Germany to impose travel restrictions to curb spread of coronavirus variants Axios
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Sunday, 31 January 2021
Saturday, 30 January 2021
Singapore suspends ‘travel bubble’ with Malaysia, South Korea - Aljazeera.com
- Singapore suspends ‘travel bubble’ with Malaysia, South Korea Aljazeera.com
- Singapore Suspends Travel Bubble After Rise in Malaysia's Covid-19 Cases WORLD OF BUZZ
- Singapore to suspend green lanes with Germany, Malaysia and South Korea for 3 months from Feb 1 The Straits Times
- Singapore to suspend reciprocal green lane arrangements with Malaysia, Germany and South Korea for 3 months CNA
- Singapore suspends Malaysia business 'bubble' for 3 months Nikkei Asia
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S'pore will temporarily suspend Reciprocal Green Lane arrangements with M'sia, South Korea & Germany from Feb. 1, 2021 - Mothership.sg
3 days in Singapore: The Lunar New Year edition
Day 1
Breakfasting in the great outdoors doesn’t get any more glamorous than at the leafy, safari-themed Dempsey Hill branch of Tiong Bahru Bakery. The nosh is similarly picture-perfect: think buttery croissants, beautifully glazed kouign-amann pastries and colourful lattes tinged with beetroot or turmeric for an antioxidant boost. Your little ones will also enjoy the small wildlife-themed playground adjacent to the restaurant.
Once you’re all fuelled up, take a cab ride to Fort Canning to explore Jubilee Park, where your kids can work off the sugar high and you can enjoy a stroll in serene surroundings. Relatively new, the park offers multiple swing sets in an assortment of sizes and styles – perfect for older kids and tiny tots. There are also two slides, hydraulic see-saws, a log scramble and even a “treehouse” with large climbing nets. While you’re there, be sure to also check out the towering Javanese-style gateways at the nearby Sang Nila Utama Garden.
From there, hop on the train and alight at Boon Keng MRT to explore the Balestier area. Once gritty with secret societies, modern-day Balestier’s colourful shophouses are part of a hawker food haven. Whampoa Drive alone has two excellent hawker centres sitting side by side. We recommend the popular Singapore Fried Hokkien Mee and Nan Xiang Chicken Rice for indulging in arguably two of Singapore’s most well-loved dishes.
After lunch, grab a coffee from the nearby Wheeler’s Yard, then download the Balestier Heritage Trail brochure to explore the area’s multicultural architectural legacy. There’s Goh Chor Tua Pek Kong Temple, home to one of Singapore’s last few permanent wayang stages, and which still holds Chinese operas and puppet shows during major festivals; the Sim Kwong Ho shophouses with their colourful Chinese Baroque façades; Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall, a colonial-era villa that was once the Southeast Asian headquarters of the revolutionary leader; and Sasanaramsi Burmese Buddhist Temple, which boasts the largest marble Buddha statue outside of Myanmar.
For sunset hour, perch yourself at LeVel33– the world’s highest urban microbrewery – which offers a spectacular view of the Marina Bay skyline. Food-wise, it’s modern European flavours with beer-inspired twists, such as local seabass and beer malt risotto, as well as choux puffs piped with malt-and-stout parfait filling. Sample each of their five signature brews on tap by ordering the beer paddle flight.
Day 2
Begin your day at Mr and Mrs Mohgan’s Super Crispy Roti Prata, an East-side institution located along Joo Chiat Road. As its name suggests, this family favourite serves the South Indian breakfast staple freshly pan-fried for that crispy, chewy texture. Best enjoyed with their scratch-made fish curry and a frothy glass of teh tarik.
Next up is a photo walk around the Peranakan quarter. At the alley after Mount Pleasant Animal Clinic, a two-minute stroll from breakfast, you’ll find colourful terrace houses built over concrete stilts – a practical necessity back before land reclamation pushed the coastline out from here to present-day East Coast Park. Diagonally across at the start of Tembeling Road are shophouses done in the transitional style.
Browse the trove of eclectic knick-knacks and books at Cat Socrates, then continue along Joo Chiat Road to the Koon Seng Road shophouses, which are pastel-toned with porcelain wall tiles and decorative eaves. Once you’re all walked out, pop into Hiew to pick up ornate Peranakan tableware and tiffin carriers, or to commission a hand-embroidered kebaya by Heath Yeo, one of Singapore’s last kebaya makers.
