Friday 7 March 2008

There's something about the tropics

Friday night was spent with good friends. Chris, who had just endured months of bitter winter in Seoul, was yearning for local hawker food. There's no better place to enjoy local food than eating out and enjoying the balmy breeze at the popular food centre along East Coast Beach.

Chris and wife EY arrived wearing light summer clothes. Even though Chris had lived in Canada for several years and traveled across the world, he's still a local boy at heart. I thought by now he would be used to the cold, but he shook his head vehemently, "Nooo, I can't stand it. I hate the cold."

He missed our tropical weather, where he could walk out of the house in his linen shirt and a pair of shorts anytime, and hanging out with friends guzzling beer in the middle of the night. Mostly, he missed our local food.

Naturally, everything he chose last night was spicy, from the sambal kangkong vegetables, grilled stingray slathered with sambal chilli to the chicken and pork satay. CH ordered a big plate of spicy rojak. We washed everything down with ice cold sugar cane juice.

After the tongue-numbing dinner, Chris was craving for ice cream. I suggested this tiny hangout in the quiet East Coast neighbourhood called Ice Cream Chef. A popular haunt with the students in the schools nearby, this ice cream parlour boasts of ice cream made daily at the premises and personalising your flavours by smashing ice cream with your choice of mix-ins on the Chef's Rock.

This cosy outlet was certainly buzzling last night with families and teenagers constantly streaming through the door. Chris and EY had rum and raisin and apple sorbet while CH and I shared the tropical durian and coconut flavours.

We sat under the huge frangipani tree with white flowers scattered around us, savouring our ice cream. Chris looked contented at last...

Too bad, they're going back to Korea in a week's time. It'll be spring. Maybe he'll like it better..

EY, Chris and CH.

17 comments:

fishwithoutbicycle said...

That sounds like an idyllic evening Blur Ting.

I am Chris's opposite, I am not a big fan of the heat. Have a lovely weekend. Fish x

WaterLearner said...

Food + Good Friends = No Fail Evening Choice!!! And the ice cream must be great huh :-)

Unknown said...

your post made me homesick. hanging out with friends, guzzling beer in the middle of the night, kangkong, sugar cane...i heart the tropics.

Loz said...

Hi Blur my mouth is watering

Anonymous said...

oh yeah.. i like the tropics too...it's too cold here...help! and yeah Korea certainly gets cold doesnt it....

The World According To Me said...

Sounds like a delightful evening with good friends and fine dining.

Anonymous said...

I must confess, one thing I don't miss is the heat in S'pore. Sometimes I wonder if not because of the heat, I might visit the island more often... ckl

SOUL said...

i'm sooooo jealous... always food fun and nice weather--- will you adopt me????

:))
have a happy rest of your weekend!

Blur Ting said...

Fish - Yes, an evening with friends is always idyllic and enjoyable.

Blur Ting said...

Water - The ice cream wasn't too good that night. It was too soft and the almond topping was not crunchy. We had better days. Maybe too crowded on Friday night.

Blur Ting said...

Seagrape - Do you go back once in a while to visit?

Blur Ting said...

Loz - Yah, I guess it probably reminds you of the recent Thailand trip right? The weather is similar, and the food, somewhat close.

Blur Ting said...

JY _ Oh good, you should come again!

Blur Ting said...

CKL - I can understand...not many people here enjoy the heat too. I am just one of those who like sunshine and warmth. Put me in a cold place all year long and I'll shrivel up and die...

Blur Ting said...

Of course Soul! I know how you like the sun. If you're here, you can fish all day and night long. The temperature is so nice, you can even wear short sleeeves to fish at night. it never get cold. at most cool.

Amel said...

MMMMMM...I can almost taste the spicy food in my mouth. I'm GOING TO EAT EVERYTHING I CAN when I'm back in Indo ha ha ha...maybe not big portions of food, but many types of smaller portions of food hi hi hi...;-D

Unknown said...

hi blur. no i don't. 1996 for two weeks. that's it. the children want to see where i grew up. soon i hope.

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