta herbs on the salmon and some chili powder on the pasta

April is Sakura-viewing season and it reminded me of the three colours dango which Japanese usually made during the season. Since I cannot go to either Japan or Korea to view Sakura, had to content myself by eating hanami dango. And because I do not have toppings to go with the dango so I did the sweet soy sauce glaze which I had made previously.

Did a bit of experiment on the dango and that was by using lingoberry syrup to make it pink instead of using red food colouring. Then I used matcha powder to make it green and tried to use orange zest to make it yellow. I supposed I diluted all of them too much such that the colours turned out paler than I would have preferred. Nevertheless, it was a good try.

Hanami-Mitarashi Kushi Dango (Make 12)

Ingredients: 25g glutinous rice flour 1 tsp lingoberry syrup 1 tsp matcha powder Zest of 1/6 of an orange, diced Hot water 1 tsp oil

Ingredients (Sauce): 1/2 tbsp light soya sauce 1/2 tbsp mirin 2/3 tbsp sugar 2 tbsp water

Method:

1.  Divide glutinous rice flour into three portions

2.  Add 1 tbsp hot water to orange zest and let it stand 

3.  Add 1 tbsp hot water to matcha powder and mix well

4.  Add 1 tbsp hot water lingoberry syrup and mix well

5.  Add (2) little by little to one portion of the mixture and knead the dough with hands

6.  Tear out some dough and roll it between the palms to make rice balls

7.  Repeat step 5 and step 6 using (3)

8.  Repeat step 5 and step 6 using (4)

9.  Bring some water to a boil in a pot and add in the rice balls

10.  When the rice balls float, remove them from pot and place into a bowl of ice water for 5 minutes

11.  Drain the rice balls and skewer them three to a stick

12.   Heat up the oil in a non-stick pan over low heat and roll the skewered rice balls around for about 5-8 minutes

11.  Turn off the heat and arrange the skewered rice balls on a serving plate

12.  Boil all the sauce ingredients over low heat till thicken*

13.  Turn off the heat, drizzle the sauce over the rice balls and serve

* Amount of sugar and light soya sauce can be adjusted to taste

Recipe for Kimchi Fried Pasta with Poached Salmon Steak in White Wine submitted to Munch Ministry
Recipe for Hanami-Mitarashi Kushi Dango submitted to Munch Ministry

A Review: Cakes in Jars by Grin Affair

Read about this cake shop in the quiet Everton Park estate called Grin Affair in the papers a couple of weeks ago. The shop sells cakes in glass jars which immediately caught my attention. Finally decided to try it today since it is near my office. Asked my food buddy, CC, if she wanted some and she asked me to help her get five jars. Besides cakes, the shop also sells dried fruits in jars.

The cakes come in twelve flavours namely:

1) Banoffee 2) Dark chocolate 3) Durian 4) Hazelnut 5) Kiwi cheesecake 6) Mango

7)  Maron (chestnut)                                          8)  Matcha and azuki bean                                          9)  Strawberry custard                                          10)  Lychee passionfruit with sea salt pistachio                                          11)  Cookies and cream                                          12)  Honey lavender and blueberry

and expanding due to the coming Christmas season. CC asked for one banoffee, one strawberry custard, one honey lavender and blueberry and two lychee passionfruit with sea salt pistachio which happens to be the latest addition.

Bought the honey lavender and blueberry for myself to try and the lady took the jars out from the fridge, removed the covers of the jars, then covered the openings with cupcake paper cases and tied with strings. It was interesting because she tied it in a way that one can actually carry the jars by the string.

I was told that the cakes can stay outside of the fridge for 1-2 hours so after buying, I quickly took a bus back to office since it was a very hot afternoon. Took some photos of the cakes before eating mine. When I removed the paper cover, I was greeted with a big, fresh blueberry.

Took a bite of the cake and was a bit disappointed because I couldn't really taste the lavender. Fortunately I could taste the honey and the cake itself was very smooth, moist with rich vanilla taste. And hidden in the mousse were big, fresh blueberries. Perhaps next time I should try the more popular flavours like banoffee, dark chocolate, durian and kiwi cheesecake.

Overall, it was an interesting concept to have cakes in glass jars.

