'FRESHLY SQUEEZED MORNINGS'

One of the signatures of Kandooma is their in-room hospitality set up, notably the 'juicer'. Every evening during turn-down service 6-8 oranges, super sweet, are supplied for guests to make their own wake-up potion. It is something novel, and a welcome idea that adds a definitive style to the resort. The rest of the items on the table are quality goods too, including ground 'illy' coffee in a pressed pot, peppermint & camomile teas, and branded hot chocolates. Apparently the Holiday Inn Group has taken a major interest here, which explains the influx of an international management and supervisory staff 'to upgrade standards & services'. It looks like Kandooma is postioning for a bigger market share in the Maldives, which the FAM thinks is well deserved.

CHEF PETER @ 'THE KITCHEN'

One of the outlets at the Kandooma Resort is 'The Kitchen' where we had dinner last night. A totally separate structure built right on the waterfront, next to a bleached-white sandy beach, the setting is idyllic. We had pre-dinner drinks on the roof to watch a bright orange sunset, it was outstanding. The only sunset scene that could beat this one was at Terri & Fergus' wedding, at the Four Seasons in Langkawi, Malaysia.

Then it was dinner downstairs .... WOW! Chef Peter, who hails from South Africa, floored us with an incredible platter of Maldivian seafood caught in the neighboring waters. Our consenus was 'we have never had such fresh and delicious seafood, ever'. He prepared a mixed plate of local spiny lobstsers, prawns, yellow fin tuna, garouper, and squid.
We were told the resort has 400+ live lobsters for the season, kept next to the Dive Center. As most chefs who produced cook books would attest : ingredients must be the most fresh, cooking method the most basic, presentation the most simple and you will be guaranteed the best dish. That was exactly what we had, freshest catch from the sea, grilled to perfection. I do not think he added much of anything, probably a pinch of sea salt, not even lemon juice I do not think. The sweetness of the lobsters, with every morsel still clings to the shell, softness of the squids, texture of the tuna, succulence of the prawns .... so natural, and so divine. We were greedy and ordered the house-special, BBQ lamb rack, plus a confit duck leg on mushroom risotto. It was a mistake as the meats were simply no match, they did not even come close to what the Indian Ocean offers.

Thank you Chef Peter, we will be back for more before the end of our stay!

GROWN-UP CHILDREN

We use this expression often but what exactly does it mean? Are they grown-ups, are they still children, or are they somewhere in between? The fact is; as long as we are still alive as parents, they will always be children. I get to realize this now, more than ever before. I may be 60 but my mother, at 88, is still telling me what to do. I might be getting on a bit, but a child nonetheless in her eyes. This picture I took at the Kids Club of the resort is priceless. The fact they let their hair down, to become kids again even for a brief moment, is worth a lot to me. Always a sentimentalist, being able to capture their childhood behavior warms my heart. They grow up too fast, much too fast and I miss those years when they were children, when Daddy was front-and-center. Where has all that time gone?

DORA LOOKING SO GOOD .... 27 YEARS LATER

I just want to blog this picture of Dora, my better half for 27 years and my good friend for 30, in one of her (rare) super relaxed moods. I love this photo, because she looks close to perfect in it. We had our shares of disagreements, arguments, fights, even bad ones but we survived. Dora is a key pillar of the FAM, even more so now as the one who brings home the bread. My role is relegated to the kitchen - one day I may even bake bread - which to me is like winning the lottery. As many of you who know us throughout my 3 careers ie healthcare, MNC and recruiting Dora epitomizes the best of a "Supportive Spouse". I could not have finished my 35 year work-life without her by my side, certainly over some challenging times in each career, including one as my colleague when we were at J&J together in the early 1980s. Our girls may make all kinds of faces now but they know, deep in the recesses of their hearts, that Mom taught them the basics of most of what they know today.

We were swimming in the lagoon yesterday and I over heard Dora asking Jess who, like her sisters, is a good swimmer. Jess was on the Diving Team at Deerfield Academy. "Do you remember I taught you how to swim, when you were barely a year old?" I think she does, Dora, in fact they all do and one day they will step forward to thank you. Before that happens, let me do the honors right now, on this blog. "Thank You" for all your have done for me, for our daughters, and for our FAM ... unfailingly ... all these years. Well done, Mom!

WELCOME LEAF

Quite a nice gesture, awaiting our arrival at the reception, along with ice cold towels and cool minty lemonades after a 45-minute shuttle boat ride. The last time we were around these waters were 27 years ago, almost to the date. It was a very different world then, when the Maldives resorts were just beginning to make the world scene. Our package was arranged by Air Lanka on a DC-10. My RHKAAF pal Edwin Lau was station manager then, he upgraded his newlywed friends all the way to First Class from Row 66 ie the lowest fare we could afford then. We drank the Dom with vigor but literally did not know what to do with the caviar! We hired a car and driver in Colombo, and spent a week around the country including Kandy for the festival at the Temple of the Tooth, before returing to the capital to stay at the Gaulle Face, the proverbial colonial style hotel from the Raj. Maldives followed, but without realizing we booked a cottage in a semi-nudist resort with mostly European patrons. The big question was popped by a nice German couple, 2 days after we arrived, " .... we are all wondering when the Japanese couple will take their cothes off" ... yes, they were talking about us, and it was such a natural thing to do afterwards. Well, that was post-Xmas 1982 and not in our wildest dreams would we imagine this very day, post- Xmas 2009, when we revisit the Maldives with our own clan.

