Loading ...
Lazy, Hazy Singapura
For the second weekend in a row, there are no big conventions or shows here in Singapore. The morning dawned fairly clear, with some ground haze. I watched the city slowly wake up while eating yet another Omelette of Doom, washed down with hand-squeezed orange juice and lots of coffee. Even the taxis seemed to be moving sleepily along outside the hotel.
I polished some work presentation stuff, and suddenly it was lunchtime. The day was still quiet, but the haze was getting, well, hazier. And some light, high clouds were drifting in. I decided to take a short walk north to the Sudanese restaurant I’d seen earler. It’s in a three-story tall mall that supports two big office towers. “Buka Puasa” the banner said. Sounded spicy to me, so I went in. Then I remembered what that meant: It’s Ramadan, and Buka Puasa means to break the fast. The tradition of fasting all day during Ramadan leads to light lunch crowds at some restaurants, such as this one.
They didn’t mind serving an unlearned infidel, however, just so he paid and was polite.
Turns out the place is more Indonesian than Sudanese. “Sudanese style” describes some of the dishes. I tried Sop Ayam, which is a simple chicken soup, a clear broth with carrots, potatoes, tomatoes and thin strips of chicken. Lots of other bits, and great herbs and seasonings. But not spicy. Next I tried Sayur Lalap, a carrot, cabbage and cucumber platter served with sambal terasi. This is a popular platter in Sudan, apparently. I asked them to substitute sambal oelek, which doesn’t have any shrimp paste in it. No problem! They’re both about the same heat, meaning enough to scorch your sneakers off while you’re eating it. You just take a stick of veggie and dip, like we use Ranch Dressing back home. But the kick is decidedly different! I was sweating like a fat gerbil on a treadmill by the end.
I figured I had enough room to try one more dish, and then see if maybe I could squeeze in a trip to the dessert buffet. I tried some Ayam Panggang Sunda, grilled chicken with Sudanese spices and more sambal. Man, that was good, but now I was sweating even more; about like the only streetwalker at a Shriner’s Convention. I had a bit of ice cream to take the edge off the heat, then paid and left.
I was in a hurry to get outside into the fresh air and 95 degree heat, with 100% humidity. I needed to cool down…
Enjoy the Heat!
Leave a Comment Here... (We're Moderated)