Bon Appetit
It is common knowledge amongst those close to me that I love to explore cultures and stories by way of cuisine. It is one of my favorite past times. There is nothing like finding a hole in the wall ethnic spot serving food by way of a recipe that has been passed down for generations, with the scents touching on every synapse of my olfactory nerve. The story can almost be tasted through every bite, with the blend of spices becoming more exuberant and vivacious the deeper into the dish one goes.
There is a running joke in my family that we lived amongst an Asian culture in past lives, as all of us could eat nearly any variety of Asian food any time of the week. Breakfast, lunch, dinner–it does not matter one bit.
While I have not intentionally stuck to some of the basics, such as pho, stonepot, summer rolls, sushi, korean barbeque, pad thai, drunken noodles, tom kah gai, a plethora of Indian dishes, and the like, I did grow up in Columbus, Ohio, so my repertoire of Asian gourmet is not quite as extensive as it would be, say, if I grew up in or near Chinatown, for example.
Fortunately, I have some very good friends. One very good friend in particular who, I am a little apprehensive to say, I have requested special help from in navigating this expansive array of Asian cuisine in my new home of Singapore.
Special shout to my Russian sister from another mister, of which I am the honorary third twin (Don’t believe me? Just ask Alla), foodie, and noodle connoisseuse: Emily, AKA @Foodloversdiary. She has so graciously, upon my somewhat desperate request, offered to guide me through the ins, the outs, the ups, the downs, of the menus of Singapore to ensure that I have the best possible food exploration experience possible. God forbid I leave this place at some point without trying something she recommends. This is something we simply cannot have.
Prior to arriving in Singapore at my designated hotel at which I would complete my fourteen day quarantine (because I honest to God had no idea where I would be staying until I was moved through customs, shuffled onto a shuttle, and said shuttle parked in front of a hotel after driving from Changi International Airport through the streets of Singapore, finally landing in an area with the most sought after and expensive real estate on the island), I was informed that three meals a day would be provided. Being someone who is a bit of a food fanatic, I was a tad nervous. But hey, I’m an optimist, so I hoped for the best.
I am told upon check in that within one hour, I must scan a QR code and follow the link to then choose every single meal I would have for the next seven days. If I am under a fourteen day quarantine (which I am), these same selections would be repeated the second week. I’ve added in screenshots of some of the options below. Not bad, right?
My apologies for the low quality imagine of the photo in the bottom right, but I am still awaiting meal selection C of Japanese curry vegetable bowl with udon noodle, tempura, assorted vegetables, carrot, and potato, that is in fact, spicy. I merely could not contain my excitement. Fingers crossed it comes soon.
typical quarantine breakfast
Meals here truly have not been bad. In fact, they’ve been quite good. I’ve enjoyed eating the steamed rice and steamed vegetables, with a side of a typically very good and fairly spicy sauce. Thank God for the spice–it’s like the knew I was coming. I have been pleasantly surprised by the food, however I’ve been a little thrown off by breakfast. I typically intermittent fast, so this truly has been no big deal.
A typical breakfast here is as follows:
Noodles are a guarantee. Steamed vegetables, inclusive but not limited to cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, a slice or two of carrots (when they say carrot in the above recipe, they do in fact, literally just mean ONE), bok choy, and sprouts. On this day, I received a side of canned fruit as well. SPLURGE!
All in all, it is a very cool experience to receive this for breakfast, as there is such a massive contrast with the breakfasts served in almost all Western countries. I can jump on board.
Examples of lunch and dinner are pictured here.
Going. Going. Gone.
I must say that my favorite part of receiving these meals is how they are delivered. I am signaled between designated hours for each respective meal by a thrice ringing of the doorbell, at which point the prepackaged meal is left on a nightstand-like table right outside of the door. By the time I get out to retrieve the package, the deliverer is nearly half way down the hall way with their back to me. I yell a polite “Thank you!” to them regardless just to feel as though I am getting a semblance of social interaction on a tri-daily basis. Stay tuned for what I hope will be a video compilation of the backs of all of my new friends as they continue down the hall.
As you’ve seen, the menu and spread really are pretty good. However, I do have to admit that after about 3 days of eating the same steamed rice and vegetables (no matter how good the sauce is), I was ready for something fresh off the streets with a touch more of the history and culture of the very cusiniers laced in with every bite.
Upon arrival to Hotel Quarantine I am given a packet full of information. The do’s, the don’ts, the definitely do nots. Amongst these papers, it is written that at any point I am free to order delivery and have it dropped off at the hotel, and my meal will then be brought up by one of my friends whose backs I had seen many a time.
See, this is a slippery slope as I know (and knew), that once I had food delivered once, the seal had been broken and there was no going back. Shout out to FoodPanda and Deliveroo for making it just oh so easy to have access to literally any and every food item on the island of Singapore. Big love to you.
So today, in the wee hours of day five, in the afternoon, I caved. As the hunger was already present, I began to scroll fervently through the options, the countless options, of Asian cuisine of any and all sorts that could be delivered to my very room. Everything from Ramen, to Japanese Hakata Style Gyoza, to Funan, to Crab Meat with Fish Maw in Thick Soup, to Fried Kway Teow. I felt in over my head given the degree of hunger that was creeping upon me. Hence, my need to reach out to my NYC gal Emily AKA @Foodloversdiary for guidance on future meals.
I just couldn’t do another lunch consisting only of steamed rice and vegetables, regardless of how dank the sauce may be. Not today.
So I managed to find Indline Northern Indian Restaurant and felt that this would be an honorable and worthy choice. Naturally instead of just getting one meal, I get two, because, you know, save some for later. Obviously.
Chicken Tikka Masala and Dal Makhani Khaas. Can’t go wrong.
While I have done several noteworthy things since my arrival here, this choice was near the top. Delivery was quicker than expected, the smells permeated both the plastic containers and the bag in which they came. I took them out of the bag, and while I wanted to capture the savory moment in which I was indulging, I took one sole photo for the purposes of this short tale.
I think it’s satiating, as far as photos go.
I will admit, not my best work, but there’s always next time.
A dramatic twist: in my haste to order I forgot to add rice. Being the resourceful gal that I am, I borrowed the rice from the lunch that my pal delivered to me via the hotel catering and put that yummy stuff right underneath the rich, creamy, perfectly spiced goodness that is (well, was) the chicken tikka masala and the dal.
No regrets. None.
A well-deserved break from the usual.
But on a serious note, the catering company that is serving here at the hotel during this quarantine is doing a phenomenal job. I truly am blown away by the degree of service and attentiveness I have been experiencing since my arrival. It is only facilitating an increase of excitement for what life in Singapore will be like once I am free to roam the streets, and the Hawker Centres for the cuisine of my dreams.
So for now, I sign off. Thank you for participating in my culinary experience here at Hotel Quarantine. Stay tuned for perhaps slightly more exciting adventures as I am guided through the epic noodle scene and so much more with the help of Foodloversdiary.
Bon Appetit.
