Singapore: Vegetables and runny cheese

Having been in Singapore for a few days now, Mrs M began her programme of activities and lectures on nutrition for Ann and John with a trip to the Loewen Gardens farmers’ market ‘to get some of that lovely kale that we got last time’.

It wasn’t easy to park at Loewen Gardens as the place was full of people buying farm-fresh jars of paste, spreads, dips, pickles, soups, sauces, speciality packets of rice and salt, orange blossom water, beer, belts(?) and environmentally-safe cleansing liquids. The only stall that sold anything that looked like farm produce was the Organic Himalaya table which didn’t have any of the lovely kale. Instead, Mrs M purchased a piece of brie and somewhat bizarrely given her zero-carbohydrate obsession, a lump of carrot cake.

The vegetable theme was continued at Bollywood Veggies on Neo Tiew Rd in the north-west of the island where there is still a bit of greenery. We sweated like garden sprinklers while wandering through the rows of trees and plants before seeking refuge in the cool interior of the Poison Ivy Bistro. Orders of pancake with red otah and banana curry were supplemented with some form of green vegetable which was so good that an extra portion was ordered to be taken home. 

My next instructions were to drive to the Thow Kwang Pottery Jungle just south of Tengah Air Base. The layers of dust on the thousands of pots and Chinese figures had not moved since our last visit. I don’t think the staff had either. I still have my eye on the black apothecary chest, but I struggle to find things in my one man drawer at home, so 40 little drawers would be a nightmare.  Perhaps a black Chinese wedding chest would be more sensible.

Back in the car, it smelled as if something had died. This turned out to be Mrs M’s piece of cheese which had liquefied prompting Monty Python cheese shop sketch quotes and recollections of past experiences with a particularly whiffy piece of Camembert in the car on a holiday in France. Mrs M assured us that ‘it’ll be alright when we get it in the fridge.’

Click labels below for more on Loewen Gardens farmers’ market, Bollywood Veggies, Poison Ivy Bistro and the Pottery Jungle.