For lunch, make a beeline for the newly opened 1-ATICO, sprawled out at the peak of ION Orchard. This multi-concept dining destination features two distinctive dining establishments – a contemporary Argentinian restaurant FIRE and a Japanese-Peruvian influenced sumiyaki bar and grill.
Meanwhile, at Plaza Singapura, you’ll find NomadX, one of the many retail concepts in Singapore heralding a high-tech approach to shopping. At this multi-label store, a gamified “onboarding” process generates product recommendations based on customers’ shopping personalities.
For more futuristic fun, head to Moo Moo Park, the Lion City’s first drive-through art exhibition. Organised by the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre, this unique exhibition features a slew of digital installations – such as augmented reality murals and “talking” red packets – from local artists like Puffingmuffin, Almostasthma and Andre Wee. Ticket are available on SISTIC.
After an evening of nourishing your artistic soul, it’s time to satisfy your belly. Hop back into your car and make your way to Capitol Piazza, where you and your family can enjoy a seafood extravaganza at Famous Treasure. Known for local zi char-style (home-style) dishes like salt-baked flower crab and wok-fried squid with okra and cincalok (fermented krill or small shrimp), the Chinese restaurant has also rolled out a selection of special dishes for the festive period, including braised cod fish with sweet corn and wok-fried prawn ball with salted egg yolk.
Day 3
Start the day with a trip to Chinatown Complex, which is as local as it gets. The hawker fare here is cheap, delicious and incredibly varied. If you have time to spare, queue up at Xiu Ji Ikan Bilis Yong Tau Fu for the homemade yong tau foo (assorted tofu and vegetable items stuffed with fish paste). Meanwhile, the basement wet market– which is stocked with ingredients such as eels, live frogs and even soft shell turtle meat in addition to the standard goods – offers a fascinating shopping experience.
Join in the feasting with a Lunar New Year lunch set at the National Gallery’s Yàn. The staff will guide you through their Shunde-style lo hei– a tradition of tossing raw fish and julienned veggies while chorusing propitious sayings – before plying you with roast duck, chicken with cordyceps flower, wok-fried lobster and more. For other Lunar New Year restaurant recommendations, check out our comprehensive story here.
Not far from the National Gallery, more photo opportunities await at the Flower Dome at Gardens by the Bay, which has been transformed into a glorious Chinese garden with over 1,400 dahlias and other Lunar New Year floral favourites such as azaleas, chrysanthemums and cymbidiums, until 21 February.
If you prefer something more subdued, head over to Ota Fine Arts located within the white-and-black confines of Gillman Barracks. From now till 6 March, the contemporary Japanese art gallery will be showing “Yayoi Kusama: Recent Paintings”, a solo exhibition featuring 15 monochrome paintings from the acclaimed artist. While there, wander over to the nearby FOST Gallery where you can admire the works of talented local artist Wyn-Lyn Tan, whose exhibition “A Matter of Time” is on till 7 March.
Dinner at Preludio is just as artsy – the avant-garde, fine-dining restaurant draws inspiration from a different theme every 12 to 18 months (the current theme is “Two Roads”). Finally, conclude your evening at Junior The Pocket Bar, which is currently running a limited-run Chinese New Year pop-up in collaboration with Rémy Martin. Back for the second year, the pop-up will be available till 27 February and features a signature menu of cocktails and Chinese New Year treats to mark the joyous occasion.
SEE ALSO: These are the Singapore home bakers to support for your Lunar New Year snacks
This article was originally published in the February 2019 issue of SilverKris magazine and was updated on 27 January 2021.
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from SilverKris
Friday, 29 January 2021
Daily Briefing: Singapore, India not discussing air travel bubble: CAAS; EZ-Link launches account-based cards that allow top-ups through mobile app - Singapore Business Review
6 of the most exciting museum openings around the world
We are living in very uncertain times for the arts, with a whole tonne of cultural venues permanently shutting their doors in the past year. What’s clear though is that museums and galleries (and theatres) have provided culture lovers with solace in dark times. As we begin to plan for the future, these inspiring establishments can often help decide which cities need to be added to our bucket lists. Those interested in quirky museums should work in a visit to the Cupnoodles Museum in Osaka or Amsterdam’s Torture Museum. Another option would be dessert museums like the Museum of Ice Cream in San Francisco.
But for true art lovers, there are some very exciting opening or re-openings scheduled for 2021. In most cases, the venues have understandably been quite coy about exactly when they will open, so make sure to sign up to their newsletters or social channels if you want to receive announcements on opening dates directly.
