The globalized world did not disappoint me.
Summer Lotus Oct 9 · 3 min read
Today, I passed by a “Japan rail cafe” in the business district of Tanjong Pagar, Singapore. My, how the place has changed over the years.
Huge, upmarket restaurants and cafeterias now dot the area, catering to the crowd in this supposedly dense office/apartment/hotel district.
This cafe caught my attention as I am a Japanatic. With travel restrictions, this is the closest that I can get to Japan which I used to go at least three times a year.
The lunch did not disappoint. The display of the array of Japanese food on the glass panel beckoned me and I was game for Kanazawa Black curry. Some years ago, one might not have heard of it. In recent years, almost anything is available.
Not one to frequent restaurants often, I am again up to learning new things. It’s common these days to order food on the iPad. Waiters are freed to concentrate on serving instead of waiting for customers to order.
The shiny iPad screen makes all the food emit a luster that makes my mouth water. A gentleman sat next to me and I instinctively passed the iPad menu to him.
He said, “ Thank you but wouldn’t my food be charged to you”? Then it occurred to me that I had handled him my iPad menu like a hard copy menu but the former was supposed to be exclusive to each customer.
Abashed, I said,” Oh, then it would just be a treat from me”.
“You must be new around here”, he continued and I said “yes, just checking this cafe out”, then went back to tucking my meal in.
Kanazawa Black Curry rice did not disappoint. The breaded pork was crunchy outside and tender inside, the rice was authentic sticky white rice and the egg was just fried crispy at the base. Shredded cabbage was a good addition.
A delectable meal alright. I finished off with a Hokkaido Milk Soft Serve. The rich and creamy milk melted in my mouth and caused me to reminisce about my trip to Hokkaido sampling the incredible range of soft serves.
I whipped out my iPhone and started recording this experience. An article to be shared on medium.
The world has indeed become so globalized especially in Singapore. You can find the most unexpected delicacies from far-flung areas of the world and sample them if you bother to seek them out.
Covid-19 may have restricted our travels but in today’s world, one has to roll with the punches. If not for the decision to explore within the surroundings in my country, I may not have known that everything has evolved so much as the world changes.
We can still enjoy our country if traveling is out of our ‘to do” list because globalization and technology allow us to connect in many ways whether it is food, ideas, work, or lifestyle.
“Every day is an adventure if you care to explore”
Leave a Reply