KANDOOMA RESORT - MALDIVES

This is an ariel view (from Jess' post card) of our island, Kandooma, situated 35 km south of the capital, Male. It is named after the Kandoo tree, found in abundance on the 13-hectre island. It is managed by the HPL Hotels & Resorts Group based in Singapore, plus interest from the Holiday Inn Group as well from its name. Check out http://www.kandooma-maldives.com/ for details.

How about a few fun facts about the Maldives :

* right on the equator, southwest of Sri Lanka
* comprise of 1190 isalnds to form an archipelago or 26 atolls
* 202 inhabited, 87 are resorts & tourism is 20% GDP
* average temperature between 29-32 & it is warm, humid with sunshine year round
* economy grows at 10% per annum in the past 20 years - hard to beat!
* 98% functional literacy, following the British system
* total population 369,000 per 2007 census
* islands were inhabited as early as 3000 years ago by seafaring traders
* 'Dhivehi' is spoken all over the country, so is English

We have only been here for one day but the the genuine disposition and warm friendliness of the Maldivians are simply admirable.

2009 FAMILY SOJOURN

Since our successful trip to Kagoshima in 2008 the FAM - coined by Jess - agreed to dedicate our year end vacation time as our 'Annual Family Sojourn'. I welcome that as everyone can put aside the stress, the frustrations at work, the family feud, the sibling rivalry to return to being a nucleus of meaningful and loving purposes. It is not a dream, I really want that, and it will happen as we all age a little. A democratic process - even though Mom & Dad foot the bill - the vote goes to 1-week in the Maldives, plus New Year's in Singapore on the way back. We left Hong Kong mid afternoon on Xmas day, transitting Singapore, and arrived around midnight the same day. Jess, Terri & Fergus hold diving licenses and they have convinced Andrea, who fears sharks to the n-th degree and who has problems watching the Jaws series, to go for hers. Maldives is also a location Dora & I have fond memories. We spent our honeymoon here after touring Sri Lanka, at the outer most atoll of the Maldives archipelago, back in 1982! Here we are the FAM at our first breakfast. The shades 'are to hide those tired eyes' I am told, mostly from partying and last minute packing at home where we will vacate upon return, to make way for a major renovation project. Except for the overweight patriarch, it is rather a handsome group, don't you think?

MR JAM aka NURY VITTACHI

Nury Vittachi is, without question, my favorite satirist in town. He is truly acculturated into the Hong Kong Scene which is why his humor is 'right on the $'. I have his site on my favorites list, it is http://www.mrjam.org/ .... log on and see what you think? The following are a few Child Friendly Jokes for the season that appeared in the Standard a few days ago.

What nationality is Santa Claus?
Polish, or North Polish to be precise.

What do monkeys sing at Christmas?
Jungle Bells ... Jungle Bells ....

What did Adam say to his girlfriend on December 24th?
Its Christmas, Eve!

If Santa & Mrs Claus had a child, what would he/she be called?
A Subordinate Claus.

Mom, can we have a dog for Xmas?
No, you will have roast goose like the rest of us.

I love them, they bring back fond memories of our children growing up and how we kept them entertained over the Yuletide season. All adults now, they stop laughing at my jokes, but laugh at me instead. I call this transitional parenthood.

Thank you Nury, it is Christmas day so ... Merry Christmas!

SCMP FOOD & DRINK SECTION

Much to my surprsie and embarrassment Susan Jung, the well regarded Food Editor of the Sunday Post Magazine, mentioned the TangCanCook blog in her section today - December 13th 2009.

SPRY & RETIRING Most food blogs are written by tech-savvy Gen Z-ers but here is one by someone who could be a father, at least, to some of the other bloggers. Raymond Tang of Tang Can Cook (tangcancook.blogspot.com) was born in the mainland and raised in Hong Kong. He starred blogging in April, after his wife launched him on a 'culinary journey' with an exciting 60th birthday present : Basic Cuisine & Patisserie Courses at Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts Institute in Sydney, Australia. Of course, Tang is older - much older - than the other students and he often struggled to keep up, but in the end he was successful, receiving certificates in both sections, plus 'distinctions' in organisation, food preparation and presentation, and for following health, safety and security procedures.

Having graduated, Tang continues to pursue his love for food - by eating, not cooking. He posts about restaurants he visits at home in Hong Kong and on his travels : On Lot 10 (on Gough Street in Central) ; Vue de Monde (in Melbourne) ; Tetsuya (in Sydney) and Jadis (in Paris). Susan Jung

Thank you, Susan. I am flattered, you made my Sunday!

