A Happy Chook is a Tasty Chook!

There was a time and not that long ago; Singaporeans ate nothing but firm, meaty and flavoursome Kampung chicken. That is the French breed of chicken acquiring the name Kampung, with its orange feathers and black head, commonplace roaming around Malay villages – a true free-range, happy chook.

The Kampung chicken is still around although highly unlikely to be free-range in the Singapore supply chain and presumably a cellmate with the more common battery-reared white feathered hen.

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The Singapore Sun Festival is Singapore’s leading music and lifestyle festival. The Singapore Sun Festival which was inaugurated by IMG Artists in October 2007 is an annual multi-arts and integrated lifestyle Festival that celebrates the ‘Art of Living Well’ through the 7 disciplines of Music, Visual Art, Literature, Film, Wine, Food and Wellness. The Singapore Sun Festival exposes both Singapore citizens and foreign visitors to many superb, high-quality and prestigious event. The Festival brings top international and regional artists to Singapore every year, including world premieres and exclusive performances by stars from all over the world.

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Somewhat paradoxically, ever since I left Australia for Asia eight years ago, I have been in search of, if not craving, the innovative contemporary Thai-influenced food of David Thompson (Darley Street Thai, Sailor Thai, Nahm) and his one of his star apprentices, Martin Boetz of Longrain.

Despite Thompson being Boetz’s mentor, their interpretations of Thai cuisine are poles apart; Thompson the archaeologist of the countries cuisine, authoring the tomb “Thai Food” (published by Pavilion), surely the most comprehensive and authoritative cookbook on the subject ever written, yet Thompson pushes all boundaries in Thai cuisine in his idiosyncratic style although retaining a nucleus of tradition and the utmost respect for the core ingredients of Thailand.

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And they say Singapore is boring and sterile… Well, you might revaluate this sweeping statement once you have been enmeshed and seduced by this fevered and arousing club. This comes with the caveat, do not arrive totally sober; akin to arriving at a party late when everyone else is in a state of inebriation and you’re not in the groove.

Moshi Moshi Bollywood is definitely the sort of club that you arrive at around midnight; after dinner with a few glasses of wine under the belt. And, like many nightspots, the whole ambience is people-driven furthermore, you are somewhat oblivious to the invariably kitsch décor with all the mood-lighting and in this case, the primitive, although amusing Bollywood films projected as a backdrop to the dance floor.

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Reuters Life! – It’s a big call, nailing the single wine of 2009 that was most impressionable amongst so many good bottles and an ever-increasing myriad of quality, relatively more approachable wines produced around the globe.

However, Two Paddocks Pinot Noir 2006 from Central Otago, New Zealand, is the wine that stimulated my sensory core, viscera and thoughts most in terms of complexity, quality and sheer enjoyment.

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Reuters Life! – When it comes to enjoying wine with bold Asian cuisines there really are no rules – and certainly no room for the traditional notion of whites with seafood and reds with meat.

Show me any wine and I will find an element of spice or herb infused within it. That is my unequivocal reply to the incessantly recurring question I am asked, “Does wine go with Asian food?”

Indeed, most grape varieties intrinsically display a multitude of spice nuances in aroma or flavor, some more than others.

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Dame Nellie Melba, was the renowned Australian opera singer  (1861 – 1931) and became one of the most famous singers of the late Victorian Era and the early 20th century due to the purity of her lyrical voice and the brilliance of her technique. Taking her stage name from Melbourne, Melba was the first Australian to achieve international recognition as a classical musician.

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