1. Berlin’s Humboldt Forum
What they say
The Humboldt Forum is taking shape in the historical heart of Berlin as a unique place of inquiry and encounters. A place with a significant past. A place for the arts and sciences, for exchange, diversity and a multiplicity of voices. A place where differences come together.
Why we’re keen to visit
Describing itself as a place for culture and science, exchange and debate, the Humboldt Forum, Berlin’s newest landmark, took down its hoarding in December so that Berliners could enjoy the architecture ahead of opening in March, and you can take a look inside now. Behind the curatorial-marketing jargon there seems to be a real attempt to foster new ideas across disciplines.
What not to miss
Its architecture – which would be hard to miss I think? The Humboldt Forum as an entity was made by reconstructing Baroque features from the Berlin Palace that stood on its site – bombed in 1945 and demolished in 1950 – pieced together with cavernous, contemporary spaces. A statement larger than words. Exploring outside the building you’ll find gardens planted with 13,000 flowers and trees.
The plan is to launch in March, which is when they hope to have a big programme of exhibitions, including the launch of the Humboldt Lab and BERLIN GLOBAL, connecting the city to the world.
2. France’s Luma Arles
What they say
Luma Arles is a cultural centre in the South of France dedicated to providing artists with opportunities to experiment in the production and presentation of new work in close collaboration with other artists, curators, scientists, innovators and audiences. The centrepiece of Luma Arles is the Arts Resource Centre designed by American architect Frank Gehry.
Why we’re keen to visit
We have taken a look at the Luma Foundation website, as well as discovered their Luma Arles art project, which has been going since 2013, somewhat under the radar.
That all changes with their spring openings. It would be wonderful to explore the art, architecture and architectural landscape gardens in this Unesco town.
What not to miss
Catching sight of the stunning Frank Gehry-designed arts centre, a shimmering, magnetic presence within the complex, overlooking the new public park and gardens designed by Belgian landscape architect Bas Smets.
Also worth looking into, Luma Arles will be hosting photography festival Rencontres d’Arles, and the Les Suds world music festival every summer.
While you’re there, you’d also be next door to ancient Arles and its well-preserved Roman amphitheatre. And you might recognise more than a few of the surrounding landscapes from Van Gogh’s paintings.
3. London’s Museum of the Home
What they say
Our purpose is to reveal and rethink the ways we live and think about home. The reimagined Museum will be a place for visitors to consider the ways we have lived in the past [and] explore creative ideas about new ways of living in, and looking at, the world today.
Why we’re keen to visit
Our idea of what home is and where it is, has never been as important or integral to our everyday thinking and well-being as it has been in the past year.
The Museum of the Home (formerly called the Geffrye Museum) had been shut for renovations some time before the pandemic struck, but we imagine an analysis of 2020 and all that it has meant for our homes will feature prominently.
In fact, they are asking members of the public to share experiences for their Stay at Home project. It may sound like homework, especially if being at home has been a trial, but don’t psychologists say the best way to deal with bad memories is confront them head on?
What not to miss
New Home galleries with new stories, including that of Shirin who moved to London from the African island of Zanzibar and a man named Harry who lived in the same house in east London for most of his life, as did four other generations of his family – and Rusty the tortoise! I have a sneaking suspicion it’s the same Harry I met years ago when promoting a recreation of his house at Imperial War Museums London. He was in his nineties and still went bowling every week.
Gardens Through Time, an outdoor survey of city gardens from Elizabethan knots and Georgian rooms to modern roof gardens.
4. Cairo’s Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM)
What they say
The Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) holds in trust for Egypt and the World a chronological statement for the ancient history of Egypt over the past 7000 years. Neighbouring a timeless wonder, the Giza Pyramids, the new museum is to pay homage to eternal Ancient Egyptian monuments, treasures and history, hosting over 100,000 artefacts, about 3500 of which belong to the famous King Tutankhamun.
Why we’re keen to visit
GEM‘s plans to open have suffered years of delays (the Arab Spring, ensuing political turmoil, lack of funding and a global pandemic to name a few reasons), and 2021 seems quite an unlikely year to get to Cairo if they do at last launch, but this makes the prospect of the eventual opening all the more tantalising.
What not to miss
Probably the entire building and its contents.
Of the 100,000 artefacts in its collection, GEM have picked out a few highlights beyond the statues, monuments and sarcophagi we all think about; an alabaster cosmetics jar from the New Kingdom adorned with a lion poking its tongue out, a decorated gold dagger found on Tutankhamun; a Libyan tribute tablet carved with entrancing hieroglyphic patterns, dating to 3000 BC; a stela gravestone from the west banks of the Nile in Upper Egypt, still bright with colour 2,221 years on from the reign of King Ptolemy V, to whom it is dedicated.