Name: Grin Affair
Address: 3 Everton Park #01-77
Tel: 8282 7375
Website: http://www.grinaffair.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/grin-affair/228819020535786
Product: Cakes in Glass Jars
Price: (1) to (9) at $5.50/jar; (10) at $6/jar; (11) and (12) at $4.80/jar

UPDATE: Shop moved to 2 Everton park #01-59A Singapore 081002 (Tel: 8222 2678)

29 Oct 12 - Day 5 (Myeongdong, Incheon International Airport)

Since the check-out time was 11am, I slept in in the morning till 8+am. Washed up, ate breakfast and did some last minute packing then watched some TV. Finally left with my luggage to the main office at 10:30am and again I missed a turn and couldn’t locate the office building. Fortunately, an uncle saw me and knew that I was lost so asked where I was going. Told him the name of the hostel and he directed me there. Got to the office, handed the key over and the staff told me that I could have just given them a call and they would help me with the luggage. Oh well…

 

Parked my luggage in the office and went out to Myeongdong Fashion Street to kill some time. Bought the coffee chocolate from Angel-in-us for Min and then went into SPAO and a couple of other shops. About 11+am, went into a random noodle house for lunch and turned out that it was Myeongdong Gyoja, another food shop in my list. After eating, went back to collect my luggage and lugged it over to the bus stop at Sejong Hotel. The bus came at 12:40pm and I reached Incheon International Airport by 1:50pm. Collected my air ticket and went to do my tax refund. Cleared the immigration and then walked around the airport. Went to the Korea Traditional Cultural Experience Center thinking that I could do one of the hands on but that day the crafts were either hanji painting or hand mirror. So stood for a while and watched the other people do before going into Lotte Duty Free shop to see what else I can buy but end up getting nothing.

 

There was a parade of the Royal Family and tourists were taking photos. I took some and managed to get a photo taken with the Royal Family. Went to the boarding gate and sat to wait for time to board at 3:50pm. The plane took off at 4:40pm and I watched The Amazing Spiderman and The Dark Knight Rises. This new Spiderman was nice, closer to the comic / cartoon version and Andrew Garfield is very cute with his messy hairstyle. Touched down at 9:40pm and BIL came to pick me up to go back to his place for the night.

 

Thought: This whole 5D4N trip to Seoul is the first solo trip for me. The experience was good. My character is one that plans and plans down to the details if possible. I even printed maps and information such as what to check out in which area. But in the end, I didn’t use much of the maps or follow the itinerary to a T. I just go with the flow and rearrange the itinerary as I deem fit. I didn’t even follow the list of food places that I have compiled and just randomly pop into anyone that looks decent or ask the locals. It so happened that the ones I went into happened to be quite popular such as HwangSaengGa Kalguksu, Saram & Namu, Beautiful Tea Museum and Myeongdong Gyoja.

 

I was feeling very stressful and tired during the first couple of days of my trip because I was trying to pack a lot of activities per day. Then I realized that I shouldn’t have to do that, it was supposed to be a relax trip, doing things at my own pace. Go where I like, see what I like, eat what I like, when I like. However, one thing I learnt is that never work full day even if the flight is a night flight. Have at least half a day rest before hand because one will not be able to have a good rest on the plane and the next day is going to be one day of activities.

 

Seoul is not difficult to walk on own, even though language is a problem, the locals are very helpful even if they don’t speak English or speak minimal English. They are very happy if you can speak one or two simple Korean words or phrases. I remember a few occasions when I was buying food I said “Gamsahamnida” at the end and the sellers who were wearing straight faces broke into smiles.

 

I read from TripAdvisor that one needs to register with Olleh in order to use their network and charges apply. I didn’t register since I didn’t think that I will need to connect so often. However, Wi-Fi connections are plenty in a lot of areas and I was able to Whatsapp little big sis every now and then. I could even connect to Olleh network without registering with them.

 

Will I go back Seoul again? I think so but it will probably be in the Spring/Summer period where I can at least get some Summer clothing. Perhaps not so much shopping but more on sightseeing such as visit the Gyeongbokgung Palace again to cover the areas I missed, visit Changdeokgung Palace again to tour the Secret Garden; see Cheonggyecheon Stream by day; go to Bukchon Hanok Village in the morning as well as to cover other parts of Seoul such as the Gangnam area and Hongik area. So will I go back to Seoul again? Yes!

