Wend Right

Mar 7, 2011

Nasi Padang in Singapore

In 2006, I spoke to the owner of Warung M. Nasir.

He said, “The only way to eat Nasi Padang is to mix it all together. I don’t know if we’ll ever change how we’ll eat it.”

Nasi Padang at Warung M. Nasir

How true it is.

Nasi Padang is a mishmash of different vegetables and meats accompanied by rice. I remembered having it in Indonesia, a takeaway where a paper cone was filled with rice and topped with whatever we wanted: Banana flower curry, Beef Rendang, thick, chewy pieces of Tauhu in black sweet sauces, elegantly fried chicken slathered with minced green chilli and perfect sunny-side up eggs.

In the travel time from restaurant to hotel, the juices, gravies and curries had seeped into the rice. When we unwrapped the paper cone, we got an incredible flavourful mess of meats and vegetables amongst fluffy rice grains.

Nasi Padang at Warung M. Nasir

Singapore has Nasi Padang as well.

Some of which touted good food, like Warung Nasir’s Beef Rendang; some of which are authentic, like Minang House in Lucky Plaza; most of them being more Malaysian than Indonesian.

But the best part never changes.

We eat our Nasi Padang all mixed together; rice, gravies and whatever vegetables and meats that we fancied – just like my packet of Indonesian Nasi Padang.

Where to Makan

Warung M. Nasir
Address: 69 Killiney Road
Tel: +65 6734 6228
Daily: 11.30 am to 9.30 pm
Read HungryGoWhere review

Minang House (Lucky Plaza)
Address: 304 Orchard Road #02-04 Lucky Plaza
Tel: +65 6887 4702
Read SweetRings’ review

What Am I?

Originally I thought of this blog as a repository for my travel and food jaunts. Geez, it’s changed into an exercise diary with bits of stuff on the side.

I think it’s time to give this blog a little shake up, although I’m not sure what to turn it into.

Photo from eschipul

What am I, really?

Mar 5, 2011

Week 7: Big on Top (Rehab Con’t)

I’m still rehabbing my knee. It’s a lot stronger and less painful now.

That doesn’t apply to the wart on my sole. Firstly they shave off the keratin, then freeze the bugger with liquid nitrogen. Repeat for 4 times. It’s not very painful during the process. However, stepping on it is an absolutely raw bitch.

It happens every Wednesday. So I’m out of running options until the weekend.

My friend, Zedy, says I’m disproportionate (like Johnny Bravo).

My upper body’s far larger than my lower limbs. Odd, considering that I’ve been doing squats and deadlifts. It might be due to the amount of Push Ups and Press Ups that I do. I might focus more on my lower limbs. Right now, I’m looking for a way to turn one of my tables into a Roman Chair to work on my lower back and hamstrings.

I found this Shoreline Crossfit website which details different kinds of bodyweight and compound exercises. Thinking of incorporating it into my workouts, although I’m not sure how yet.

Bone Dry Days: 21 (since 12 Feb)
Bet Days: 19/60 (since 14 Feb)

Achievements

Front Day: Did everything for upper body. Included Isometric Squats as a rehab tool. No running or calf raises at all.

Back Days: Dropped 1 Pull Up. I felt stronger (and lasted longer) than my previous session.

Goals

Dates: 6-8 Mar

I’ll start to shift back to my normal training routine (see Week 5.5). I’ll be doing 2 sets of Lizard Crawls and giving the run a day on its own. Doubtful that I can do calf raises.

+1.5 kg to all weights
+1 to single-armed rows
Revert to dynamic routines
Change lunges to Isometric holds.

Training Routines

Dates: 3-4 Mar

Front Day

Exercises (3 Sets)
Weight: 16kg/side

Isometric Squats (30 sec)
10 X Bicep Curls to Arnold Presses

Weight: 16kg

Isometric Lunges (30 sec)

Unweighted

16 X Standard Push Ups; 14 X Inclined Push Ups
15 X Single Leg Calf Raises (+10 Double Leg Calf Raises)

Runs (Did not do)

2.5 km + Slope Running (4x 0.38 km)
Timing: ?:?; Total: 4.02 km; Speed: ? km/h; Ave rest: 20 sec
2 min of Skipping Rope

Back Day

Exercises (3 Sets)
Weight: 16kg/side

10 X Deadlifts
10 X Shrugs + hold for 15 counts on last rep
10 X Back Rows + hold for 10 counts on last rep
Isometric Squats (30 sec)

Weight: 16kg

10 X Single-leg Deadlifts

Unweighted (4 sets)

10 X Inclined Inverted Rows; 5 X Single-arm Inverted Rows + hold for 5 counts on last rep
14 X Inclined Push ups
2 X Pull Ups

Nightly

3 sets

Planks: side & front & back (30 sec)
Stretches

Mar 3, 2011

Strictly Pancakes: Batter Heaven

I’ve had the most constant craving for pancakes for the last few weeks.