The museum master plan shows there’ll be lots of terraces and gardens in the grounds (we like the sound of the Nile Valley Garden), and the panoramic views out to the Giza Pyramids are surely going to be phenomenal.
5. Los Angeles’ Academy Museum of Motion Pictures
What they say
When it opens, the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures will be the world’s premier institution dedicated to the art and science of movies. Global in outlook and grounded in the unparalleled collections and expertise of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Academy Museum will offer exceptional exhibitions and programs that illuminate the world of cinema. The Academy Museum will tell complete stories of movie-making — celebratory, educational, and sometimes critical or uncomfortable.
What not to miss
Before even opening, the Academy Museum is a very slick operation, right down to the Rolex-sponsored countdown clock on the homepage announcing the number of days left until the 30th September opening.
The building has architectural clout as well as the might of the Academy of Motion Pictures behind it; the designer is famous Italian architect Renzo Piano, whose notable buildings include The Shard in London and the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City.
2020 was the year no-one went to the cinema, so this opening is something film fans can be seriously excited about. The museum will have six floors of exhibition, education and cinematic spaces and they plan to hold regular screenings and live events throughout the year, making it a changing space, and no two visits quite the same.
Why we’re keen to visit
Who doesn’t love a Hollywood ending, after all?
6. Stockholm’s Vrak – Museum of Wrecks
What they say
On the bottom of the Baltic Sea lies much of the world’s greatest cultural heritage. It is time to bring these wrecks and finds to the surface in a new museum. With Vrak – Museum of Wrecks, we want to let visitors dive deep into the secrets of the Baltic Sea.
Why we’re keen to visit
Stockholm is already known for having great museums, this one has the potential to be one of the most fascinating in the whole city. Vrak – Museum of Wrecks will be situated on Djurgården Island, next door to the slightly bonkers Vasa Museum – the home of the preserved 17th Century warship that was so enormous it sank in Stockholm’s harbour before it saw any service. A crazy, royal shipbuilding fantasy that led to the death of 30 crew.
Unlike the Vasamuseet’s more narrow focus, the Museum of Wrecks will bring together the work of all the naval museums in the city and show off the work of marine archaeologists who have been scouring Stockholm’s Archipelago and the Baltic Sea for decades looking for new shipwrecks.
What not to miss
The opportunity to learn about a vast underwater world – and crazy giant wrecked ships – through archaeology and technology. The museum is scheduled to open towards the end of the year. For now, here are some of the shipwrecks archaeologists have discovered in recent years.
From 2022 you may also be able to go diving with shipwrecks in one of several dive parks that are planned off the coast of Sweden’s Karlskrona region, south of Stockholm.
Please check the establishments’ respective websites for opening hours as well as booking and seating requirements before visiting, and remember to adhere to safe-distancing measures while out and about.
To learn more about Singapore Airlines flights, visit singaporeair.com. For updates and travel advisories, please visit Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ website.
SEE ALSO: 2021 travel trends: We ask industry experts for their predictions
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from SilverKris
Thursday, 28 January 2021
Singapore and India are not negotiating air travel bubble: CAAS - Yahoo Movies Canada
- Singapore and India are not negotiating air travel bubble: CAAS Yahoo Movies Canada
- Singapore, India not discussing air travel bubble 'as Singaporeans understand it to be': CAAS CNA
- Singapore, India in talks to resume passenger flights gradually but not travel bubble: CAAS The Star Online
- India-Singapore air travel bubble arrangement is not as "Singaporeans understand it to be": CAAS The Online Citizen SG
- S'pore not discussing Air Travel Bubble with India as 'S'poreans understand it to be': CAAS Mothership.sg
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Delicious, sustainable and cutting-edge vegan alternatives you have to try
It’s no secret that the commercial meat, egg and dairy alternatives industry has been skyrocketing in recent years. Indeed, while mock meat has long been a staple on grocery shelves in China – tofu, tempeh and soy- and konjac-based “meat” have been used in Chinese cooking for centuries – it’s only in the past few decades that the culinary movement has truly taken root in the West.
Buoyed by rising health consciousness and environmentalism, you can now find hundreds of plant-based alternatives on the market: from early players like Quorn and Impossible Burger to newer upstarts such as Karana and Just Egg. According to market research firm Meticulous Research, the industry is projected to be worth a staggering US$74.2 billion by 2027, with enormous room for growth in the interim.
