Related Netherlands Posts: Rotterdam Sights Rotterdam Food A Day in Delft I don’t have to guess that the favorite fruit of the Dutch is apple. It’s everywhere – not fresh, as in the fruit itself, but in tarts and pastries, most especially in appelflaps, turnovers with crusts so thin they shatter wildly upon first bite. Apples are also found in the traditional Dutch apple pie, which has a strudel topping instead of a doughy top crust. I can get an apple pie in any bakkerij (bakery) but I want to try the best there is: the one that’s served in Dudok. Dudok is what’s known as a grand café, a restaurant that opens early and closes late. Most other eateries are open only from 10 am – 6 pm. Dudok is divided into two: a restaurant serving a wide choice of Mediterranean food, and a patisserie, where their well-known pastries, muffins, quiche, and of course that apple pie are picked up to go. Dudok’s apple pie is so famous in and around Rotterdam that other restaurants proudly include it on their own menus, at a much higher price of ...

Related Netherlands Posts: Rotterdam Sights Dutch Apples and Pancakes A Day in Delft our breakfast staples: flaky pastries and cheese I’m thankful that a good majority of the Dutch people I meet can speak English. Theirs is a language that I can’t even begin to learn, much less pronounce. Twelve letter (or more) words are common and they can’t even be read phonetically. A typical word like slagroom, whipped cream in English, is pronounced with a guttural sound akin to expectorating (no offense to the Dutch). Their word for ‘bread’ is broodje and I am taken aback when it’s pronounced completely differently from what I expect. breakfast companions While I’m no good at speaking Dutch, I’m ever appreciative of their cuisine. Every day begins with a flaky pastry, usually an appelflap, apple strudel and a koffie verkeerd, a latte. My Bin and I enjoy a leisurely breakfast at the park seated on one of the benches. We gaze at the lake and watch a stream of cyclists pass by while ...

Related Netherlands Posts: Rotterdam Food Dutch Apples and Pancakes A Day in Delft I wanted to bring a pair of clogs home but frankly, I couldn’t even take one step forward in them. “So is it Holland or the Netherlands?” I ask the Dutch man seated beside me on the flight from Hong Kong to Amsterdam. We’ve been chatting for the past half hour of a 13-hour flight. “We prefer the Netherlands, Holland is just a nickname,” he replies with a smile. “And no, we don’t go around wearing clogs anymore, although it’s still a great part of our culture. I keep my clogs for gardening. They keep my feet warm.” Rotterdam city streets one of Rotterdam's commercial streets Rotterdam has beautiful parks. This is where my Bin and I would sit and eat breakfast every morning. Netherlands stands for “lowlands” -- half of the country is below sea level, reclaimed from the sea and rivers. ...

Yup, I’m back. It’s been a hectic two weeks of traveling and being on the go all day, everyday. I’m jetlagged beyond belief, not to mention exhausted, but I’m happy to be home slowly getting back into the groove of things. While I wade through 760 photos that I took during my trip and writing the posts that go with them, here are two photos that will give you clues as to where I’ve been: Where can stroopwafels be found in the world? Obviously, they can be found in Manila, but where do they originate from? Secondly, where can crepes, such as this irresistible banana-Nutella crepe be found at roadside stalls? Hmm, difficult you say? Then wait for the posts. (smile!)

America yesterday, Asia today, and tomorrow, (bleep). Yep, I'm travelling again, and my destinations are kept secret as always. I'm going farther this time and so I'll also be gone longer. Expect little activity on this site in the interim, but it won't be for too long. Still, if you find you can't last a day longer without a new post on DCF (as if!), then feel free to email me. 'Til I get back, don't forget to eat dessert!

Note:”Lah” is a ubiquitous term in Singlish (Singapore-English) used at the end of a sentence. The term simultaneously asserts a position and entices solidarity. Part 1 here Part 2 here Part 3 here read the words in red There isn’t any marmalade in The Marmalade Pantry, at least none that I can see. But everything that I see in this avant-garde bistro is everything that I like: open space, bright lights, cupcakes (yay!), and a fixating dessert display. It’s Sunday brunch and Bin’s and my Singapore-based friends, Karen and Paolo, have taken us here for our last meal before we fly back to Manila. As the guys find the girls a table, Karen leads me to the back of the main dining room. I’m immediately taken by the expansive stainless steel table where diners can choose to perch, should they prefer to eat incognito. But what grabs me are the desserts glinting behind sheet glass, an entire array of cupcakes and sweets. Because she’s as much a dessert-lover as I am, Karen and I consider getting one of everything, but our conversation is interrupted by the guys ...

Note: ”Lah” is a ubiquitous term in Singlish (Singapore-English) used at the end of a sentence. The term simultaneously asserts a position and entices solidarity. Part 1 here Part 2 here Part 4 here kaya toast and kopi I’ve made it my mission while in Singapore to try kaya toast. I came across it in some food blog a few weeks before, and I’m hooked. In itself, kaya is a jam made from coconut milk, eggs, sugar, and flavored with pandan. It’s thick and a gentle green, reminding me of a milder version of our local coco jam. Spread on bread that’s toasted over a charcoal grill and then topped with a thick lashing of cold butter, it’s a traditional Singaporean breakfast eaten with soft-boiled eggs washed down with hot, strong kopi (coffee) that’s been roasted with corn and lashed with condensed milk. A perfect perk-me-up. at Ya Kun I’m in love at first sight, though I haven’t even had a bite. Considering my ardent love for soft-boiled eggs, it’s a no-brainer that I’d fall ...

Note:”Lah” is a ubiquitous term in Singlish (Singapore-English) used at the end of a sentence. The term simultaneously asserts a position and entices solidarity. Part 1 here Part 3 here Part 4 here roasted (soy) chicken rice Hainanese chicken rice is one of those dishes that I’ve tasted countless variations of. One restaurant’s variation even serves it with plain, white rice (!), an abomination if you ask me. No wonder they went out of business. I even make my own version of chicken rice at home from what I consider to be a very good recipe. So jaded am I that I probably won’t recognize good (read: authentic) chicken rice even if it comes up and bites me on the butt. Or so I thought. Paolo and Karen, our friends living in Singapore, take my Bin and I to what they know to be THE BEST chicken rice in the country: of the 50+ people they’ve brought here, everyone comes away a convert. Impressive, yes? BEST chicken rice in Singapore The place is called Wee Nam Kee Hainanese ...