BABETTE'S FEAST

Dora and I watched this incredible foreign language DVD over the weekend which I must share with you. Written and directed by Gabriel Axel, it won the 1987 Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. The story is set on a desolate Danish coastal township whose inhabitants live an austere existence in the name of faith and duty. Babette, a mysterious refugee from the civil war in France came along and things began to change. A talented gourmet chef, she terrified the pious townspeople 'with the prospect of losing their souls for enjoying too much earthly pleasures'. Half of the film is devoted to 'transforming a sumptuous dinner into a love affair, where there is no longer distinction between bodily apreciation & spiritual appreciation'. It is a brilliant mix of humanity, romance, indulgence and of course cooking. Voila!

Needless to say I was mesmerized by the menu, presented as follows :

* Turtle Soup, with an Amatillado
* Caviar on Blinis & Creme Fraiche, with Veuve Clicquot
* Cailles en Sarcophage or Roast Quail Vol-au-Vents, with Clos de Vougeot
* Salade of Endives & Walnuts
* Cheese Assortment
* Gateau with Rum
* Exotic Tropical Fruit Plate

Many have told us about the film and we are in full agreement with the Los Angeles Times' remarks some 22 years ago .... 'Delectable! A fable told with passion, intelligence and sumputousness'. HMV carries it!

WAH KEE CONGEE

My brother-in-law Joe, an American from NYC who has tempered his Hong Kong palate after almost 25 years here, and I are always on the look out for 'the next best congee'. We were at Wah Kee in Wanchai just this morning, a joint worth sharing. Located near the Wanchai market, the address is at the bottom of the menu. I have no idea what it is in English, I only know it is the 2nd right hand turn if you continue to go east, from the entrance into Wanchai market, towards CWB. It is run by a matriarch via her 2nd generation. She looks and acts the part, I imagine her iron-clad discipline is no different from Michelin chefs at the pass in a rated restaurant. She must be feared in her younger days, as things are absolutely ship-shaped now. The menu is extensive for a small place but every bowl is individually prepared upon order. My all time favorite is their meatballs, made fresh from well grounded and well seasoned pork. Add a few slices of fish, 'pei dan' ie thousand-year-old-eggs, and a very generous splash of scallions I was close to heaven. Their sides are worth a mention as well; especially the rice flour rolls with sliced pork liver, flavored with local coriander stalk ... masterly! If you want to start your Sunday on the right foot, a comfort congee breakfast at Wah Kee may be the answer. It is usually quite full from mid morning, and it closes after lunch service on Sundays.

NEW STYLE PATISSERIE

We have not been to Kowloon City for a while, and decided to explore last Sunday. The 'new face' of this area is a mix of old Chiu Chow & Thai eateries with more contemporary outlets like; wine shops, tapas bars and of course the darling of Hong Kong, pastry shops. Patisserie Tony Wong is a good example. We met Tony, the owner, at his brand new shop.
An experienced Patissier he is bringing his hospitality and big hotel background to the neighborhood, which he is obviously committed as he runs a parallel specialty cookie shop almost next door. There are clearly freshness and creativity in his products which you can check out at http://www.patisserietonywong.com/ Tony's motto is 'using the finest ingredients, and paying attention to details from the heart' .... which sounds like a winning formula. We bought a box of his nouveau mini pastries, they were fun. What we should have done is to finish our dinner with dessert & coffee there, Lavazza by the way, to wash off the garlic from our Thai fare.

Patisserie Tony Wong is at 74 Fuk Lo Tsun Road Kowloon City ... open till 9pm on weekends. Try it!

QUOTABLE QUOTE

Church is not on my schedule on Sundays, nor is it on Dora's. However, she has become a regular on this Sunday morning broadcast from the Crystal Cathedral in America. She likes the setting, the singing, but mostly the non-denominational sermons from preachers who are true masters of communication. Just this past Sunday I sat with her and became mesmerized by this 50th something pastor from a Chicago parish. He talked about prayers from on high that guided him, and his Church, to cope with one economic crisis after another. He reiterated the need of faith in such dire circumstances when helplessness over-rules.

He then observed how people have such short memories that as soon as the going gets better, we are out spending. The quote I want to share is ' ... we must all learn to emancipate ourselves from this insidious escalation of incessant consumer insecurity ...' Wow! Just how these preachers can put words together and make them sound like a Rx prescription from a physician is absolutely beyond me. As the only man at home for so many years (before my son-in-law joined the clan) I am happy to report I surived this highly contagious & incurable disease that, fortunately, only targets the Tang women. I will pass this on to the bona fide members of Shopperholic Anonymous in my dear family.

Postscript : I believe Revlon - or is it the other cosmetics company - created the 'Lipstick Index' some years ago ie when the economy goes down, lipsticks sales go up, since it is the most cost efficient way for women to look and feel good. One more excuse for the shoppers, I guess.

GO FANCL .... LESS IS MORE!