Honey we have to sell the kids! Dining out in Singapore

It had been a long and hot day in Singapore. We had been out walking China Town and 

all parts in between. We were too tired to go far afield to eat that night and I suggested 

a Japanese restaurant that I had seen just a block away. From the outside it seemed very 

simple but it had no English signage or menus out the front. That seemed like a plan

 so off we went. When we arrived we realised that you had to knock to be allowed in. 

From the outside it looked so quiet. We were let into Dante's Inferno. Smoke, noise and 

shouting. It was dinner with a show. Oops.

After fussing around because we hadn't booked we were shown to two seats in the 

far corner of the restaurant. The place was laid out with three cooking stations and a 

three-sided bench facing the chefs. Each station seated 20 people. It was a great position 

as we were beside the chefs and could see what they were doing as well as watching 

the activities in the entire place.

We were first given the drinks menu and asked about a really dry Sake. The waiter 

suggested a "medium" bottle of a particular brand. $S180. Hmmm....warning bells should 

have started. We chose a small bottle for only $45. It was the cheapest they had.

Then a small but very delicious appetiser arrived. We are used to complimentary appetisers. 

When we received our bill we discovered it was not complimentary, it was obligatory.

Now it was time to order. But we had no menu. There is no menu. The deal is that in front 

of  the chefs are boxes of vegetables and meat and seafood. You point at what you want and 

the chef leans over and takes it, cooks it and serves it to you on a long paddle that reaches 

across the raw food area. All very entertaining.

 We asked the waiter for his suggestions. He suggested fish and beef with perhaps a 

vegetable. I suggested mushrooms and Omar suggested asparagus. You'll note the 

waiters suggestion is in singular and ours is in plural. After you give the order the waiter 

shouts it to the entire restaurant and the all the staff shout it back to him. As it's all in 

Japanese we didn't know what they were saying. After getting the bill my translation is 

"Fish....we buy the BMW, Beef.....we holiday in Paris, Mushroom...we send the kids to 

private school and Asparagus....we pay off the mortgage.

Well the first to arrive was the mushroom. I do mean literally the mushroom. 

We both had one truly tasty and beautifully cooked mushroom each.

The sauces made you want more. Oh...there is only one.

Then came the asparagus. It was so subtle and fresh that it was best eaten slowly. 

That also dragged out how long it took to eat one spear of asparagus.

Meanwhile everyone was having a noisy and happy time. I haven't mentioned the

name of the restaurant yet as we still didn't know what it was.

The stick of beef with three small cubes was the next to be presented.

Once again the preparation, presentation and taste could not be faulted.

I said that we had to eat here again before we left Singapore.

We watched the smallish Red Snapper being cooked. It sat at a perfect distance above 

the smoky fire and was continually basted and turned. Such wonderful attention to 

culinary detail. It was melt-in-the-mouth delicious.

Also at our table were two groups of two couples. We watched in amazement as they 

all went through at least ten different courses with numerous bottles of Sake and then a 

continuous stream of beer

 

 At one stage in the evening everyone is asked to clap along with the staff. It is meant to represent 

everyone thanking everyone for dining there and to the staff for their wonderful concoctions.

I think it was the staff thanking us for putting their children through private schooling.

 

 As the meal was coming to an end we now had to think of the bill. We thought it maybe a tad 

expensive but we were totally out of the ballpark when it arrived.

$331.90

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

We did a quick calculation of the other groups at the table and added up around $3000 

to $4000 for each group.

Now for the restaurant, it is the Akanoya Robatayaki at 1,Tanglin Road.

We won't be eating there again before we leave. But that said, we had a great time 

and the food is really prepared better than any I have eaten in Japan.

If you are willing to live on cup-o-noodles for the rest of your time in Singapore 

I would recommend it for the experience if not the damage to your wallet

Vientiane Day 5

Well it's the last day in Vientiane so I couldn't stay in bed while I heard the chanting outside. 

I took the last opportunity to record the rituals outside the hotel..

 Very early in the morning the real workers are out and about.

 The sun rose brilliantly to see me off.

There was still a bit of time to catch up on some of the sights that we hadn't seen, 

so we walked down to the Wat Sisaket. Wat Sisaket is a Buddhist Wat it is situated 

on Lan Xang Road, on the corner with Setthathirat Road.

When the armies of Siam (Thailand) sacked Vientiane in 1827 this was the only temple 

they didn't destroy. The theory is that it looked like a Thai temple and was spared.

The army used this compound as their headquarters. 

It is the oldest temple still standing in Vientiane.

 Wat Sisaket features a cloister with more than 2000 ceramic and silver Buddha images 

around the four walls. The variation on a single theme is well worth the visit.

 A lot of the wall paintings have given way to the ravages of time and weather but the 

wooden carvings remain intact.

 The compound itself has many different temples and homes for the monks. 

The gardens are beautifully tended to and in the surrounding area are

many interesting burial stupas.

 On the way back to the hotel we saw the Patouxay Monument in the distance.

It is also known as the Victory Gate. It was built with cement that was sent there by

the Americans to build a runway during the Vietnam War so it is also referred to 

as the vertical runway.

 Finally packed we headed off to the airport.

I think the monks followed us to be sure that I left the country with my pesky 

telephoto lens that had been recording them for the last week.

 Finally in the air again for transit in Bangkok. 

 The clouds were magnificent but I wasn't looking forward 

to flying down through them.

 After a tedious three hours at the Bangkok airport we were on our way to Singapore.

 And something completely different than the charming, sleepy town of Vientiane.

Finally checked into the Regent Singapore. We don't normally stay in large hotels because 

we don't like the lack of personality. This was a hurried trip and the hotels that we preferred 

were all booked out. We chose this one because it had free Internet. 

Why do large hotels still charge for it.? In today's electronic age the Internet is like water. 

A necessity.

We booked this on the Internet and it stated "free Internet". You can imagine our surprise 

when we were told that was for one appliance. One!!!!!!!!! Two people travelling together

means at the least two computers and two mobile phones. That's four appliances to start with.

As it was nearly mid-night time to sleep.

Vientiane Day 4

Up early to catch the monks again and then off to work.

  

 

There were also some rather odd night dwellers hanging out at 4.30 in the morning

 Today is our last day working so we will get some sight-seeing in later today.

We first decided to walk to the Morning Market. 

The day is hot so it’s a very leisurely walk.

We passed the National Library, it needs some tender loving care.

The Morning Market, or Talat Sao, is off Lane Xang Avenue, opposite the 

General Post Office. The double-story building, featuring Lao architectural motifs, 

is surrounded by a maze of smaller stalls.

Every kind of electrical goods, shoes, fabric and wigs are for sale in the labyrinth of stalls. 

Most of it tourist trap rubbish.

Then we walked down to the That Dam Stupa. The That Dam is a large stupa that

 many Laotians believe is inhabited by a seven headed nāga who tried to protect them from

the armies of Siam, who invaded in 1827. It is also known as the Black Stupa, the English 

translation of the Lao name “That Dam”. Unfortunately tourists refer to it as “that damn stupa”.

We found another traditional textile shop, The Beauty of Laos Silk. They had 

some beautiful wall hangings if you had a spare $US6, 000 or so. We didn’t.

Sweating profusely we dropped into a beer garden for something cold.

Later that night we had our last evening meal at L’adresse on Wat Ongteu, 

Ban Watchan-Chanthabouly D. It has only been open for eight months and it

serves delicious French cuisine. 

 A great way to finish our last day in Vientiane.