BREAKFAST TRAILER

One of my favorites about eating in Taiwan is the 'Trailer Breakfast'. This is a unique phenomenon one can see every morning in most street corners in the city centers. Usually run by extremely affable and even more so, extremely hard working ladies, it is such a pure joy to see them first thing in the morning. The menu is universal ie breakfast sandwiches a la Taiwan, plus drinks. I am addicted to what I name the 'Supreme' which is the BF version of a pizza with every topping on it. I would normally grab one on the go but since I have time these days, I want to find out more about this wonderful product. This nice and 'generous' lady - who told me she understands my Mandarin (not Putonghua here I beg your pardon) a lot better than the average Hong Kong tourist - took me through her recipe. I felt like I was back at LCB.

The 'Supreme' is layered as follows : white bread, either plain or toasted; a special spread that is essentially butter, mayo & honey; finely julienned crispy cucumber threads lightly dressed in a sweet vineger, an egg over easy, crispy at the sides but still runny; another layer of bread or toast; the spread again; smoked back bacon, not crispy; a thin leave of lettuce; minced dried pork toppings a la Tung Yang variety, the Piece de Resistance; sprinkle of a special sweetened pepper mix; lastly, the final layer of bread or toast.

It is just so Taiwanese, and so very good. Cost? NT$35 or HK$9 for my 'Supreme' as the regualr sandwiches are only NT$30, the ice coffee with milk was another NT$15 so the bill was NT$50 or HK$12.5! The painfully boring hotel breakfast buffet - 'darling' of tourists, is NT$400 + 10% service (for what) - can take a back seat, way way back. I had 3 breakfasts in a row at this joint next to my hotel in Kaohsiung, it was heavenly!

DIVORCE PLANNER

Reuters Tokyo reported the start-up of a brand new business - 'Divorce Planning'. For Yen 55,000 or US$606 a couple can book a divorce ceremony and invite friends and relatives, no different from a wedding. 'Using a gavel with a frog's head, which symbolizes change in Japan, they will smash their wedding rings signifying the end of their partnership'. How does it feel? The husband; .... 'when we smashed the ring together my heart and soul felt renewed, now I can have a new life and start all over again'. The wife; .... 'the moment I saw the smashed ring I said to myself, yes, that feels so good'!

Hiroki Terai, Founder of this service, is positive about the future of his product. According to statistics the 'total market' ie divorces, of this once taboo practice in 2008 was 251,000 and 'it is growing'. Time are a-changing, I guess, with Japan trend setting again. Big question, what is appropriate to bring to the party?

READING IN TAIWAN

This tele-photo was taken at the Kaohsiung Branch of the famous Eslite Bookstore on Sunday evening. It was about 9pm, and this family just had dinner at the Food Court downstairs. I know, we came up the same lift. The kids were so animated, talking non-stop about books they wanted to check out, all the way up to the 17th floor. Before long all 3 of them were comfortably nested in one of the stair cases which, I now realize, are to double up as open back chairs. I remember more or less the same design at their Taipei branches. Ingenius! It really does not matter though as there is always the hard wood floor, where readers sprawl. Imagine doing that at Page One, or even worse, at Dymocks where there is not even room for people to pass each other.

For years this has been a part of the Taiwanese sub-culture. People still read, and love to read, despite the internet and web invasion. Readers from all ages will gather in the evenings or on weekends in bookstores, a-plenty in the cities with different focus. Visiting a book store as after dinner entertainment, when was the last time you did that with your kids? I did not stay around after taking the picture but I am quite sure they did not buy, most just go to read. By habit I was at the culinary section and saw people reading, and copying recipes, by hand. Why not? I believe the original Eslite store is still open round the clock. Cannot sleep, try reading, and you do not even have to buy the book. Brilliant!

When Dora and I were blue-skying about opening the school, we had a 3-tier 'Mission Statement' :

* Level #1 .... to teach young children how to read & write, via the DOORS Method
* Level #2 .... to help them develop the love for reading, as a life long habit
* Level #3 .... to hopefully bring the parents into this noble habit as well

I guess #2 & #3 are foregone conclusions here in Taiwan. Take a close look at the photograph, note their intensity, their total involvment and enjoy the sheer beauty of it.

