The menu at Serendipity 3, New York City.
What struck me most about Serendipity 3 was the eccentric artistry of the place. From the many Tiffany lamps adorning the ceiling to the wonderfully drawn, creatively fonted menu that came in the size of a daily broadsheet newspaper. It looked 1920s, though born in the 1950s. Continue reading “Dessert heaven Serendipity 3: Eccentric Artistry at Upper East Side, New York”
“You’ll be dinin’ with the captain.” – Pintel to Elizabeth in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) But unlike that scenario, I wasn’t disinclined to acquiesce to the Captain’s request.
Just noticed in DN that Gotheborg III was now visiting Stockholm. The reconstructed 18th century Swedish sailing Ship Götheborg III has made its trip to Canton in China, and back. It was time now to hold a final Board of Directors meeting to close the books on the entire adventure of building the replica ship and its sail to China and back. On the agenda was also the ship’s future adventures. Her upcoming Baltic Sea Tour 2008 looks to be enough of a challenge to keep even the most hard core sailing enthusiasts happy, but even so, it sounds a breeze and a walk in the park compared to the high sea sailing to China.
After the meeting, it was dinner onboard the East Indiaman Götheborg III. Continue reading “Dinner onboard the Swedish East Indiaman Götheborg III”
Holding on to a small but growing jackfruit, just outside of the Damnoen Saduak floating market, about 110 km southwest of Bangkok, Thailand. The largest tree borne fruit in the world, jackfruits are potentially enormous things, seldom less than about 25 cm in diameter they can reach 36 kg in weight and up to 90 cm long and 50 cm in diameter.
Really early on the morning the 13th of February we set out to visit the Damnoen Saduak floating market in the Ratchaburi province, about one hour’s taxi ride from central Bangkok. There are several floating markets on various canals in Bangkok and other nearby provinces. Today these floating markets are kept alive for visiting tourists but were originally live wet markets for the local Thai people. “In old times the roads no good so when people want meet and trade, they use rivers.”, our chauffeur told us.
Continue reading “A little bit of kampong and river ways in Thailand”
Made from yellow bean paste, these miniature ‘fruits’ make delightful eye-candy
One of my favourite Thai desserts to look out for when in Thailand are these mini works of art known as Kao Noom Look Choup. Shaped from grounded yellow beans, these miniature sculptures are then hand painted with food dyes to render the likeness of fruits and vegetables.
Continue reading “Edible miniature works of art”
A peek at the poolside with its canopied beds, The Oriental Hotel, Bangkok
The Chao Phraya river, with its deep green waters and numerous junk boats languidly making their way up and down its vast length, lends a sight of utopia to the many luxury hotels that make the Bangkok skyline today.
The oldest hotel in Bangkok, and even slightly older than the Raffles Hotel in Singapore, The Oriental Hotel parallels Singapore’s Raffles Hotel some, in terms of history of famous writers being there and era of being. At 132 years old this year, The Oriental Hotel is the grandest dame that sits by the warm and musky Chao Phraya.
Continue reading “The Oriental Hotel, Bangkok”
At The Peninsula, Bangkok for a Valentine’s Birthday celebration!
Text & Photo © JE Nilsson, CM Cordeiro-Nilsson 2008
Thank you all who sent me Valentines and Birthday wishes. A few days ago when we arrived to Bangkok most street names were a mystery and the city had grown immensely since I was here at a conference, presenting a linguistics thesis, a couple of years ago. At that time I didn’t have the time to travel and sightsee Bangkok either.
Table decoration replete with teddy bear and gorgeously bound menu in red,
at The Peninsula for Valentine’s Day
By now we are finding our way much better even if the traffic is a nightmare swept in pollution so thick you can cut it with a spoon. I think the main observation I can share with those who’ve possibly not been here before is that I would choose the roadside food stalls for the food and the up market Hotels, for the view.
At Sentosa hotspot KM8
Text & Photo © JE Nilsson, CM Cordeiro-Nilsson 2008
The speed at which Singapore transforms never ceases to surprise me. When back for Chinese New Years celebration with family and friends after just a few years in Sweden I hardly recognized the most basic sights. The national library was gone and where we used the take a shortcut along Orchard Road, a new six star hotel has already been opened.
Thursday the 7th was dedicated to personal relaxation and the outfit of the day, a tie-dyed cotton sarong and sun protection factor 55. The destination, the manmade paradise island just off the west coast of Singapore. When I grew up in Singapore, Sentosa was a historical relic with ugly memories from the war. Then modernizations set in with the purpose of creating a nearby beach area for the stressed out Singaporean working population. Continue reading “Reflections from Sentosa hotspot KM8”
Appetizer at Buko Nero, a blend of rucola and pomelo
Type in the words Buko Nero in a google search and you’ll find a long list of reviews, mostly enthusiastic and positive, on this small and personalized restaurant in Singapore, located along Tanjong Pagar Road.
The restaurant with a seating capacity of not more than approximately 25 persons or 6 tables, looks literally as its name suggests, a ‘hole in the wall’. It’s an easy location to miss, being situated amongst the larger bridal boutiques and pubs that line the stretch of shophouses along Tanjong Pagar.
What makes this place special is the fusion of Italian and Asian flavours that lace most dishes they serve. The fusion of flavours perhaps being a reflection of the background of the Italian husband and Singaporean wife team, Tracy and Oscar Pasinato. Continue reading “Culinary couples: Singapore and Sweden”
The flat sandal
Even before I landed in Singapore this time around, most girlfriends of mine who were in Singapore often spoke about getting their manicures and pedicures done. Pedicures these days are considered almost a must for the well groomed woman in Singapore and you need not be a tai tai (a Chinese term for women who married well and need not work) these days to have your toes done. At SGD$12 – $17 (ca. 77 SEK) per pedicure session, it isn’t considered by many women to be all that a pocket blowing hobby to indulge in or make oneself happy. Continue reading “Common footwear in Singapore”
Portrait of Cheryl at the east coast of Singapore, Wednesday 16, January, 2008.
Photo: Anders Thorsell, FFAgency, Sundsvall, Sweden
If there was a place for me to visit in Sweden next, then I’d like to visit Sundsvall, because Anders Thorsell is the second interesting person I know of that has a relation to that small and somewhat off the beaten track city of Northern Sweden. The first being the founding father of the Swedish East Indiaman “Gotheborg” project, Anders Wästelt, which I have told about earlier.
Portrait of Anders at the Tiger Brewery in Singapore, Wednesday 16, January, 2008. FFAgency, Sundsvall, Sweden
An established writer and frequent traveler with a photography agency of his own, he’s in Singapore for the third time now. Anders was in Singapore last in 1999, touring with the Miss Sweden Universe 1999 contestants and we barely missed meeting each other then. He found a taped interview of me and, well, as they say, if you’re fated to meet, then you will. And this time around, I promised to bring him around.
I absolutely enjoyed having a walkabout with Anders. A sincere and very pleasant guy to work with, it was fun to show some of the sights and sounds of Singapore to someone that has seen so much of the world. As for his travels stories, I think those are best told by himself in his own blog.
Cheryl
