a randomly generated list of Top 11 places to visit!

I like open spaces a lot. The further from the city, the more magnificent, it seems. Perhaps it is because God created nature, and men created cities out of nature. But then men (that God created) also made God's creations accessible to everyone. I've randomly selected 11 "open spaces" from my more recent Facebook albums that I've had fond memories of. 

Lists like these always inspire me so perhaps they'll inspire someone else too! Happy traveling! 

1. West Coast of South Island, New Zealand. 

2. Abisko National Park in the Swedish Laplands

3. Nara Deer Park, Japan

4. view of Mont Fuji shot from a Cable Car, Hakone

5. at Fox Glacier, South Island New Zealand

6. Crown Range Road, New Zealand 

7. Barrage Hassan Addakhi, Morocco

8. Willow Lake, Fort Mcmurray, Canada

9. Old town of Uppsala, Sweden

10. Cat Cat Village, Sapa, Vietnam

11. High Island Reservoir Geopark, Hong Kong

It's amazing just how beautiful our world is. Way to go, God! :)

I'm thinking of ...

Yes, again! 

For the record, Westjet is a fabulous way to fly. I highly recommend flying with them if you need a ride across Canada. 

Destinations to be revealed as soon as I get round to collecting my brand new passport. 

Dee-lee-cious Vancouver: Tora Renbo Japanese Restaurant

Craving for Japanese food with fresh Canadian produce but stuck in Vancouver on a cold wintry night? Derek showed us how to 'live it up' by treating us to a huge feast at Tora Renbo Japanese Restaurant in Richmond. 

The gorgeous skyline against a beautiful sunset as we headed into Richmond for dinner.

 Our tired jet-lagged bodies originally made for humid Singapore weather were slowly icing up so Derek, the ever-so-attentive host drove us to his favourite Japanese restaurant for dinner. 

No one was really in the mood for food, except Derek. What we needed was not cold sushi, but a warm fireplace and hot tea. The restaurant was a small wooden shack located right in the middle of Richmond. Like typical Japanese restaurants, it was a small and cram space being able to accomodate not more than 30 diners. As all four of us snuck to the ladies for short break, Derek called the shots, ordering a plethora of his favourite dishes.   

Once again, this turned out to be a case of "never doubt Derek". As soon as copious dishes of China ware descended upon our table with a loud 'clang', my appetite returned. 

Dragon Roll - its like a california roll topped with guava slices and egg roe.

I'm not a big fan of sushi rolls, but these were god-like and so very very fresh that I could not help but devour slightly more than my share! 

Mango rolls - these sweeter rolls are also very good! Topped with delicious slices of mango and stuffed with your typical california roll ingredients these also turned out to be very refreshing. 

The toufu - which was up to scratch 

Clam Sakamuchi - Clams cooked in Sakae. If you like the taste of Sake, this is for you! The clams were SO FRESH! 

Unagi Oroshini: this was the winner of the night. I never had unagi cooked this way before (in a tempura style) and when dug out a portion for myself, I was surprise.

Salmon belly sashimi: The name itself has me jumping up and down in my pants! Salmon belly is LOVE <3 Due to popular demand, we had to order two servings of this. And I must say, the Canadians here are a lot more generous with the portions than back in Singapore and Japan. Salmon Belly in Asia is like a priced caviar that may only be doled out in small quantities for very exorbitant prices - there were at least 8 pieces of Salmon Belly for each serving and for only 15 dollars! 

We had a plate of assorted tempura (not featured) and this one (purple yam tempura).  Both were also very good, and not oily at all.

Gyoza

Squid - once again, VERY GOOD! It was barbecued and then served with a light soy sauce.

2 servings of yakitori. This arrived last, and although it was very good, my stomach was packed full and I could only help myself to one stick.

Complimentary ice-cream. Derek chose the black sesame version, but I went for the traditional green tea ice-cream which turned out to be a great choice: very milky and buttery! 

I expected a frightfully expensive bill. A dinner (of this quality and quantity) like this in Singapore would have cost almost double this amount! These prices certainly sealed the deal for me. I'll be back, Tararenbo with my entire Chinese clan, friends and of course dearest G.

Tora Renbo 

8191 Park Road

Richmond, BC, Canada

Dee-lee-cious Vancouver: Floata Seafood Restaurant

"Chinese Food?" I asked, my eyebrows slightly raised. It was our first day in Canada, and the last thing I had expected to eat was Chinese food - we had just left Shanghai and the xiao long baos were still doing mini flipflops in my tummy. Furthermore, what could these 'Vancouver people' know about Chinese food when they were thousands of miles away from the source?

But a part of me told me to place my trust in Derek, he was after all from Hong Kong and when Hong Kong people say 'the dim sum here is a good', one ought to believe them or live to regret. So I put on a cherry smile and allowed Derek to take us to his favourite dim sum restaurant.