Click here for full set of photos

28 Oct 12 - Day 4 (Changdeokgung Palace, Insadong, Cheonggyecheon Stream)

Thank god today is a clear and sunny day. The stretching helped with my lower back and legs. I only got up about 8.30am since I was going to the Changdeokgung Palace. After three days in Seoul, I am used to the subway system. In fact, during the last three days, I was walking without maps most of the time, only except when I was in the Namsangol Hanok Village, Gyeongbokgung Palace, Samcheongdong and Bukchon Hanok Village. Either I blend in very well so much so that twice I had locals talking to me / asking me questions in Korean or they just grabbed anyone and asked questions.

 

Got to the palace slightly after 9am, bought the ticket and snapped a few photos of the surroundings before entering the palace. Walked around the area after Donhwamun and took more photos. The trees in the area are turning into pretty shades of yellow and red. Asked a lady to help me take a photo of me standing under a big, yellow tree. Well… Her photo taking skill was not great, instead of taking the photo landscape wise to incorporate the whole tree; she took it portrait wise and got the both sides of the crown chopped off. Oh well… At least I got my photo taken.

 

 

Initially I planned to join the English guided tour at 10:30am but I had half an hour to kill so decided to just tour the palace on my own using the guide book provided. Half way through the walk, the English guided tour group caught up and I joined the group on and off. One of the things I learnt during the guided tour was that Seonjeongjeon is the only building in Changdeokgung with a blue-tiled roof and back then, blue tiles were very expensive. There were some iron doors in some of the buildings and the tour guide explained that they were actually heating system in the olden days. Charcoals were burnt behind those iron doors to heat the floor during cold days and charcoals were used instead of wood because they produced less soot. The smoke from the burning of the charcoals was then released from a chimney behind the building. Some of the buildings were connected by corridors so the people in the old days did not need to wear thick clothing just to get to the next building.

 

 

 

The guided tour ended at 11:30am and I stayed for a little while more before moving off to Insadong. Had a bit of a problem finding my way there so popped into Anguk station to look at the neighborhood map. While crossing a road to get to Insadong, I saw a couple of rice cake shops selling very nice rice cakes. Again I was very tempted to buy but didn’t. Got to Insadong and I was in the middle of the main street so walked half of it and took a side road thinking that I would be able to make a turn to get back to the main road. However, it was not the case and I wandered off a little too much. Followed a group of foreigners and was back to Insadong again and I covered the other half of the main road before looking for a place to eat lunch.

 

Most of the eating places are found in the alleys and side roads while the shops along the main street are those selling souvenirs, pottery and knick knacks. Popped into one of the many alleys and checked out the restaurants there. The first one was quite crowded and had an open area concept while the one next door was a close concept that I couldn’t see the interior of it. From the menu, the first one had bibimbap with octopus and a few others while the second one offered medicinal chicken soup and some other food. In the end, I decided to go to the first one since there were many people in there. I assumed the many people means the food should be good.

 

Sat down and the staff who handed me the menu told me that the first four items are for single person so I ordered the bibimbap with small octopus. The portion was very big with lots of ingredients and the food came with a few small side dishes. Took some photos of my lunch and started eating. I couldn’t finish the rice because there was too much hot sauce. After eating, continued walking along the main street of Insadong, checking out the shops to see what souvenirs I could get. Saw an information counter and went to get a map. Passed by a shoe shop which was having promotion and went in to try on a pair of boots that cost W55,000 from the usual W69,000. Was tempted to get but didn’t and just then, there were some commotions outside the shop. Went out to see and there was a traditional drum parade going on and I quickly took a short video clip of it.

 

 

Saw Ssamziegil and went in to check it out. There were many people inside and the shops were selling crafts, accessories and so on, things that can be found back home. Went to the rooftop and saw a small section that was like the love locks section at the N Seoul Tower but instead of locks, they were rubber tags. Walked down by the staircase to B1 where I read in TripAdvisor that people can dabble in craftworks. Saw four to five small sections where people can pay to make things such as silver accessories or colored glass crafts. Went back up and then found the tourist guides in red to ask for direction to the National Souvenir Centre. I thought I should be able to settle all the souvenir stuff in that one place but I was wrong. The things in there were too touristy and impractical and I had to go back out to hunt again. Stopped by a small souvenir shop and bought 10 coasters and two card holders for W23,000. Asked the aunty if I can have discount and instead of giving me discount, she gave me a pencil case worth W2,000.

