Fortunately a friend, Benjie Pedro, was there to show my companion and me that Singapore was not just about shopping on Orchard Road. Mr. Pedro, who is based in Singapore, is one of the owners and the chocolatier of Heavenly Chocolates in Quezon City. As the factory manager of Aalst Chocolate Pte Ltd, he knew best what would make our stay worthwhile: food, food and more food.
Our itinerary consisted of visiting what he considers to be some of Singapore’s best eateries: the hawker centers Although the food at these hawker centers is inexpensive, they still have to pass the high sanitary standards set by the government. Some locals even prefer eating out over cooking at home as the latter can be more expensive.
One of the best hawker centers we visited was Brickworks Hawker Center in Bukit Nerah were we feasted on fried baby squid, claypot pork liver and fried carrot cake that looked and tasted like sisig with tofu.
If you really want typical Singapore food, however, do not miss either No. 49 or No. 328 Katong Laksa at Ceylon Road in the East Coast. Both claim to sell traditional katong laksa.
The soup at the former is thick with the right amount of spice. You can have a full meal for only S$1. Mr. Pedro said the two stalls only give out spoons for easier scooping while other stalls give out chopsticks or forks.
Coffee fix
Besides the food, hawker centers offer some of the best coffee at par with popular foreign brands. The best I tried was the coffee at Bukit Timah. It had the right consistency and creaminess, which Mr. Pedro said could have come from butter. Apparently, some merchants incorporate butter into their coffee. I would have balked at the idea, but I was having the best pulled coffee experience of my life.
As pasalubong (gifts), I also bought coffee. Even if it was the instant kind, the ones sold at Singapore do not have that sour aftertaste usually found in those available locally. In groceries in Singapore, one can find rows and rows of what they call white coffee (or our "three-in-ones").
We also managed to include a side trip to two trade fairs, the Food and Hotel Asia 2010 and Wine & Spirits Asia 2010.
The twin events, which take place once every two years, are the largest and most comprehensive exhibitions for the food and hospitality industries in Asia. Hundreds of food products, fresh food and cooking equipment were on display at all nine halls of the Singapore Expo in Changi.
I thought it would be a breeze to go through the halls, eating free gelato and drinking multiple cups of coffee. By the time I reached Hall 3, however, my feet were aching.
If not for the wine-tasting scheduled at Hall 6, I would have given up and headed straight to a hawker center. As I went through the booths, however, I realized that the real thrill was in seeing what each country had to offer.
France, Italy, Spain, Turkey, China, South Africa, Korea were all represented. I was reminded about Alaska governor Sarah Palin’s quip that she could "see Russia from her window." From the Italian booth, I could see Argentina just a few steps away.
Singapore sweet tooth
Of course, meals are never complete without dessert. I swear I gained a couple of pounds during my stay in Singapore. We tried the different pastries at Canele Patisserie Chocolaterie, which has a branch at Paragon on Orchard Road.
Like giddy kids, we ordered six different pastries that looked appetizing down to the packaging.
Canele did not let us down. The best of the six was Le Royale, a crunchy chocolate cake that contained what Mr. Pedro said was "feulletine."
At the helm of Canele is executive pastry chef Pang Kok Keong, a former member of the Singapore National Culinary Team. What excited us more, however, was the hospitality that the shop offered since a Filipino served our snacks.
Another place we visited was Everything with Fries along Joochat Road in the East Coast. There, we had the cream crepe and the Nutella tart, which is the best chocolate cake I’ve ever had. To wash it all down, we ordered the Nutella milkshake. Not once did we think we had enough sweets for one afternoon.
We saved the best for last with a private tour of the Aalst factory at Tuas Ave. The tour, however, is not open to the public.
As we alighted from our vehicle, the smell of chocolate hung in the air. Those kids at Willy Wonka’s factory were spoiled brats for a reason.
To maintain their hygiene standards, we were asked to wear a lab coat and hair restraints. We also had to wash our hands for a couple of minutes. I thought Mr. Pedro would eject me when I excitedly pulled out a tissue and ruined the automatic dispenser.
Mr. Pedro said the Aalst process combines state-of-the-art European machinery and the latest technology with age-old tradition.
"At Aalst, we start with cocoa liquor, cocoa butter and powder to make chocolate," he said.
This is then blended with sugar, specialized milk powder and a hint of vanilla before passing through the stages of refining, conching, tempering, cooling and packaging.
The factory does not process cocoa beans "because this requires a different set of machinery and expertise. It’s also a dirtier part of the process which is normally isolated from chocolate manufacture for hygiene reasons," Mr. Pedro said.
The first stage is called refining, which he said was used to make smooth-melting chocolate. Chocolate powder then undergoes conching where excess moisture and acids are removed.
This is not the best place to work in a chocolate factory, however, since the area is hot. Mr. Pedro said a high temperature is needed so that the chocolate will not solidify while it is being cleaned.
The best place for a chocolatier-in-training like me would be the tempering area, where the chocolates are formed and ready to eat. In fact, he said employees are encouraged to constantly "familiarize themselves" with the taste of each type of chocolate.
"They are not restricted from tasting the chocolates, however, constant eating is not encouraged for hygiene reasons," Mr. Pedro said.
The whole process called to mind a mash-up of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Discovery Channel except you end up wafting a chocolate perfume long after the tour ends.