Pancakes are just thin, flat and round cakes prepared from a batter on a grill or frying pan. There’s really no art nor craft to flippin’ pancakes. It’s also one of the most boring foods around, like eating bread on its own (alright, there’s maple syrup but why not just dunk sugar on bread?).

But I craved for them, so I satisfied myself at Strictly Pancakes.

This tiny, two-storey cafe is sandwiched between a French and Italian restaurant in Prinsep Street. Its speciality is pancakes – plain, savoury, or desserty. The combinations are mind-blowing, the tastes so-so.

There are preset combos to choose from, but I tried my hand at creating a stack of pancakes. Prices range from $5.50 to $8.50 (2 pancakes to 4 pancakes), sides go for $2.50 each and additional servings of Maple Syrup and Butter go for $1 and $0.50 each.

The end result was a 3 pancake stack with scrambled eggs and mushrooms ($12), and topped with Maple Syrup and Garlic Herb Butter.

The pancakes and eggs are fluffy as only adding butter can create. The mushrooms, while fragrant with woody scents, were relatively tasteless. The sweet syrup just didn’t quite mesh together with the rest of the stack.

The dessert pancake, Strawberries and Co. ($10), was better. The three pancakes was covered in cream and strawberries coulis with mixed berries served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It was utterly hip-bursting and enjoyable; perhaps I had associated pancakes with sweetness.

Given the paucity of western pancake places, Strictly Pancakes is a breath of fresh air in the food scene, best eaten with girly company of course.

Strictly Pancakes is at 44A Prinsep Street Singapore 188674
Tel: +65 6333 4202
Website: http://www.strictlypancakes.com.sg

Mar 2, 2011

Week 6.5: Rehab

I believe in rehabbing when I’m pain-free. It serves two purposes: promote healing and improve mobility. At the same time, I continue exercising the body parts that don’t hurt.

My home-based rehab consists of Isometric exercises where I “hold the muscle in a fixed position for a set duration of time”. Since I’m rehabbing my knee, I do isometric squats with unweighted straight leg deadlifts thrown in for good measure.

It’s hard to do but painless. And that’s what I need to keep in shape.

Bone Dry Days: 17 (since 12 Feb)
Bet Days: 15/60 (since 14 Feb)

Achievements

Front Day: Did everything for upper body. Included Isometric Squats as a rehab tool. No running at all.

Back Days: Added 16kg to Isometric Squats. Added unweighted Single-leg deadlifts. No change to unweighted exercises.

Goals

Dates: 3-4 Mar

Add 16kg to Isometric Squats (total: 32 kg).
Add Isometric Lunges (30 sec)
+1 to Push Ups (16 X; 14 X)
Start Isometric Planks

Training Routines

Dates: 28 Feb - 1 Mar

Front Day

Exercises (3 Sets)

Isometric Squats (30 sec)
15 X Standard Push Ups; 13 X Inclined Push Ups

Weight: 16kg/side

10 X Bicep Curls to Arnold Presses
15 X Shrugs

Back Day

Exercises (3 Sets)

16kg Isometric Squats (30 sec)
10 X Single-leg deadlifts

Unweighted (4 sets)

10 X Inclined Inverted Rows; 5 X Single-arm Inverted Rows
13 X Inclined Push ups
3 X Pull Ups

Mar 1, 2011

Hunan Food in Beijing

This is a long overdue food post about Hunan food in Beijing’s Sanlitun district. Hunan food is spicy like Sichuan food except that the spiciness is far more poignant and less slathered in oil.

It’s my first time eating Hunan food. The flavours escape me now, as I try to remember, but hey if I ever make it back into China, I’ll head out for some Hunan street food.

Restaurant interior.