Staff Canteen, Changi Airport - Bargain Basement

Trust me, it tastes a lot better than it looks

We landed in Singapore on our way through to Australia, and found ourselves with 8 hours to kill before our next leg of economy insomnia.

With heavy rain pouring down outside the airport, we needed somewhere to camp out and relax. The usual international fast food suspects were all there, standing by, but we were in Singapore, where an awful lot of good Asian food lives, so we needed something a bit more interesting.

After a very honest chat about our preference for real food, with a friendly lady at the Airport Information Desk, we were directed to the Staff Canteen, discreetly located just outside the airport exit, around a corner and down some stairs.

It took a while to find, but when we finally arrived at the canteen, we were presented with a sprawling underground lunch room full of tables, chairs and various airline and airport employees busily enjoying their meals. Tiny take away places crammed next to each other along one wall added a lot of colour, sound and steam to the whole scene, and gave us a big number of things to choose from. There were places serving everything from Japanese soups and sushi, to American themed places serving burgers and chips. Everything was made to order, and everything was cheap. Super cheap. There were two prices for everything; one for airport staff and another price for non-staff.

After browsing the mind-bending array of options available, we settled on a couple of Laksas from a Malaysian spot. Laksa is one of our all time favourite foods, so we couldn't justify getting anything else. Thick egg noodles and bean sprouts, boiled up and dropped into a steaming bowl of curried coconut broth, tofu chunks and salty clams... how could anyone resist something like that? An extra dollop of chilli paste and the dish was ready to be devoured.

Nice clams.

Laksa is one of those dishes which hit every bit of your taste buds. There is sweetness from the coconut milk, as well as plenty of saltiness from the clams. There is heat from chilli, and a mildness from the bean sprouts. The sprouts also bring a lot of fresh crunch, while the noodles carry the dish with a heavy smoothness. Laksa is everything I want from a meal, all poured into a single, sloppy bowl.

This particular laksa had a milder broth, but the thick chunks of tofu had soaked up plenty of flavour which made up for that shortcoming. The yellow egg noodles were not as thick and gnarly as they could have been if they were freshly made. Because of that, the dish didnt feel quite as thick as it should have. On the very bright side, there were at least a dozen little clams buried amongst the slippery noodle pile. Chomping down on them was like placing a large piece of rock salt on your tongue, which kept my taste buds on their toes.

This was our pick of the bunch. I can recommend it.

RECOMMENDED

There were so many other dishes we would have liked to try, but sadly we were only around long enough to justify one meal in Singapore this time around. I gladly  recommend that anyone who finds themselves stranded in Changi Airport for a few hours should take a look at this underground treasure trove of taste, since no matter what your preference or budget, you can be sure to find something here to tickle your fancy.

The bill (for 2):
1 x Large Laksa - SGD$4.00
1 x Regular Laksa - SGD$3.50
TOTAL: SGD$7.50 (Approx. US$6)

Restaurant address: Staff Canteen, Changi Airport, Singapore.

for exact locations of all reviewed restaurants, take a look at our map.

Fiesta Bistro - It's what's on the inside that counts

There is a lot to be said for presentation. Well presented eateries can justifiably charge more for their food, since 'atmosphere' is an asset, and therefore has value. All that atmosphere doesn't guarantee that the food you end up with is any good mind you. The point of this blog is to find the most interesting food out there, without letting the vibe of a destination sway our judgement too much.

So the other morning while in Karama, next to a bus stop, outside a supermarket, we stopped in at the Fiesta Bistro for a quick breakfast. We resisted engaging in any of the advertised buffett options, such as all you can eat soup and a sandwiche for only 25 dirhams. I couldn't think of anything worse than filling up on soup, so it was an easy decision.

We ordered a Turkish coffee, a latte, a blueberry muffin and the exciting sounding 'breakfast pizza'. The coffees were fresh and hot, but the turkish coffee was poured and the pot was immediately confiscated, which was a shame. The muffin was a little dry, which was surprising considering it was early in the morning, so there should be no reason for it to be that way.