After the Mao revolution, many Chinese got fed-up with their place in society and sought to move to greater and better pastures. Thousands of them chose Vancouver and bought houses in the Richmond area, Richmond as well as Vancouver is therefore home to the best Chinese food in the region.

Although it was still slightly too early for lunch, the restaurant was packed to its brim with Chinese customers. This does not resemble Vancouver at all, does it? 

One of the first few dishes we the roasted pork. it was crisp and had a tiny layer of fat right under it, just the way roasted pork should be! 

Like the traditional dim sum restaurants here in Singapore, the 'waitress' were trolley aunties decked out in Cheong Sams concentrating on navigating their pipping hot dim sum through the big Chinese hall. As they steered their vehicles, they called out the names of the dishes in Cantonese, "char siew pao", "har gao", gu lo yok", no menu. There was nothing Canadian about it at all! 

The experience was intense and almost surreal, ironically because there was nothing make-believe and 'disneyland' about it. How could chinese food taste so good and be so truly original more than 24 000 miles away from home?

If your in Keefer Street, make a stop at Floata Seafood Restaurant, no regrets!!

Floata Seafood Restaurant

180 Keefer Street #400

Vancouver

Train: Stadium-Chinatown

open daily from 7am - 10pm

[even the opening hours are sooooo Chinese!]

I believe they have another outlet in Richmond as well.

more of '50 things to eat before u die'

Many moons ago, I said I would write about my food (or lack thereof) experiences, using the BBC's list of top 50 food to eat as a guideline. Here's me continuing from where I stopped!

40. Australian meat pie

I'm not sure if there's a big difference between Australian and New Zealand meat pies. Pie fans reading this will probably nod their heads furiously and proceed to list their favorites. Having the lamentable misfortune of being brought up in Singapore, I've had my share of delicious meat puffs but not so many meat pies.

My most memorable meat pie encounter was from a holiday in New Zealand last year. I had a pie almost everyday from freshly baked ones right out of the oven of renown bakeries to the frozen supermarket variety. In the end, it was a little bakery in Arrowtown that blew us away! Shocking really, because unlike many other famous bakeries, this bakery is just a small joint and they make no claims of being the "world's best". I like small, rustic, humble bakeries that serve great food, and when I am in the Wakatipu area again, I'd drive over in heartbeat.

39. Scallops

Fresh and plump from the market, I pat them dry with a paper towel and sear them in a pan of butter till they are slightly brown and crusty - I would have scallops no other way.

38. Kebab

Originating from Greece or Turkey, no one is really knows, the kebab or obeliskos (in ancient greek) has appeared in classical literature since the "Iliad" and "The Odyssey", yet it is today associated with middle eastern culture!

36. Barramundi

is a type of fish. And I'm just only getting to know the food I eat a little better so I'm not sure if I've had Barramundi before. But guess what, there's a Barramundi farm here in Singapore!

37. Reindeer

Masqueraded as 'Caribou' ("a Canadian speciality all visitors must try" said our guide book), my friends and I gamely ordered a large dish from a restaurant in Quebec City. The well-marinated caribou was served sitting on a creamy king-size bed of mashed potatoes, a generous dollop of gravy rolling off its side. How could anyone resist such a hearty, rustic meal on a cold, clammy day? We cleaned our plates and declared the dish delicious, one of the better choices we had made that evening. It was only later, back in our hostels that a quick google search revealed the unthinkable - we had eaten Rudolph and enjoyed it!

My favourite bits of downtown Vancouver!

Brace yourself for a massive post filled with spectacular scenery! :) Being a coastal city, the winters in Vancouver are mild and the temperatures never fell below -5 degree Celsius even though we were in the depths of winter. Furthermore, we were blessed with sunshine and clear skies for all the four days we were there, perfect weather to frolic about. 

Our friend, D picked us up from Vancouver international airport and led us to his waiting Nissan before speeding us off to his new apartment in Richmond. It was the first time I had seen D, but I had heard only good things about him - he was kind, generous and could be counted on for good food recommendations. The most striking thing about him though was that he was Asian and Canadian. I had always held the impression that Chinese migrants were more or less shun by the rest of white community, and hugely disliked because they took away low-paying, menial jobs from the community that could have benefited the White working class. (All this no thanks to writers like Amy Tan) 

While D was not holding a high post, he had craved out a life for himself which included a lovely 1700 square metre apartment with a mini courtyard by the coast and a car to take him to and fro work. In fact, most people who lived in Richmond were Asian migrants turned privileged Canadian citizens, realist who were now living the American (or in this case, the Canadian) dream. 

the view from D's handsome apartment 

 Located at False creek, Granville island is a huge market place that sells all kinds of fresh food and artsy crafts.

 fresh fish!!!

 the junction between East Hastings and Main street: known as the most dangerous part of downtown Vancouver, hobos, prostitues and druggies hang out here. Ironically, the police museum is also located a few blocks away along Cordova Street. Unfortunately, the museum was close on a Sunday and we did not have time on the other days to squeeze a trip in. This will definitely be on my list of things-to-visit the next time I'm in Vancouver.

one of the many "prescription specialists" near East Hastings. One cannot help but wonder what these specialists are prescribing. Notice the pair of shoes caught in the branches? I wonder how it got there?

