Thailand Ram Inthra (Minburi) 24 - 26 May 2017

Chilling out at a small coffee shop selling freshly brewed coffee

           Situated to the North East of Bangkok, some 30 minutes drive, is Ram Inthra in the Minburi district. Our representative there got us a gem of a resort called Syn Siri Resort. It has a resort feel though with no facilities except for a clean room, toilets, friendly reception staff and fresh towels every day. For THB 1000 (S$ 40 or US$ 28) it is a steal especially for us business folk who have no need to base ourselves inside Bangkok and wasting the additional half hour or 45 minutes to get in and out of the city.

        The Ram Inthra Road is a long stretch of road, and our resort was at the flyover turnover near Fashion Island. Further infield lies the Panya Inthra Golf Club, one of the most prestigious clubs within Metropolitan Bangkok.  I had an hour's run during my stay in Bangkok and the footpath is wide and even, something which my joints appreciate !  There are a number of food shops by the roadside selling grilled fish, papaya salad, fried seafood and soups so we always have clean food at very decent prices just at our doorsteps.

View from my room at the 'resort' 

Friendly hawkers 

        The prices offered by the hawkers are very reasonable by Singapore standards, for THB 40 to THB 55 (small or big bowls) which comes to about S$ 1.80 (US$ 1.40) and S$ 2.30 (US$ 1.80) you can have a bowl of nutritious pork noodles with lots of vegetables like spring onions, towgay (bean sprouts), lettuce and morning glory

        Je Kann coffee cafe which is situated right by the roadside, is a gem of a shop with a very friendly owner, Kew and her staff. A coffee latte or coffee mocha freshly brewed is only THB 50 (S$ 2.00 or US$ 1.60). A Cappucino or an espresso is slightly cheaper at THB 45.

      You can sit away in the cool airconditoned cafe by the roadside looking out into the green courtyard with frangipani and other local trees. Very soothing and relaxing indeed  ! 

This is too funny !

Egypt Ramses II - Abu Simbel.

Relief of Ramses 

          The news that the discovery of another 30 odd mummies in the Valley of the Kings comes with very little fanfare. The fact that Egypt over 2000 years ago was the epicentre of technology, mathematics, science arts and culture wandering through the ruins and temples of Luxor, Om Kombo, and numerous others along the Nile river is testament to that.

          Ramses II was the most prolific ruler of that millennium and his likeness in statues, reliefs, cenotaphs and even temple walls is for all to see. Sadly, the situation now is not too conducive for tourists to come and visit, although I would gladly revisit this fascinating country to re-examine many things.

                                        With our Tour Mates outside Temple of Nefetary

  

         He lived till the amazing age of 82 (when the life expectancy of people then was a measly 35 years or so around the 2500 BC era !) That fact alone is testament to his strength and vitality. Many Egyptians feel that the temple at Abu Simbel, some 200 km from Aswan (which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1965) was the work of not just humans and there was some 'extraterrestial' knowhow imparted. The magnificent temple was found submerged and the Egyptian authorities rebuilt it brick by brick. The front temple was dedicated to Ramses wife as can be seen in the picture below.

The Temple of Nefatary with 3 visible statues of Ramses and one worn out due to erosion

         How could the innermost chambers of this temple where the statue of Ramses II be lit up only 2 times a year ? The anniversary of his birth and the anniversary of his coronation ? This, bear in mind, was built some 4000 odd years ago, and the mathematics of mapping the stars and the Sun to be so accurate even by today's standards is mind boggling.

      

        

'Shiok' Breakfast - Tiong Shian Claypot Frog Porridge

Tiong  Shian Claypot Porridge along New Bridge Road 

        Situated in Chinatown, opposite the old Pearl's Hill Center and along New Bridge road in a coffeeshop sits a lovely stall selling, yes, Frog Porridge. In Chinese it is called 'bao tian ju' or literally field chicken. Back in the day, some 50 years ago, the frogs were still being caught in the ponds near the open fields and cooked for their protein. Nowadays they are all farmed probably in Malaysia or Indonesia.

        I had this 'shiok' breakfast this morning (20th May 2017) after running an errand at approximately 10.45 am. Situated along the roadside at the corner of New Bridge Road and Keong Saik Road, there is this coffeeshop with dull green awnings to accommodate the overflowing customers I hear the place is packed late into the evening and early morning. 

                         

                                          

     The bowl of porridge and the claypot came together as did my 'you tiao' or dough fritters. The 'you tiao'  was hot and crispy. This meant that it was recently deep friend, just the way I like it. 