NIGHT MARKET

We are a family of night market addicts. Not only do we visit Temple Street regularly, with visitors or just on our own, night markets are 'de rigueur' wherever we travel. I guess it is a very Asian thing where surplus adrenalin not yet consumed at work during the day needs to be unleashed at night, on the street, in the midst of other sweaty, equally addicted 'Night Marketers'. So what is on my list in Kaohsiung, a parade of her night markets. BTW I am amazed by the large number of like-minded Cantonese speaking explorers, probably from Hong Kong as well. I guess Kaohsiung is an easy hop, is less expensive compared to Taipei, is fun for a few days, and lastly, Bangkok is still a question mark. Geopolitics vs Tourism #101?

The shortlist is comprised of 2, really. (1) Ruefong as shown is off R14 ie Red Line Station 14 which is the Kaohsiung Arena or what locals affectionately call 'Chu Dan' ie 'Huge Egg', referring to the shape of the arena. It is also the Chinese characters of the station name. Take Exit #1 which leads you to Yucheng Road, you cannot miss it. Ruefong offers an incredible variety of local eats, plus alleys after alleys of stuff no one really needs but still buy. I spent almost 3-hours walking, sampling, picture taking and enjoying ... it is so Taiwan, so much energy, so much fun and so mind boggling. (2) Liou He is located right off R10 the Formosa Boulevard Station, take also Exit #1. The entrance to this market, which is a main thoroughfare during the day, stares you in the face as you surface from the KMRT. Liou He is almost all food stalls, it is such a valiant selection that even an indiscriminate eater like me would think twice on a few items. That said, somehow it does not yield tha same buzz as Ruefong. You know, the distinct noise street hawkers make when they have $ safely tucked away for the night? That 'buzz' is unmistaken.

I had a long touristy chat with a pretty and helpful agent at the Airport Travel Counter when I arrived. 'Go to Ruefong, where we locals go, Liou He is more for tourists and they charge 10-15% more for the same items'. There you have it, service beyond duty, she should be decorated.

ODE TO ALTERNATE LIFE STYLE

I-Phone replaces the Blackberry, emails no longer pushed, no urgency to respond .....
Short SMS text replaces long winded business messages, so what is a spreadsheet again .....
Calls from family and friends replace demanding clients, so where is this new eatery .....
No more deadline anxieties, no more boring conference calls, no more clients ....
No more long haul flights, better still no more mile-high cuisine, front or back of Airbus .....
Gym or swim, why not gym and swim, followed by steam room and nap ....
No more autopay at end of month either, no more hefty checks, no more trappings .....
Does it matter, absolutely not, $ can never liberate the mind ....
'Wanting More' is comfortably and sensibly taken over by 'Needing Less' ....
That said, I will never turn down a small Cohiba Robusto, a glass of ice cold water ......
I-Pod playing Best of Chicago, on a lazy sunny Tuesday afternoon, in Kaohsiung .....
Hey, I can be anywhere and this life style would still work ....

Retirement is the best medicine, let no one tell you otherwise!

228 INCIDENT

228 is a big number in Taiwan, or should I say Formosa, as it commemorates the fateful day when the KMT sent troops to squash the ancestry of what is now the Green Camp from the South, with Kaohsiung its epic center today. 'Incident' is a choice word that is loved by both sides of the Taiwan Strait. 228 is an incident here and June 4th in Beijing is, of course, another incident. The only difference is 228 is officially described as an 'epochal tragedy' while June 4th remains a mere incident. The building in the picture is the Kaohsiung City Museum on Formosa Boulevard, a beautiful structure built in the colonial days with a Japanese slant. Does it not remind you of Government House in Hong Kong? Among other exhibits it is where the 228 Incident is enshrined, in part because the massacare (a more appropriate word perhaps) took place between this location, and the Kaohsiung Train Station down the road. 'Mei Li Tao' is at the hearts of Taiwanese here, especially indigenous inhabitants who speak 'Min Nan Hwa', the predominant local dialect of souther Fukien origin. Speaking of which on the mass transit every broadcast is repeated 4 times; in Mandarin, in Min Nan Hwa, in a 3rd dialect that I am clueless, and lastly in American style English. The politics here intrigues me, the million dollar question is economic success aside, when will the Green & Blue Camps become one and even more so, how will they handle the Motherland in future. I think my only option is to watch from my position on a wall, in a picture frame.

KAOHSIUNG

I in fact have a bit of history with this southern Taiwanese city, way back when, in the late 50s to early 60s. My late Uncle Tang Tai-Meng left China with Chiang Kai Shek in 1948 as a young naval officer, a graduate of the Tsingtao Naval Academy. Promoted through the ranks, including training in Annapolis with the U.S. Naval Academy, he became a flag officer based in the naval base in Zuoying which is now a station on the KMRT line. We are a KMT family (who lost everything in 1949 and fled the Bamboo Curtain) so many summers I was sent to Zuoying to be with my cousins to be brainwashed and to learn Mandarin .... no Putonghua then.

