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Singapore Rain and Yucatecan Heat
The equinox dawn came late, and once I got the drapes open I realized why: Rainstorms were moving in. Big rainstorms. They were noisy, but not like I’m used to in Texas. (Everything’s bigger in Texas, of course.) I chose not to get wet and stayed indoors until the clouds had passed by.
By lunchtime things were dry enough for me to go foraging. Sundays in Singapore are not very exciting, what with many shops closed and all. Still, I found some interesting places to visit. I had a nice walk along the Singapore river to Clarke Quay. Did you know that the Singapore River is one of the shortest in the world? An interesting record; rather like being the world’s tallest midget or something.
The important thing is, Clarke Quay has food. Many varieties!
I turned down Indonesian, as it didn’t have much of a crowd at the lunch peak. If they can’t fill a place on Clarke Quay for Sunday lunch, I’m not sure that’s a vote of confidence in their cuisine. Still, I could be wrong; and I’ve got three weeks to change my mind.
I also turned down the Brewerkz. Looks great, but I want to save that for later. Not much spicy on the menu.
I did find the Cafe Iguana. A nice riverfront place, not exactly indoors, not out in the sun. Claims to have “Contemporary Mexican Cuisine.” Now, you might wonder, why go to Mexican all the way over here? Because I last had Tex-Mex a third of a month ago.
That’s too long. Clearly, that explains why I was feeling a bit peaked.
The Cafe also boasts the best collection of tequilas in Singapore. Now, I haven’t checked out every place with tequila (yet), but their stash was truly impressive. I had a margarita, in the interest of scientific inquiry, of course. And since I’m a statistician, I felt compelled to go for a representative sample. One item is never representative!
I had their shredded beef soft tacos as well. Very nicely arranged on the plate, these were corn tortilla based, and about 5 inches in diameter each. Doesn’t sound like a lot, but they were very filling. Their dipping sauce is flavorful, but on the mild side. I might have expected that in a Yankee place, or somewhere out in California; but Singapore is known for its spicy pepper dishes, so I was ready for some heat.
I wouldn’t call it disappointment, but it wasn’t a jolt to the palate either.
The waitress brought me a couple of other sauces to consider, both bottled. The Cholula hot sauce I was already familiar with, and it would certainly spice up the tacos, compared to the house dipping salsa. The other bottle was a gangrenous green, shorter in stature than the Cholula. It looked downright dangerous.
Just what I wanted.
El Yucateco Picante Verde was the bottle’s name, and it promised plenty of habanero heat in addition to garlic and spices. It delivered on its promise too, and so I was reluctantly forced to sample the margaritas again. I figured that was okay, as I could always vary the tequila type; it’s important to have a controlled variable in any scientific study, of course.
All in all, a satisfying meal with moments of great zest and flavor.
By the time I sloshed strolled out, I was ready to find someplace for a short nap. I headed back towards the hotel, and nearly melted. it was hot, approaching dang-hot. It was a good thing I was well-insulated with tequila, or I might have been done for. I still nearly expired, as I took a wrong turn off of the river and had to walk a couple extra blocks in the sun.
No problem, I made it. Tomorrow I’ll try for more traditional Asian, somewhere…
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