Read on to find out more about the some of the most intriguing (and tasty) plant-based alternatives, and how you can try them for yourself.
1. Karana: Pork
Heralded as Asia’s first whole-plant-based meat company, Singapore-based Karana has just launched its exciting flagship product in the city-state. The brand’s substitute for pork is made entirely from young jackfruit grown in smallholder farmers across Sri Lanka, before being minimally processed into the meat substitute (it comes in both shredded and minced forms). The juicy and flavour-packed product – which has a dense and meat-like mouthfeel – works particularly well as a substitute in Asian dishes that normally call for pork, such as Chinese dumplings, banh mi, minced meat noodles and lettuce wraps, though it’s equally delicious in a humble sandwich. You can find it on the menu at sustainable-minded restaurant Open Farm Community in the form of the hearty Karana Roll (jackfruit “meat” stuffed into a bread roll); as a “char siew”option to add to your grain bowl at Grain Traders; and in the plant-based ngoh hiang at Michelin-starred Peranakan establishment Candlenut.
2. Steak 2.0: Beef
Spanish company NovaMeat has done something that was previously thought unlikely, if not impossible: develop and manufacture a synthetic, 3D-printed beef substitute that mimics the appearance, taste and texture of steak. The company’s plant-based Steak 2.0 is made with ingredients including peas, seaweed and beetroot juice, which are manipulated using a patented micro-extrusion technology to replicate the texture of muscle tissue. Production on the product is set to ramp up in 2021, and the company has partnered with Michelin-starred restaurant Disfrutar to make the product available to their diners ahead of its large-scale debut.
3. New Wave Shrimp: Shrimp
Also set for a 2021 launch is New Wave Shrimp, a shrimp substitute created by United States-based New Wave Foods in order to introduce a plant-based option to the over 1.4 billion pounds of shrimp that Americans consume annually. It’s crafted using sustainably farmed seaweed from across the globe, along with mung bean protein and various natural flavours: the seaweed is what gives the product its bite and succulent texture, while the all-natural plant extracts contribute the briny, savoury and subtly sweet notes that the crustacean is known for. The company plans to push its product out to restaurants in the US in early 2021.
4. Ahimi: Tuna
Ahimi is a tuna alternative from Ocean Hugger Foods that’s made using tomatoes, soy sauce, water, sesame oil and sugar. It’s a spot-on approximation of raw tuna, and features in sushi sold at selected Whole Foods stores in the United States and at various restaurants and sushi bars across the country. Ahimi was born when founder James Corwell visited Tokyo’s Tsukiji fish market and was shocked by the amount of tuna being auctioned. “It was a natural starting point for our plant-based [seafood] alternatives, which aim to mitigate the pressures on our oceans,” says director of marketing Ashley Bouldin. Following the launch of Ahimi, the brand went on to launch Unami (eggplant-based eel), with another product dubbed Sakimi (carrot-based salmon) also in the works.
5. Gauthier Soho: Foie gras
Michelin-starred Gauthier Soho in London already offers a highly popular vegan tasting menu, but it has outdone itself with its latest culinary innovation: plant-based foie gras. Dubbed “faux gras”, the creation is made from mushrooms, beetroot, lentils, shallots and walnuts, and is served alongside freshly toasted sourdough with a topping of vegan butter as a meat-free amuse bouche. “Liver has an unctuous mouthfeel… walnuts and button mushrooms give [faux gras] the rich, oily body required, while fresh herbs, soy sauce, cognac and black pepper give it an umami flavour,” explains chef-owner Alex Gauthier, who collaborated with animal rights group PETA to create the dish. “Happily, it goes very well with Champagne!”
6. Just Egg: Eggs
San Francisco start-up Eat Just may have cracked the formula for the perfect eggless egg. Its marquee offering, the yellow-hued Just Egg, is made from mung bean, and scrambles in the pan in a similar way to eggs. “We had previously developed [plant-based] products like Just Mayo and Just Cookie Dough, where we were replacing eggs in an existing food,” shares Ben Roche, a chef and the company’s director of product development. “It felt like a natural progression to simply redesign the egg itself.” Just Egg is available in both liquid and patty forms and is served up at Flore in San Francisco and Green Common in Hong Kong, among others. As of 2021, it has inked a deal to establish a facility in Singapore to expand its presence in the region, and will additionally focus on cultivating cultured meat.