 Binners' Market: a informal, rough marketplace full of druggies selling second hand stuff. Very much like Thieves Market here in Singapore

From East Hastings to Gastown: Vancouver city expanded and grew from this humble, laid-back spot. 

the famous gastown steam clock that steams every 15 minutes to music. 

the five sales at Canada place that was unfortunately close that day! 

 the tinnest, most slim commercial building in the world.

 lovely views of downtown Vancouver from prospect point in Stanley Park.

Although Vancouver has an amazing and efficient sky train system, I believe that the best way to explore it is still by one's two feet, there is nothing like a slow, enjoyable walk in lovely weather!

brillant sunshine at prospect point. 

totem pole area

totem pole site offers great views of Commercial Vancouver.

Buns, Buns, Buns!

Our China Eastern air tickets to Vancouver required that we make a 7 hour stopover in Shanghai. 7 hours with nothing to do after a five hour flight with no inflight entertainment and the prospect of yet another 12 hours of flying with no inflight entertainment as well made us determined to step out of the airport and into Shanghai if for nothing but to eat to our heart's contend.

Having just returned from Shanghai, Geri recommended that we pay the chain responsible for creating the first Xiao Long Bao - Nanxiang Steamed Bun Restaurant a visit. Better yet, she knew where to find this restaurant, sparing us the embarrassment of having to wield tourist maps, signifiers of our alienship (that is the English term the Chinese have picked to mean foreigners - not grammatically wrong, but still, why alien over foreigner?!).

This huge establishment is nestled in the old City and is itself located in one of the many refurbished pagoda-like temples spotting curved roofs; the Chinese believe that these ward off evil. Like the steaming baskets of xiao long baos stacked one upon the other, Nanxiang Restaurant is divided into three tiers, each one specializing in a particular 'grade' of xiao long bao, service and price.





In the true spirit of shoestring travel, we stopped by the first floor only to be greeted by a bland cardboard sign with the words "10am" scrawled on in pale black ink fronting huge opaque clouds of XLB smoke. Sitting by the kiosk two burly men kept careful watch. These xiao long baos had after all been deemed as Shanghai's protected "traditional treasures" by the government. Not wanting to make enemies after having traveled so far, we marched to the second floor.

To our dismay, the restaurant on the second floor sold only crab-flavored buns. Furthermore each visitor had to order an outrageous number of buns in order to qualify for a table, so we hiked to the third floor, a lavish dinning room filled with waitstaff in chinese costumes and neatly bundled hair. Here, there was no minimum order required, an extensive menu, no queues and of couse, higher prices - the price difference was rather negligible though by Western standards. 

We placed our orders quickly - one basket of signature crab flavored XLB and one basket of the pork buns in their original flavor. In no time, one of the impeccably-styled waitresses placed two steaming baskets on our table before brusquely demanding for payment. The disparity between her tone, saccharine smile and her neatly pressed silk blouse startled me.

"must pay now?" I muttered in halting Chinese.

"yao" she nodded vigorously, as the sharp tips of her lips dived into a frown. The steam from the XLB was getting to me, reminding me of what was most important - tasting the xiao long bao before they turned cold. So I thrust a few Chinese notes into her outstretched palm, and returned to the dining table. 

 The skin was a little more chewy that I had liked it to be. But everything inside more than made up for it - a dense dollap of meat swimming in pork and chicken broth. The broth looked a little oily, but all was quickly forgiven and devoured upon the first bite. Sure, I have had buns that taste just slightly better in Singapore before, but never one that was so generous with its stuffing! We needed to stuff ourselves with more! So we hurried downstairs, joining the long queue that had already formed outside the kiosk on the first floor.

A styrofoam box of 16 meaty buns were selling for a mere 12 yuan! Who could resist such a deal? Not us! So we stood in the wintry air patiently waiting, and ferociously guarding our position in the queue. With four of us in a group, as well as Geri's bright pink jacket, our spot in the queue was secure. The rest of mainland China just had to jostle, push and shove the others if they wanted to get in front of the queue.

And push they did. Barely fifteen minutes into the experience, we heard a Chinese man from the back of the queue call out to a couple who had acceded to a man's request to buy buns for him and his family.

"Others have queue for so long! It's not fair" he howled. But his words fell on death ears and couple proceded with their order before scurrying away and disappearing into the thickening crowd. Perhaps they were paid extra to stand in line? Who knew? Whatever it was, buying meat buns in Shanghai was certainly serious business!

Fourty minutes  and two boxes of styrofoam buns later, we were full and ready to leave Shanghai for Vancouver.

Nanxiang steamed Bun Restuarant

Yuyuan Bazaar, 378 Fuyou Rd

Shanghai, China