I have not been here for a while and I am pleasantly surprised by how orderly, clean and well run she is. With just a little over 1.5 million occupying 153.6 sq km it is a small city that also offers the quaint aspects of a natural harbor village. She was colonized by Japan between 1895 - 1945 and one can still see the influence in the older parts of town, in old municipal buildings, old train stations, and old homes etc which carry this 'Southern Fukien cum Colonial Japan' architectural style, quite unique.

The Mayor of Kaohsiung, the bedrock of the Green Camp, is a Tiger Lady. A strong willed and effiicient politician who does not take fools easy, if at all. From casual conversations I struck up with people the past few day she is a respected leader in the first instance, hence the following. I see a well managed, environmentally friendly city, I see happy faces, I see helmeted and fashionably geared families on a bicycle ride in the evenings, I see a talented er-hu soloist performing modern classics along the Love River ie Kaohsiung's answer to the Seine, complete with the East & West banks vs Right & Left in Paris, I see a young jazz singer with her rendition of Sinatra's Fly Me to the Moon in Mandarin, I see dog parks that we in Hong Kong tries to rid, I see one book store after another on main street, mobed by avid readers of all ages who spread themselves on the floor without fear of harrassment, I see clean buses and mass transit that run on time, for an oderly crowd like in Japan. I see, I see, and I see .... it is such a refreshing change to see how a city can quietly and effectively work, without the fanfare our NATO (No Action Talk Only) government prefers.

Kaohsiung is worth a visit, if you can trust this wandering retiree. More blogs to follow, I have to check out now, regrettably.

'TSE SEE YIN'

The 3 characters in Chinese are literally translated as 'thank - teacher - banquet' .... or losely, a party to show appreciation to your teacher for his or her efforts. It used to be a big deal in the calendar when we were in secondary school, when an Organizing Committee was formed to oversee proceedings. When my Mentor made the decision to move on, I gathered enough courage to invite him to dinner at home, with the promise to show case, as much as I can, what I learned, or rather what he taught. I also invited several others who brought him to HK 6 years ago, to help celebrate his successful tenure. To do so I prepared a 9-course tasting menu, including a couple of my own entree ideas, like the 'Mini Breakfast' in the picture. It was more scary than finals at LCB. I know I must be at the top of my game ever, as a home cook. My mise-en-place was military precision, and I practiced each recipe at least twice before curtain time last Friday.

DONOVAN COOKE 'TSE SEE YIN' MENU

* Fresh Crabmeat in Aspic
* Mini Breakfast
* Cold Borscht
* Seafood Cocotte
* Asparagus & Mushroom Risotto with 3 Cheeses
* Baked Sea Bass in Dill Butter
* Roast Game Hen with Braised Endives & Glazed Carrots
* Poached Pears in Red Wine with Chantilly Cream
* Galliano Souffle

My adrenalin went wild in the kitchen. I cannot get over the challenge of serving the chef who patiently taught me how, step by step, it was a natural high for me. We had a memorable evening, due to the friendship, the sharing, the fine wines and at the end of the list, my food .... but man, it is good enough for me. Donovan told me I passed, which kept me up all night.

'MINI BREAKFAST TOWER'

Wheat Toast / Butter / Vegemite / Chunk Marmalade / Mushroom / Crispy Bacon / Tomato / Melted Smoked Cheddar / Quail Egg

DONOVAN COOKE IS LEAVING US!

Hailed from the North of England, Hull in Yorkshire to be exact, my Mentor and Friend was cooking at home when he was barely 9. At 15 he was working part-time at the canteen of one of BP's industrial operations nearby. At 18, after taking the highest scores at his catering college, his Dad sent him to London. Equipped with youth, raw ambition to take on the culinary world, determination to succeed and not much else he was employed by the Savoy, and the rest is history. Speaking of history, if you walk into the Savoy and ask for the 'Savoy Sandwich' you will taste his first ever creation ie cold veal, gruyere cheese, lettuce and tomato on a toasted baguette. It is still a popular item on the Bar Menu, today, in 2010.

