Singapore update from November 2nd, 2009

Amanda and I are just back from Tokyo after a 4 day trip watching the Wallabies-All Blacks game with super-size me amounts of eating either side of the 80 minute game of rugby. And we managed to eat a little bit during the match as well.

The rugby in Japan is a very civilised affair. There are absolutely no bottles or cans allowed into the stadium and bag searches are undertaken to ensure you can’t sneak anything in. Should you dishonour your family and the regulations of the stadium then you are sent directly to the adjacent table where you are provided with extremely large paper cups to pour you alcohol into and politely told to enjoy the match and that sake is available in middy-size cups for your double happiness super fun-time rugby match. Got to love the Japanese drinking culture.

After the whistle blew for kick-off, the teams played each other and a bunch of stuff happened and there was probably a winner and a loser but those details are unimportant until we win next game.

MEALS (in no particular order)

• Joel Robuchon degustation where Amanda ate so much bread from the bread cart that she was presented with the gift of an entire loaf of bread as we left (this is not a joke, it actually happened).
• A “street” food extravaganza in tiny little restaurants specialising in one dish, each seating around 5 people. We went to one restaurant for a meal of yakatori, another restaurant for a meal of ramen, and another for sushi & sashimi. That was all on Thursday night. Then cream puffs for desert . If you ever come across Beard Papa (Singapore & Tokyo) go the classic puff and you will never be the same.
• An incredible yakitori restaurant with a friend who lives in Tokyo. Whatever you want grilled on a stick. Tofu, quail eggs, mince for you to crack a raw egg over, chicken wings, garlic..... all served with stone pot rice.
• A Tonkatsu dish where the pork is prepared wafer thin (yes, this was a very Monty Python“ oh shit, its Mr Cresote” moment) with what I am sure is fat, spread in between the strudel-like layer after layer of pork. Add crumbs and deep fry.
• The most incredible sashimi I have ever eaten. 6 am after a 2 hour tour of the Tsukiji fish markets.

The fish markets were unbelievable. It was right up my alley, but scary the amount of seafood being pulled out of our waters with 2 billion yen of seafood traded daily. Gladly it seems at least some of the produce is aquaculture.

I did learn something about the whaling industry which made me realise that we actually are fed a lot of propaganda in Australia. Our guide translated my questions on whether the whale-meat merchant disliked Australians (yes) due to our attitude towards whaling and I was informed that whales are eating all the little fish in the ocean and so unbalancing the seas. Please everyone, think of all the little fish next time Greenpeace knocks on your door and remember that by saying nothing about the murder of the little fish, you are as bad as the whales themselves.
Incidentally, it tastes like steak tartare but a little gamier.

Another great area (thanks Nicky) was Golden Gai where there must be about 100 tiny bars each seating somewhere between 2-4 people. Some of them have function rooms upstairs for 5 people. The bars are owned and run by individuals who theme them along their own interests. We drank at a latino bar with salsa and mamba music playing. We passed by the English bar (“I love English, come in English people” with the owner belting out Bowie), the Japanese bar ( “foreigners, if you can understand Japanese you can come in” (written in English strangely)), transvestite bars, film noir bars, school uniform bars (“go on ahead Amanda, I just have to do up my shoe-laces” I was expecting something very different from Angus Young) .....Just about any interest you might have.

When we next meet up, buy me a beer and ask me about the “Man-of-War” seen in store that is the equivalent of Singapore’s Mustafa Centre, but in Tokyo. I am having nightmares and feel very, very inadequate. I thought that the Mustafa Centre had everything, but I now know that they are missing a whole industry of freaky sexual outfits, appliances, salves, ointments, gels and robots. Please hide any tamagotchi if I am around. They disturb me now.

Next week Amanda and I have both sets of parents up in Singapore which we are quite looking forward to. Mum and Dad are on their way back from Europe, the Chans are on the way to HK. Ahhhh, chilli crab time. I expect there shall be some good stories.

Amanda and I will be down in Sydney mid-December for a wedding but will only be around for 3 days. We will be heading to the Riverview Hotel (for a change) on Sunday afternoon/evening and hope that if anyone is free you will join us for a beer and a pizza on Sunday 13th December.