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Dear Friend:
 I recently spent two weeks in Singapore as a visiting chef at Global Kitchen in the Pan Pacific Hotel. It was an enlightening and challenging assignment but I learned a lot! We visited restaurants and scoured food markets to taste new foods. It was non-stop food.
Some of our favorite dishes were Chili Skate and Black Pepper Crab and the fruit-salad-like Rojak. I loved the Fried Carrot Cake (Chy Tow Kueh) made with rice flour and a white carrot-shaped radish sliced and quick-fried with soy sauce, eggs, garlic and bits of pickled radish. And I got a kick out of it when a Global Kitchen chef prepared the dish using one of the masa cakes from my Chili-dusted Skate. It was a real cultural exchange.
We made several late night runs for dim sum. And, late at night and early in the morning I frequently called room service for Congee, a filling and comforting rice porridge. It is prepared a little differently in each Southeast Asian country. I loved it for dinner with Soy Sauce, Fried Shallots, Poached Egg, Chicken and Sesame Oil. I enjoyed it so much that I even dreamt about it. I’ve already added Congee to our menu paired with Lobster, Ginger and Edamame and soon may team it up with Spring Peas, Crabmeat, Fried Shallots and Ginger.
 At the food court in Takashimaya Department Store we tried kaya (egg-and-coconut jam) toast and desserts made from sweet beans, as well as Ice Kachung, a mountain of shaved ice with syrup, tapioca and coconut. In Little India, we enjoyed some Indian food and shopped in the 24-hour Mustafa's Centre, a huge Indian department store with two floors dedicated to food -- Indian and other ethnic foods including unbelievable produce. It was  overwhelming! We toured a noodle factory and watched Peking Duck being prepared. One afternoon we found ourselves in neighborhood called Katong at a restaurant famous for its Laksa. Laksa (the name of an aromatic broth and the herb used to make it) is to Singapore what pho is to Vietnam. Laksa leaves (also called Ram or Vietnamese mint even though it is not a member of mint family) have an unusual but enticing kaffir lime, cilantro, lemongrass flavor. I’ve already tracked down laksa leaves in an Asian market in Philadelphia and am planning on using it in Lemongrass Dusted Monkfish with Laksa Broth, Rice Noodles and Bean Sprouts.
Imagine my surprise when I saw some of my regular customers in the Global Kitchen dining room. Blue Bell-based Unisys was having a regional business kick-off meeting there. One frequent guest from Blue Bell joined us for a middle-of-the-night trip to the nearby fish market where we bought fish, had it filleted, and then took it back to the hotel to cook.
To top it off, the Chinese New Year began with an amazing night of fireworks and dragon dancing. About a dozen people donned an elaborate dragon costume and danced through the streets and into the hotel lobby, where they did acrobatics. The next day there was more dragon dancing and many special holiday dishes to taste. It truly was a “once in a lifetime” experience.
 Outdoor Seating – I hope the snow is finally over, because we’re opening the outside patio. Each day, we wait to see what the weather is like before take reservations for patio seating. That means we now have 20 additional seats available, at the last minute, on every sunny day.
Mother’s Day – Don’t make mom cook on Mother’s Day. We’ll open at 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, May 13 so that you can treat your mom to our prix fixe, 3 course dinner. For $55 plus tax and tip. Or, give her a gift certificate. We're now taking reservations. Call 215/641-2660 for reservations and gift certificates.
Administrative Assistants Day – Remember Administrative Assistants Day on Wednesday, April 25 or anytime that week. Lunch is always appreciated. Or a gift certificate. We’re open Tuesday – Friday and will open the patio, weather permitting. We're now taking reservations at 215/641-2660.
Liquor License – While we wait for our liquor license to arrive, we’re meeting with wine experts and creating our wine list. Once we get the license, you’ll be able to get wine at the restaurant or bring your own bottle, with a $5 corkage fee. We’ll keep you posted.
Magazine Coverage – My Malaysian Chicken Satay with Cucumber Salad and Basmati Rice will be in the July issue of Fitness magazine. And Parmesan Oysters with Spinach will be featured in an upcoming edition of Food Arts magazine.
Grits – Good news! We’re heading back to the World’s Grit Festival. We plan to get  several hundred pounds of freshly-ground grits. That means the return of Porcini-dusted Halibut with Truffled Grits. We’ll be making the Truffled Grits Croutons too. But this year we’re thinking about pairing them with tiny Bouchot Mussels. I first tried these many years ago in Paris and finally found someone who grows them here. These plump and tender mussels grow on a rack and taste cleaner and sweeter. The truffled grit croutons are perfect for soaking up every drop!
Seasonal -- With the return of spring, we'll be cooking with
as much fresh local produce as we can get our hands on. Ramps, Artichokes, Morels and Asparagus. Soft Shell Crabs are beginning to make an appearance on the menu, as well as Halibut Cheeks and East Coast John Dory. Wild Salmon will be running soon too. Maybe the spring harvest will make it easier to accept the departure of the Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Balsamic Bacon and Parmesan for the season.
New Entrees – A lot of customers have commented on the influx of non-seafood dishes on the menu. I’m not going totally over to the dark side yet. But, we are expanding our offerings. We’re not content to rest on our laurels, we’re always looking to evolve and grow. You may see these or other meat or poultry items appearing on the menu. Try our Magret Duck Breast, Crispy Polenta with Rhubarb Star Anise Sauce; Steak Au Poivre with Frites using dry aged New York Strip Steak; and Hanger Steak Chopped Salad with Bleu Cheese, Tomatoes and Red Onions in Buttermilk Chive Dressing. Sweet Breads have made an appearance on the menu and I’m experimenting with lamb ribs paired with fresh dates and coffee. 
New Desserts – Pastry Chef Amelia Dietrich makes as many as 10 desserts from scratch every day plus she’s always trying new things. She changes them on a whim. Her latest culinary creation is Sticky Toffee Pudding with a secret ingredient – fresh Israeli dates on the vine. Her beloved Apple Pie is going out of season, to be replaced by Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp and Chocolate Chili Pot du Crème. And I heard she was experimenting with some fresh blackberries.
 Here’s hoping for no more snow,
Alison |