     I ordered the frog in black sauce with ginger and spring onion (small) for $8.00 and porride for $0.60. The verdict ? The sauce texture was just nice, not too thick or watery and very flavourful. It had a slight hint of oyster sauce and pepper inside it and it is best mixed with the porridge. The frog (don't be squeamish you guys from the Western Hemisphere) was very tender, and the legs do resemble that of a miniature chicken, minus the fat. There was some skin again which was tender, and resembled chicken skin only smoother. 

Looks like chicken, its very tender and 'springy'  (LOL)

    There were also other body parts, such as the back bone and 2 flaps of skin, which was also very nice to chew. The entire meal was in my opinion, 'shiok'  - very tasty in Singlish

but it is a heaty  ('heats' up the body) dish, so I suggest drinking some lime juice or herb tea which is sold by the coffeeshop in cans to wash down the 'heatiness'

     Rating  (out of 5)  

a) Food :  4.8 out of 5  (really 'shiok')

b) Service:  4.0 out of 5(prompt and polite, this is hawker stall by the way)

c) Ambience :  3 out of 5 (it can get really busy and noisy later in the day I am sure)

d) Satisfaction :  5 out of 5 (how many people can say they ate frogs and actually 

                           liked it ??? )

   Name  : Tiong Shian Claypot Porridge Stall

Address :  265 New Bridge Road SGP 088745 

                 corner or New Bridge and Keong Saik Street

 Cuisine : Chinese and Singaporean

 Speciality : Frog Legs (either with Black Sauce or Garlic and Chili)  

Kaiseiki Yoshiyuki - Par Excellence

            Situated at the basement of Forum the Shopping Mall at the start of the Orchard Road, Yoshiyuki's entrance is uninspiring if not modestly discreet for many shoppers and diners.  Helmed by head chef Yoshi Kashiwabara, Yoshiyuki provides 2 types of dining experience, first, the Kaiseiki (multi-course omakase, meaning the chef's choice of food preparation) and the bar outside which is more casual.

           To make it to the dining room, you first have to walk through a black tunnel room, and enter the dining room after some sliding door entrance. On the right is the casual drinking and bistro area.

                                           Kaiseiki Yoshiyuki, at the Forum 

          Yoshi san cuts an imposing but friendly figure ; his dining counter where he holds court only caters to 14 diners. As it was my wife May's birthday, I decided it was worth a try after reading all the 'superb' reviews.

          I ordered the Yuki 7 set course meal, which consisted of 
Sakizuke (amuse bouche)
Suimono (clear soup)
Sashimi  (raw fish)
Yakimono (grilled dishes) 
Nimano (simmered dishes)
Shokuji (rice with seasonal ingredients,pickles and soup)
Mizugashi (japanese sweets and macha)

        She had the 8 course meal, consisting of 
Sakizuke
Hassun
Suimono
Sashimi
Yakimono
Shizakana (main meat dish)
Shokuji
Mizugashi

         Each dish was a delight visually, and the tastes were a delight to behold. My taste buds are not as refined as my wife's but the experience was nothing short of ethereal or out of this world.The sashimi was so fresh, the simmered dishes as good as the best from Japan and the grilled dishes excellent. The phrase "less is more" certainly applies to the dining experience and chef Yoshi is a master at making small talk explaining each serving with the finesse only a master chef can. Chef Yoshi has served previously as the personal chef for the Japanese ambassadors to San Francisco and Singapore and has perfected the fine dining art. We were kleft in wonder at the wonderful presentation, the nuanced tastes of each dish and the warm banter from him which made the meal so unforgettable.  

Sashimi

          We have been to Japan a number of times and had fantastic food in Tokyo, Kyoto and Hokkaido to name but a few. I am pleased to say that Singapore is fast gaining a reputation as a foodie's paradise for high quality food and Japanese top end restaurants such as Kaiseiki Toshiyuki will only reinforce that view.  The sashimi slices of toro (salmon belly), uni (sea urchin) and maguro were all par excellent. "Oishi' 

Sakizuke (Amuse Bouche)

Frankly, the visit to Tokyo in 2014, when we visited Kyubey (second restaurant at Shinjuku Keio Plaza Hotel) and had the best sushi in my life still stands as the best. Kaiseiki Yoshiyuki comes in a close second place.    