 

Happened to see the sign pointing to the direction to Beautiful Tea Museum and recalled that it was one of the food shops on my list. Hence, followed the direction and went in for tea break. Checked out the prices for the tea leaves and gosh… they were expensive. So in the end, I just sat down to have some Korean Hwang Cha and a piece of pumpkin rice cake. The staff prepared the tea right in front of me and I sipped my tea and ate the rice cake slowly, enjoying every moment of it. After I was done eating and resting, paid up and continued shopping.

 

 

Saw a stall selling hand-made wooden massage spike balls and bought a pair because they looked interesting enough. Wanted to get some small celadon pottery items as gifts but couldn’t find nice ones and wanted to get some decent celadon pottery for myself but the rational side of me took over saying that I already have two celadon pottery cups at home from BIL. Passed by a stall selling freshly made honey snacks but didn’t get because they were in big packets so ended up buying some small ones from another shop.

 

I walked up and down the main street for many times, trying to decide if I should buy the pair of boots I saw earlier or I should head down to Dongdaemun market to check out the shoes and clothing again. While walking up and down, I saw TKD concert on one end of the street and at the other end, I saw some teenagers dancing to a Korean song and subsequently dancing to Gangnam Style. After that, I finally made up my mind to just get the boots since I think that I probably wouldn’t be able to get anything from Dongdaemun market. Happy with my purchase, I thought I will just call it a day and forget about going to Cheonggyecheon Stream because I didn’t see the stream on my map. But then I thought since I was already in Seoul, in the area, it was my last day and I don’t know when I will be back again, hence I pressed on and went to the information counter to ask for directions.

 

 

Fortunately the stream wasn’t too difficult to find and it was behind a temple and I was in the middle section of the stream. Walked on one side of the stream in the opposite direction of Cheonggye Plaza and took some photos. It was getting dark and my camera night shots are not good so most of the photos appeared blurred. Got to the end of the stream, crossed the stream via the stones and walked towards Cheonggye Plaza. There were many couples sitting along the stream. Got to the plaza, saw the grand fountain and there was a concert with some food tents at the side. Bought a stick of grilled chicken for W2,000 and sat down near the fountain to eat. A man beside me spoke to me in Korean and I didn’t understand him.

 

 

Finished up the food, took some photos of the concert and thought I will walk to Dongdaemun market since it should be fairly near. Saw a sign pointing to Gwanghwa gate and remembered that Dongdaemun should be in the opposite direction. Passed by a pushcart selling BBQ squid and bought a pack to eat on the way. The uncle told me one for W5,000 so I gave him W10,000 expecting a change but he gave me the food and stopped. I was confused that stood there and the other uncle said something like two and I answered “Two?” The other uncle who prepared the food then gave me the W5,000 change. In the end, I still didn’t know whether he gave me two squid or one. Walked pass some office buildings and the street was quite deserted given that it was a Sunday night so decided to pop into the nearest subway station and took a train back to Myeongdong instead. I thought I will have to top up the T-money since it was a couple of stops more than the usual but fortunately, the fare was still W1,050 and I still have W600 left in the card.

 

 

Walked the last round in Myeongdong, bought more seaweed before heading back. Along the way, I bought my usual banana milk and apple juice and thought I can have one last round of tteokbokki but the shop was closed. So headed over to Tous Les Jours to get bread, and since I was along that stretch of road, I walked further up to Sejong Hotel to check the timing of the airport bus. Got back to the hostel and before I headed up to my room, I called the reception to ask about the check-out time which turned out to be 11am. Glad I checked.

 

Back to the room, washed up, ate dinner, messaged sis and did mission impossible (packing) while watching Mission Impossible 3 on TV. Managed to stuff most of the things into the luggage case but my boots cannot go in so have to put it in my backpack instead. Finally finished packing by 12 midnight and went to sleep.

 

Thoughts: Changdeokgung Palace is very nice; personally I find it nicer than Gyeongbokgung Palace. A pity I didn’t do the Secret Garden tour, perhaps next time. Insadong is interesting to walk but didn’t need to cater so much time there since most of the shops are repeated. Ssamziegil is very popular with youngsters apparently and if one has time to spare can go to the basement to try the craftworks. I saw Cheonggyecheon Stream by night and it was pretty sight but unfortunately the light installations were not lighted up. I suppose Cheonggyecheon Stream by day will look very different.