I was starting to worry that Fiesta Bistro was just another forgettable little food shack... And then my breakfast pizza arrived. Chicken sausage, turkey bacon , two types of cheese and shallots all built over a very freshly made pizza base, with an egg cracked underneath all the toppings. The base was still puffed up from it's recent trip to the oven, and the cheeses had melted into the egg in the best way possible. A full breakfast, handheld. Genius. All for the same price as the soup buffet. Why wasn't the breakfast pizza on the chalkboard of daily specials?

So as I sat there enjoying this dish of early morning creativity, I didnt mind that the location of the place wasn't the best, or that the atmosphere of the place was cheap and a little stale.

AVERAGE

I suppose the lesson is that you really cant judge a book by it's cover, or a restaurant by the terrible things it puts on it's specials board.

The bill (for two): 
1 x Latte - Dhs 13
1 x Turkish Coffee - Dhs 10
1 x Blueberry Muffin - Dhs 12
1 x Breakfast Pizza - Dhs 25




TOTAL: Dhs 60 (Approx. US$16)


Restaurant address:Next door to Spinneys Supermarket, on the main road, about 200 metres from Karama Metro Station.

for exact locations of all reviewed restaurants, take a look at our map.

CJ'S Good Food Restaurant, Lithgow, Australia

As has become the tradition, every time I visit Australia I am treated by my wonderful family to a gastronomical event on my last day in the country. Last year, it was a degustation lunch at a vineyard in the Hunter Valley. This year it was a mystery road trip west of Sydney...very west!

Taking a right turn off the Great Western Highway, I found myself being driven down the main street of beautiful Lithgow, a small city on the western edge of the Blue Mountains, about 2 hours drive from Sydney. Our lunch destination was CJ's Good Food Restaurant located on the main street of Lithgow. I must admit, I was slightly curious as to what Lithgow could possibly offer that would entice someone to drive 2 hours for lunch. It must be good, really really good. In the interest of full disclosure, all became clear when I walked through the restaurant to find Mr Chris Warren (a family friend and chef extraordinaire) at the helm. I was in for a treat!

Chris and his wife Cheryl who run CJ's are Lithgow locals. I had the pleasure of first meeting them on the central coast of NSW and have spent many afternoons with them talking food, eating food and drinking much fine wine. I had high expectations for lunch, and I certainly was not disappointed!

For entree, we were served a seafood tasting plate that left us begging for more! It was a beautifully presented sampler of the sea with a large spoonful of creamy prawn risotto, perfectly crunchy tempura prawns and strips of calamari that simply melted in your mouth. A small intermission allowed us to sip on our wine, sit back and watch the foot traffic along the main street of Lithgow before the main course arrived.

If the entree was good, then the two main courses we shared were fantastic! The first dish was Mr Dang's Salad - a warm Thai style salad with lightly spiced chicken, toasted cashews, vibrant fresh fruits and salad greens and leaves. The second dish was the lamb extravaganza with roast lamb and the most delicate filo pastry pockets filled with  deliciously seasoned lamb. This was served over a bed of creamy pumpkin mash and with crisp steamed vegies.

The two mains were completely different, yet somehow managed to complement each other perfectly. They represented fresh and creative cooking that combined simple ingredients in an uncomplicated way to produce amazing flavours without the fuss and fanfare that so often accompanies restaurant cuisine today.

When the utensils were put down, there was not a morsel left on either plate and I was shamefully tempted to lick the plate to capture every last drop of the sauces. While the dessert menu was incredibly tempting (and I have it on good authority that the chocolate pudding is to die for) my stomach and taste buds were in a good place and I simply could not eat any more. Next time perhaps.

While my sneaky travel companion jumped on the bill before I could write down the cost of the meal, I can report that the meals at CJ's are incredibly reasonable with lunch mains ranging between US$15 - $18 and dinners are around the same mark. The deserts are consistently priced at $12 and they have an extensive wine list which is available by the bottle or glass.

RECOMMENDED

I know it is a long way for sydneysiders to trek, but I can absolutely recommend CJ's for great food, friendly hosts and a wonderful day out. Check out their website for directions and their menu.