Sakizuke (Amuse Bouche) 

Many happy returns 

Pricing of this set courses is steep, for the 7 course set it is S$ 258 (plus service and GST) while the 8 course  set is S$ 288. So it is only reserved for treats and special occasions.  

For the curious ; the location of Kaiseiki Yoshiyuki is below :
58 Orchard Road, B1-39 Forum the Shopping Mall
S'pore 238884
Reservations :info@kaiseikiyoshiyuki.com
Tel:(65) 62351088

Vietnam Cuci Tunnels Complex - my visit in 2011

After about barely 50 m of crawling in the tunnel specially enlarged for tourists like me 

       The experience of crawling inside the Cuci tunnel roughly about 45 minutes north of Ho Chih Minh city, once used as defence against the US in the Vietnam war is in one word - terrifying. It is pitch black, damp and your sense of sight is rendered totally useless as you navigate on alternately on your belly, or on all four limbs and follow your guide in front of you based on his voice and the odd movements. For a very fit guy like myself, even when I went there in 2011, it was a real test of endurance and coordination, just to maneuvre the 50 m underground. During the Vietnam War, the Viet Cong had to maneuvre up to hundreds of meters underground in near pitch black darkness while up above ground, all hell broke loose.

The Tunnel Complex as explained by the Guide

      The Vietnamese communists or Viet Cong as they were called in the 60s to 70s, were highly trained, extremely motivated force, as they were fighting for the liberation of their land from the American imperialists. The tunnel complex was thousands of km long, according to the war museums account, and was as much as 4 levels or 50 to 60 meters deep under the surface to withstand the mass bombings of the US forces. Much of the tunnel complex was in total darkness, but they opened up to certain landings or flat portions where hospitals, communication centers and armouries were in operation. It was practically a small town totally underground.   

The entrance to the tunnel was barely 30 cm or 3 feet in width and 2 feet in depth as demonstrated by yours truly 

             The effective use of these tunnels was one of the main factors in the VCs strong resilience against the American onslaught who had superior  communications, firepower, superior air force, with the air calvary (Chinook Helicopters and high speed machine guns - weapons of death) and carpet bombing, just to name some of the obvious advantages. All these were not enough to overcome the mental resilience and will of the Vietnamese people in the end. the US pulled out of South Vietnam in 1975 leaving behind a trail of destruction, maimed people, hundreds of thousands of unexploded land mines, bombs and chemicals.


              Today, Vietnam is fast becoming another mini China with bouyant manufacturing and a relatively young population and booming real estate. Many Chinese manufacturers have relocated some of their operations there as is Intel and some European manufacturers. The reemergence of Indo China is fast taking shape.    
           

Vietnam Cuci Tunnels Comples - Entrance Hidden from Plain Sight

The guide showing us how small it the entrance actually is

This fascinating pictures shows how small the actual entrance to the tunnels at Cu Ci were. During the height of the Vietnam War against the US, these tunnels were the main deciding factor in determining how the war swung from the stronger, larger built soldiers, superior forces of the US to much smaller, poorer armed both in technology and communications but motivationally and possibly strategically stronger Viet Cong army.  

Placing the top of the tunnel covered with dead leaves

           The guide shows us exactly how small the tunnel entrance is ; hence many of the enemy could not find the VC or after an ambush had taken place, the VC somehow had disappeared into thin air. In fact they went underground. A very brilliant maneuvre and tactic using only manpower and motivation to dig these long tunnels. Once the entrance is shut, it is pitch black and everyone inside is supposed to keep silent as their entire unit and lives depended on it. The US forces upon discovering the tunnels would first throw a couple of hand granades or smoke granades to kill, maim, or stun or even smoke out the VC. Once they came dashing out, they were easy prey or surrendered. 

The entrance totally hidden from plain sight ; you need to practically walk over the entrance to notice it if you actually do. 

The LURPs Long Underground Reconnaissance Patrols were the specialists Rangers tasked to flush out these tunnel combatants. Called the Tunnel Rats, they would sleep most of the day and only operate to full efficiency at night. Their jobs were ruthless and it was savage from what I read about how they carried out their jobs. 

4 Levels underground - Tunnel Complex ; there are even small pipes to emit CO2 and expelled air 

        Here is the Elevation View of the Tunnel Complex ; at the highest levels are the Command Center, the Hospital and the Armoury. They are not directly linked so that there are routes to escape in the event one entrance is found out by the enemy. The Command Centre is only accessible probably near some river embankment or even underwater as shown on the extreme right. The people lived their entire lives underground for up to 20 hours each day.