7. Omnipork: Pork
You won’t feel guilty pigging out on Omnipork, a pork analogue dreamt up by Hong Kong food-tech startup Right Treat. Derived from peas, non-GMO soy, shiitake mushrooms and rice, the versatile protein can be steamed, pan-fried, deep-fried, stuffed and more. “What excites me most is that from a culinary standpoint, Omnipork empowers chefs [across cuisines] to create infinite plant-based dishes,” enthuses founder David Yeung. It made its debut in vegan xiao long bao (steamed dumplings) at Hong Kong’s Michelin-starred Ming Court restaurant in June 2018 and went on to grace more menus all across the city. Today, it also comes in the form of plant-based luncheon meat and shredded pork strips.
8. Chicken Free Chicken: Chicken
Poultry, the ubiquitous supermarket staple, has undergone a vegan makeover thanks to Chicken Free Chicken from Sunfed. Made from meatless ingredients such as pea protein, rice bran oil and pumpkin, “it is clean and lean, with double the protein of chicken and triple the iron of beef,” shares founder and CEO Shama Lee. Launched in July 2017, the product purportedly sold out within a day and has continued flying off the shelves ever since. Get a taste at The Butcher’s Son in Auckland, New Zealand, where it comes in the form of a hearty burger dressed with miso slaw, baby spinach and chilli jam, or pick up a packet at supermarkets in New Zealand and Australia.
This article was first published on 7 August 2018.
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from SilverKris
Wednesday, 27 January 2021
Singapore Airlines cabin crew share their Lunar New Year-inspired dishes
The Lunar New Year is a time of celebration and gatherings, of renewal of family ties and feasting. Below, Singapore Airlines (SIA) cabin crew share some of their very own dishes, created with the special festivities in mind.
1. Jessica Sum
Inflight Manager
In service: 31 years and 7 months
Specialty: Chinese, Malay, Nyonya-inspired and Western cuisine
Dish created: Prosperity Treasures
What (or who) was your inspiration behind the dish?
My talented and amazing mother-in-law. She is a great influence in my style of cooking esp Chinese/ Cantonese cuisine.
Why does this dish remind you of the Lunar New Year?
This dish was created after I was inspired by a Lunar New Year dish made by my mother-in-law. I adapted and improvised that dish and put my own twist to it by incorporating roast pork (my favourite!) and roast duck (my husband’s favourite). It is a wholesome one-pot claypot dish that signifies abundance of prosperity with the use of sea cucumber, dried oyster and shiitake mushrooms – ingredients that are synonymous with good fortune during the Lunar New Year. The dish is complemented by beautiful broccoli florets.
What do you love most about the Lunar New Year? How do you usually celebrate the occasion?
LNY and reunion dinners are very important to us and are usually spent in Malaysia with both our families whom we seldom meet due to our busy work schedules, as my husband and I are both flying crew with Singapore Airlines. Without fail, lunches and dinners would usually consist of a lavish spread prepared beforehand by my mother-in-law and we would watch and enjoy the many fireworks lit around our housing estates after that.
Which SIA destination does it remind you of and why so?
Hong Kong, as the dish is very much a Cantonese dish in terms of its flavours, texture and usage of dried ingredients which is abundantly available in our Chinese provision stores. Cantonese cuisine has taught me many things but most of all I remember one thing: “For a dish to shine, let the flavours speak for itself.”
Ingredients:
Half a roast duck
1 strip of roast pork (cut into chunks)
3 dried oyster (soaked in water)
1 medium sea cucumber (cut into 1 inch-long slivers)
2 cloves of garlic (minced)
5 slices of ginger
1 medium broccoli (cut into rosettes)
Straw mushroom (half a can)
4 shiitake mushrooms (soaked and sliced)
1 stalk of spring onion (cut in 1 inch lengths)
1 stalk of coriander (roughly chopped)
Oil
Fried garlic
1 tbsp of oyster sauce
1 tsp of light soya sauce
1 tsp of dark soya sauce
½ tsp of sugar
¼ tsp of salt
¼ tsp of white pepper
1 tsp of five spice powder
1 tbsp of shaoxing wine
4 cups of water (some from the shiitake mushroom)
1 tsp of cornflour and 2 tbsp of water (mixed well)
Method:
1. In a medium claypot, sauté garlic and ginger in hot oil till fragrant.
2. Add shiitake and straw mushrooms, lightly fry.
3. Place roast duck and roast pork in the pot and cover with water.
4. Add five spice powder.
5. Cover pot and allow to simmer for one hour over small fire.
6. Add in dried oyster (that has been hydrated) and sea cucumber and continue to simmer for the next half hour.
7. Stir in oyster sauce, light soya sauce, dark soya sauce, pepper and shaoxing wine. Cover pot for another 5 minutes.
8. Add salt to taste.
9. To thicken the gravy, add cornstarch mixture and stir quickly. Remove from stove.
10. Blanch broccoli in a pot of hot water and season with a little salt and some oil.
11. Drain and arrange broccoli around the rim of the claypot dish.
12. Drizzle broccoli with some fried garlic and oil.
13. Garnish dish with some spring onions and chopped coriander.
14. Serve with steamed rice.
Leading Stewardess and sommelier Chan See Yee’s suggested alcohol pairing: Yamahai Sake
The sake is dry on the palate yet rich in acid that works harmoniously with the braised gravy. It’s also high in umami that pairs well with the flavours of the mushrooms. Lastly there’s a clean finish that brings up the overall dish.
2. Sherry Ng
Chief Stewardess
In service: 25 years and 10 months
Specialty: Baking
Dish created: Melt-in-your-mouth Kueh Bangkit
What (or who) was your inspiration behind the dish?
It was my mother who gave me the idea to make this delectable cookie. She said she misses my late grandmother, as my granny used to make very yummy cookies for the family to celebrate Lunar New Year with when they were back in Indonesia. Kueh Bangkit, a small biscuit that made from sago starch, is one of the Lunar New Year goodies that she misses the most.
Why does this dish remind you of the Lunar New Year?
As a kid, I used to look forward to eating Kueh Bangkit, one of my favourite Lunar New Year cookies. I could finish a whole container of Kueh Bangkit by myself. However, as I grew older, I cut down on my sugar intake and try to avoid sweet food. It is also not easy to find nice Kueh Bangkit offerings with just the right sweetness. This is another reason why I decided to learn making these cookies after my mother’s request. My mother is a diabetic patient and she is unable to take sweet stuff.
What do you love most about the Lunar New Year? How do you usually celebrate the occasion?
I look forward to this joyous festive season, where I can meet and catch up with my beloved family members, some of whom we only see once a year during this festive season. I also look forward to eating a lot of yummy food during these times – but in manageable quantities!
Which SIA destination does it remind you of and why so?
Because of the shape of the cookies, it reminds me of the most romantic place on earth, Paris. It was in the City of Lights that I had an unforgettable memory: I experienced snowfall for the first time there and was able to feel the fine snowflakes melting in my hands. It was truly a memorable affair for me!
Ingredients:
340g sago flour
110g tapioca flour
160g caster sugar
190ml coconut cream
4 egg yolks
6 pandan leaves
Method:
1. Bake sago flour and tapioca flour with pandan leaves at 200 degree Celsius for 30 minutes (bake an extra amount to use for dusting your mould).
2. Sift flour mixture after cooling completely.
3. Whisk egg yolks and caster sugar until light and fluffy.
4. Add flour mixture and coconut cream in three batches.
5. Mix, combine and gently knead into a dough (Dough should feel soft and not sticky). *Note: Add small amount of coconut cream if dough appears dry.
6. Roll dough flat about 1cm in thickness.
7. Dust the design mould with some flour mixture before cutting the dough into the desired shape.
8. Bake cookies at 180 degree Celsius for 20 minutes.
9. Let it cool completely and store in an air-tight container for about a month.
See Yee’s suggested alcohol pairing: Eden Valley Riesling
The delicate floral aromas of this Riesling as well as its subtle acid and great finish of lemon zest is a great match for these creamy rich coconut cookies.
3. Jo Luo
Leading Stewardess
In service: 15 years and 2 months
Specialty: Chinese cuisine
Dish created: Shanghainese Meat Rolls
What (or who) was your inspiration behind the dish?
Shanghai is my hometown, and it was the inspiration behind this dish.
Why does this dish remind you of Lunar New Year?
It reminds me of reunion dinner with family members during Lunar New Year in Shanghai. And it is my Grandma’s recipe.
What do you love most about Lunar New Year? How do you usually celebrate the occasion?
I get the chance to experience this special occasion with my family members in Shanghai. However, I cannot travel back to Shanghai during this pandemic; so to commemorate my family, I will prepare this dish during the coming Lunar New Year. I believe my Grandma will be proud of me. We usually spend time playing traditional games such as Mahjong and card games after dinner.
Which SIA destination does it remind you of and why so?
It reminds me of Shanghai, and that is because it is the place where I grew up. All of my beautiful childhood memories are all in this beautiful and modern city of China.
