Suffering in Singapore

September 2003

On our way to visit my father in Australia, we made a three days stop-over in Singapore.
15 years ago, when we first visited the island, we stayed at the Raffles. Fond memories of this world renowned hotel prompted us to stay there again.
The Raffles is not only one of the very best hotels in the world. It is an institution basked in a hundred years of political, cultural and social history.
Since our last stay there, they renovated and restored the place with meticulous painstaking effort to retain the old world charm the Raffles is so famous for.
The spacious two-stories building with the most beautiful inner court is an island of peace and tranquility amidst the sky scrapers of modern bustling Singapore.
But the splendid architecture and the spacious, beautifully-appointed, suit we got do not begin to do justice to the real quality of this hotel. The personal care and service one receives at the Raffles are really beyond anything you might expect in any "western" top class hotel.
For a royal Chinese fare I recommend the newly re-opened Chinese restaurant at the Raffles. They serve the most exquisite Dim Sum for lunch and for dinner the best shark-fin soup I ever tasted, wonderful stuffed scallops and sublime lobster noodles.

Sikh doorman (left) . Inner courtyard (up)

When I e-mailed a local old visitor to my website about my forthcoming visit to Singapore, he insisting on staging a YakFest when we arrive.
Lee Ming San, his lovely wife Rose and his local friends extended us a truly wonderful hospitality. On the eve of our arrival Ming San and Rose invited us for dinner at an informal yet delicious local restaurant - Soul Kitchen - that manages to combine italian and Singapore delicacies to perfection.
Unfortunately I have lost my little notebook so I don't recall exactly the wines Ming San kindly brought along. All I remember is a superb 1990 Barolo (Conterno?) that stood up very well to all the dishes.
But that was just the prologue to the serious gathering we had the next evening in a private room of a famous Chinese restaurant at one of Singapore 5 stars hotels.
Ming San, Rose, five of their wine-loving friends, Dorit and myself were all treated to a multi-course traditional Chinese feast accompanied by an astonishing array of wines.

Except for the 1997 Castel (the best Israeli wine ever IMHO) I brought over with me, all other wines we had were Burgundies. The wines were served in pairs. Initially blind, to give us all a chance to show our ignorance, then the bottles were revealed. Most pairs apparently were of the same vintage but from different producers or from different vineyards.
These are the four pairs we had:

1988 Henri Clerc, Puligny-Montrachet "Les Folatieres"
1988 Robert Ampeau, Puligny-Montrachet "Combettes"
1999 Dom. de Montille, Puligny-Montrachet "Le Cailleret"
1999 Collin Deleger, Puligny-Montrachet "Les Demoiselles"
1998 Henri Jayer, Echezeaux
1998 Dom. Dujac, Echezeaux
1995 A. Rousseau, Clos de Beze
1995 L. Jadot, Clos de Beze

How the hell did I manage to lose my all-important notebook?? I do remember the wines but I don't have the individual notes. All I can say is that both the wines and the format were very tasty interesting and educative.
After we opened and enjoyed my 1997 Castel I thought we were thru with the wines. But then another bottle was put on the table. A 1959 Romanee Conti...
No, this is not a typo! I for one was left speechless. I never expected anything remotely like this rare and priceless gem.
The wine was in perfect condition. Not a sign of fault or spoilage. A harmonious nectar with a never ending finish. Perhaps a few years beyond its absolute peak, but at 44 years after the vintage, the '59 Romanee Conti shows a graceful complexity and depth beyond description.

A truly great evening of wonderful food, stimulating enlightened company and super-duper wines.
Thank you Ming San and all your friends for your exceptional generosity and hospitality.

Another "must see" attraction of Singapore is the unique Jurong bird park west of the city. A huge park (20 hectars) housing more than 600 species of birds from all over the world. Most of the birds are not caged. Many reside within the largest walk-in aviary in the world, while others have their own natural habitats recreated around the park.
We loved Jurong 15 years ago and spent some six hours there this time. Even if you are not particularly interested in birds, a visit to Jurong park is a pleasure not to be missed.

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Suffering in Singapore

Copyright 1996-2003. Jacob "Yak" Shaya.

Copyright 1996-2003.
Jacob "Yak" Shaya.