pita pan, marina bay sands

this is one of my favorite places to grab a meal – and even if prices appear to be rising and the portions gradually reducing, and the flavors a little less robust than when I first tried them a couple years ago, it still hits the spot rather perfectly.

I love mediterranean/ middle eastern food – and this tiny place on the outside of the marina bay sands shopping mall has a simple menu of a few choice dishes (and various flavored permutations).

I tend to order the same thing: hummus, shakshuka, falafel and tabbouleh – all which give you a good spread across both flavor and texture spectrums. the homely falafels are particularly savory and delicious, and any heaviness is offset by the fresh, herbacious tabbouleh (with juicy pomegranate seeds dotted throughout).

the red shakshuka tastes better to me than the green – and everything goes quite nicely with the triangles of heated pita that arrive alongside.

it’s a simple meal, and a nice way to catch up with friends (or spend some alone time) – it doesn’t get much better than that.

Pita Pan
L1-87, Bay Level (on the outside, near the ArtScience Museum)
2 Bay Avenue,
The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, The Shoppes
Singapore 018972
tel +65 6688 7450
$: 15ish

happy new year!

first, an early happy new year to you! may it bring you everything you’re looking for, and more.

I do this nearly once a year – by which I mean I do a visit to the gardens by the bay, and marvel at the beautifulness of what we’ve created here.

there are more extensive sets of photos here, here and here – and I hope they make your day as much as they made mine.

xx

flowers for sunday

I thought I’d share this set of photos from a visit to the gardens by the bay, and its two beautiful conservatories.

I’m totally taking this weekend to show you the beauty of singapore – and celebrating our man-made (but wonderfully so) garden city.

back to food programming tomorrow (or more realistically, sometime next week)!

gorgeous singapore

it seems the right time to say thank you, to the extraordinary man that transformed our island.

we had a three-hour bicycle ride on the past weekend, during which I burnt a million shades of brown, riding from east coast park to satay by the bay. it’s a beautiful ride, mostly bike track and a little bit off-road, and I pedaled along in my rented BMX (because I’m cool like that), marveling at our tiny island.

osteria mozza, marina bay sands

a couple weeks ago I told you about pizzeria mozza – now let me introduce you to its sexier, glamorous, sophisticated elder sister. the head-turner, without understatement.

I came here a long time before just for dessert, and it somehow didn’t make much of an impression then – that’s totally changed now. this place is at the same time glamorous and rustic, chi-chi but accessible, and filled with yuppies having the time of their lives.

it’s definitely a favorite, if not the favorite – prices aren’t cheap (rather obviously), but I feel like you almost definitely get what you’re paying for: a rarefied ambience I definitely relish.

and the food’s good. very good.

pizzeria mozza, marina bay sands

one of my favorite italian places in singapore, for the buzzy-loud ambience, the good food, and the sparkling environ of marina bay sands. I know there are dissenters out there that don’t think the pizza is authentic, find the dishes overpriced, and judge the place too trendy – and you are might be right.

but there is something to be said about a kitchen that dishes out good food (I measure by taste rather than authenticity), with a modish, young outlook on dining, and isn’t actually that expensively-priced – located as is in perhaps the most expensive mall in singapore.

I like it, anyhoo.

fantasia by escriba, the real look

I gave you guys a peek a couple days ago at fantasia – or what was described as more than charlie’s chocolate factory – and kept it cursory on purpose.

I didn’t want to spoil it for you if you were going – or create too much pre-judgment – but I think enough time has passed, to tell you the truth: it totally wasn’t worth it.

this photo looks almost accusatory.

fantasia by escriba, a first look

if you’re heading to the festival this weekend, the best must-do item: chocolate shaped and colored like parma, shaved like parma, drizzled with olive oil and speckled with sea salt on melba toast (like parma).

delicious, and rather revelatory. very photographable, too.

have a good weekend!

xx

p.s. giveaways going on!

the moluccas room, marina bay sands

cloud forest, gardens by the bay

after a walk through the flower dome to view tulipmania, we went on to the cloud forest conservatory and were greeted with a tall streaming waterfall, and high humidity amidst cool air air-conditioning.

if you do go, I think you will notice a discernible difference between the two conservatories – the flower dome is a veritable cacophony of color, and the cloud dome a more muted (almost bleak) landscape. the roof garden holds a bit more colour – most of which these photos are of – but it’s pretty cool how they hold to their names.