Ingredients:
1 pound (453g) of minced pork and prawn
2 sheets of crispy beancurd skin
Chopped cilantro
Chopped spring onions
1 tbsp of Shaoxing wine
2 tbsps of soya sauce
2 cloves of garlic (minced)
1 green onion (chopped finely)
1 tsp of minced ginger
1 tsp of salt
1 tsp of oyster sauce
3 tbsps of white sugar
1 tsp of sesame oil
Method:
1. Mince the meat with a chopper but make sure not to over mince, otherwise it will be too powdery.
2. Deshell and devein the prawns before cutting them into small pieces.
3. In a large mixing bowl, add all the ingredients and seasonings listed and mix well until it becomes sticky.
4. Use a clean, damp cloth to gently wipe the bean curd skin on both sides to get rid of the salt coating.
5. Cut the bean sheet into 10 equal squares.
6. Use a spoon and scoop about 2 to 3 tbsps of the meat mixture onto the bean curd square, leaving about 1cm perimeter along the skin.
7. Put water in a wok and bring it to a boil.
8. Put a metal rack into the water.
9. Place the tray of meat rolls onto the rack to steam for about 15mins.
10. After steaming, let it cool completely before removing the rolls from the tray. Otherwise, the rolls will break.
11. In a wok, heat 2 bowls of oil over medium fire.
12. Slowly put one roll in first to test the temperature.
13. Fry until golden brown, then repeat with the other rolls.
See Yee’s suggested alcohol pairing: Maconnais (Chardonnay)
The good concentration of acid makes it a perfect pair for the oily and salty dish. This fresh and luscious fruit forward wine marries well with the meat rolls.
4. Andrew Wong
Flight Steward
In service: 8 years and 4 months
Specialty: Chinese cuisine
Dish created: Cai Po Steamed Fish
What (or who) was your inspiration behind the dish?
I secretly learned this dish from my late paternal grandmother. Among all the Chinese cuisine she cooked, this is the only dish with a simple recipe and is easy to remember. I doubt I can cook it as well as her, but I still continue do my best to cook this dish for my family.
Why does this dish remind you of Lunar New Year?
The dish was always one of the many dishes my late grandmother cooked during the Lunar New Year. Her hard work in creating delicious home cooked dishes was always able to draw family members home for dinner. On Lunar New Year, her spread is even more extensive! Everyone including extended relatives will gather around the table to enjoy the familiar home-cooked food. Furthermore, fish is an important dish during this time as its annotation is similar to having an abundance yearly.
What do you love most about Lunar New year? How do you usually celebrate the occasion?
It’s definitely my favourite festive holiday. I love that it creates a perfect reason to gather everyone together, including relatives who are not staying nearby. I really treasure these gatherings as well as the traditional practise of giving out red packets. In my younger days, I was always really happy to receive red packets. After I got married, it became my turn to give blessings to others by handing out red packets to the younger ones. Now that I have a boy, he will also receive these good wishes from everyone. I just love Lunar New Year celebrations at every stage of one’s life.
Which SIA destination does it remind you of and why so?
It will definitely be China. My colleagues and I will organize hotpot sessions after almost every one of my flights to either Shanghai or Beijing. It’s really enjoyable – eating hotpot together, especially during the winter season, can be incredibly cozy, just like a Lunar New Year gathering.
Ingredients:
1 slice of cod fish fillet (or your choice of fish)
4 cloves of garlic (diced)
4 tbsps of sweet radish
2 tbsps of sesame oil
1 tablespoon of soya sauce
String onion
Chilli and parsley for garnish
Method:
1. Heat pan and add 2 tablespoons of sesame oil.
2. Add in diced garlic and fry till golden brown.
3. Add in sweet radish and 1 tablespoon of soya sauce. Stir fry together, mixing well.
4. Prepare the steamer.
5. Place the whole stalk of spring onion as base for the fish fillet. (If you prefer, you can place sliced spring onions as the base instead.)
6. Place fish fillet on top.
7. Add the prepared sauce on top on the fish.
8. Steam for 15 to 20 minutes till fish is cooked.
9. Add chopped chilli and parsley for garnish.
See Yee’s suggested alcohol pairing: Ginjo Sake
The light, fruity, dry and subtle flavours of the sake help to bring out the overall flavour of the fish.
SEE ALSO: Welcome a prosperous year ahead with a luxurious menu from the comfort of your own home
The post Singapore Airlines cabin crew share their Lunar New Year-inspired dishes appeared first on SilverKris.
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