I’m sitting in my hotel room in the Mandarin Oriental in Singapore as I type this post. One of the wonderful things about my job as a CMO is that I have the opportunity to travel to widespread parts of the world. This trip is a short one — a single week, visiting Beijing, Hong Kong and Singapore. While having visited Singapore many, many times, this was my first trip to Hong Kong or China (oddly). The business part of my trip has been tremendous, but the real fun part has been the eating! We all know that Asia has some of the most diverse and creative food in the world, so dining out while in the region is always fantastic. Thank goodness I like just about everything, so there are few limits on what I can enjoy!
My stay in Beijing was short, but the one lunch I had there was so memorable. We had a full Sichuan feast, and EVERYTHING was spicy. I was happier than a pig in you-know-what! Stir fried tofu in spicy black bean sauce, fish boiled in spicy oils and water with vegetables, thinly sliced beef with enoki mushrooms, mung bean pieces in chile vinegar, and the best Kung Pao shrimp I have ever tasted. The dishes went on and on, and I can truly say there wasn’t a single thing I didn’t love! Only downside….it was the middle of a workday, so no beer to wash down the spice!
Then came Hong Kong. What a fascinating and gorgeous place. The height of the buildings alone was amazing, and made me want to look between them to see all that was hidden. The “vertical living” amidst water and sharply rising hills was spectacular, and my only regret was the mere 24 hours I had there. The food? Also amazing. We had a beautiful Taiwanese dinner, but the real prize was the dim sum lunch. Chicken feet (which are delicious, but very boney), steamed pork buns to die for, stuffed eggplant (might have been my favorite), and lots of other shared goodies were enjoyed by all. But the prize for me was the Sichuan pepper beef soup – now that was HOT!
Today, I’m in Singapore and have more dim sum in my future, which is a welcome next meal. And then some good wine with local friends, followed by a home BBQ with one of my other local friends. What a great trip – my stomach, spirit and mind are happy!
Bon appétit!
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