From the Savoy his next stop was the Waterside Inn, where he spent 3.5 years with his first Mentor Michel Roux. Donovan was promoted to Chef de Partie, no small feat at the time because Waterside was at the head of the leagues table. Then came his second Mentor, none other than the legendary - or notorious to some - Marco Pierre White in the early 90's. He joined Harvey's and within 2-weeks was promoted to Head Chef. Assisting Marco to open Marco Pierre White (now how did someone come up with such an unassuming and original name for a restaurant, you might ask) this 3-star Michelin experience in the heart of London gave new meaning to his career aspirations. He called this period 'Finishing School' and he finished with honors alright.

Then came time for self-development, what follows may shed light on what he is about. Firstly, he attended the Academie Culinaire de France in London where he scored 97 out of 100 in an open cooking competition. Apparently 3 points were deducted as penalty for refusing to wear his torque, his neckerchief and for dirty kitchen footwear. It was classic behavior of a talented but rebellious 25 year old Wannabe! Putting that behind him , South of France was next as he wanted a taste of the real thing, in French. He joined La Cote St Jacques as Chef for a year before the next chapter.

With confidence and zest Donovan arrived at the shores of Melbourne in the mid 90s and almost immediately opened Miatta, which lasted like a rainbow, due to his inexperience. He turned to a butcher's factory instead to learn about meat before opening Est Est Est which won 3-Hats (the equivalent of Michelin Stars Down Under) within 24 months. Luxe, a wine bar cum cellar cum restaurant was next, followed by Ondine in 2002, his first fine dining venture. He was a smashing success, per the Age Food Guide in Melbourne and made Chef of the Year in 2003.

Donovan came to Hong Kong in 2004 to head the Derby at the HKJC where he redefined not only the dining culture of its conservative membership, but fine dining in our village generally.

A known entity in the tight culinary fraternity, in part due to his seniority in what I label the 'MM' or 'Marco Mafia' including Gordon Ramsey @ Maze, Hester Blumenthal @ Fat Duck, Shannon Bennett @ Vue de Monde etc his network is strong. You need a table at anywhere 'big', call Donovan, chances are he can fix it for you.

What is your cooking philosophy, Donovan? 'What I do is a modern take on classical recipes, with emphasis on flavors and quality of ingredients. I do not want to complicate my food, but Ido want to incorporate new approaches such as slow cooking, olive oil confit etc I also agree with Marco that rather than creativity, we had lots of refinements in cooking over the years. The wheel is always round and as chefs we just keep putting new tyres on'. Having spent almost 6 years in Asia he does not practice Fusion Cooking per se, nor is he a covert to Molecular Gastronomy. God bless him, I am just so relieved.

Donovan is happily married to the beautiful Tani from the Philippines. They are drowned in parenting bliss, notably by Alfred, their 6-month old son.

My dear wife thinks I am so serious with this blog. Yes, guilty as charged, as it reads like a candidate letter from my previous life ... old headhunter habits die hard. But why not, I want to share this and this is the best way I know how.

Good on you Mate, and good luck in your new venture back home in Melbourne, Donovan!

FATHER'S DAY 2010

I want to do something different this year, I want to spend Father's Day, alone. Father's Day is a brilliant invention by Hallmark, next to Mother's Day of course and whatever else their marketing team comes up with. I am cynical as I get older, I think every day can be Father's Day as long as a child is prepared to make it happen. Why today then? I know it is a strange move but after years of feasting rituals on Dad's Day with the family, all of a sudden I feel the urge to reflect. What kind of a father am I? What have I done as the father? Did I make any impact on my daughters? If so, what are they and if not, why? I pose these questions as I see my role of 'father' becoming less relevant, let alone significant, as in yester years. I will never forget those wonderful Kodak moments - light years ago - when I had to quietly enter our home in the evening to avoid the stampede of 3 cheering girls, and 2 barking dogs. Could those be the most glorious days of fatherhood for me? I am a Pisces, a hopeless romantic who tends to let sentiments and emotions run wild. I am told I should be a lot more confident in this space but I am what I am, suspicious and worried.

I was offered a good package by Swire Travels to visit Kaohsiung so I took it. I want the opportunity to reflect, to let my thoughts wander, and to put them into words if I can. I found out from my Cordon Bleu sojourn that being alone makes one prolific, as one can stay focused, without being plagued by the mundane day-to-day activities. To me it is the best form of therapy at this stage of my life.

So here I am .... 49 floors high, at the The Splendor, in downtown Kaohsiung. Watch this space!

QUOTABLE QUOTE

A hilarious and original exchange from 'Sex in the City 2' .......

Mr Big : Let us eat at home, what is for dinner Honey?
Mrs Preston aka Corrie Bradshaw or Sara Jessica Parker : You know when you married me I am more Coco Chanel than Coq Au Vin!