The Beloved Foie Gras - Is it as cruel as rumoured?

BEWARE!

Do not proceed further unless you are willing to be repulsed badly

Most of you, who personally know me, should know that I will not eat any liver except for Foie Gras (fatty goose liver). I confidently declared to everyone I know that unlike normal chicken or pig livers, which have a sandy disgusting taste, foie gras is of a different class.

Beside costing much more expensive than the aforementioned, foie gras just had a unique savoriness. It tastes like an highly intense buttery combination of suckling pig, roasted chicken and pork lard. Twirl the liver with your tongue and wait for your million taste buds to gently absorb the extravagant, palatable taste.

Enough of extolling how good and delicious foie gras is! It’s a well known (though appalling) fact that foie gras is made by force feeding the geese with grains, enabling its liver to expand beyond its normal size.

However, today I am going to bring you to the harsh realities behind the scenes of making it! It was so astonishing, so shocking I swear im going to wean myself from ever eating foie gras again!

The following pictures were taken from an email sent by my sister. So kind of her to help me in totally eliminating the craving for this dish. Thanks Joyce (do note the sarcasm).

The geese are forced to eat. Yes, F-O-R-C-E-D! Even if they are freaking full to the throat.

The metal pipe will help to FORCE the food down the throat straight to the stomach! Try using a similar pipe and shove it down your throat!

To save space and increase revenue per square feet, the geese are squeezed in a tiny space with limited maneuvering.

Another picture emphasizing the "living quarters"

Due to space constraints, little exercise and constant standing, their legs are bloated. Reminded me of my deceased grandmother when she was really ill.

Force again and again and again to eat and eat and eat. Do i envy them? No. 

They are forced to eat until they die. Can you imagine? Look at this picture. It was helpless. It's destiny is to die for the satisfaction of human cravings.

Wat about those who survive? Are they lucky? Well, they end up with bloody ass! If i have a bloody ass, i believe it will be a constant torture.

This is the beautiful piece of foie gras (white) beside a normal size goose liver.

I know any meat item we eat involves a certain level of cruelty in processing them but I just cannot forget the picture of the dead goose with its mouth filled with food. I would love to turn vegetarian but I dun have the will nor the determination to do it. I cannot stand surviving without any meat!~!! My motto in life: Live to Eat Okay!

And please do not send me any "behind the scenes" in making pork lard.

I PLEAD YOU.

Horrid? - Ajisen Ramen

At least, that was the initial impression when I first dined at Ajisen Ramen in Parkway Parade.

Taken from capitalandretail.com

Fast forward to 7 years later (or was it 6?) in the newly built Sembawang Shopping Centre (not to be confused with Sun Plaza) on a cool day. Both Alex and I were pondering what to eat and our gastric juices were getting really agitated since it was almost 8. Should we have Aston Specialties AGAIN?

NOT!

Due to my age (30 next yr), I recently developed a penchant for soupy products!! Plus the fact I get full faster with soup products, which indirectly means I will eat lesser!! Lesser fats!! Lower cholesterol!! Defined abs!!!! Yehh!!!!!

Sorry, I digress.

I guess it’s always good to give a second chance to all unfortunate events. Anyway, since that episode with Ajisen Ramen eons back, I have not given any chance to try them again. Until now (with my latest interest in soupy things).

And obviously, I din regret it! Wahahahahahaha. The food was notably better although the set meal remains the same; ordered one ramen, get a side dish and a free drink (hot tea or ice lemon tea).

Some items ate:

Ramen(s) of course

Some of e ramen were more spicy so do choose carefully. Seafood ramen and pork ribs ramen were the two ramen I tried. The seafood ramen was loaded with prawns, crab stick and even scallops! The pork ribs were in fact deep fried. It was delicious but really fattening!

In order to reduce the carbo intake, always ask for half the noodles!

Side Dishes

I tried both the fried calamari and mayonnaise prawns. No complain since I really like seafood and so long they are fresh, the taste should not differ too much.

Drinks

I am very particular with Ice Lemon Tea and the one in Ajisen tasted like “Seasons” brand, which I dun fancy. However, their fizzy soda was a different story; we tried Strawberry, Mango and Blue Coral. Strawberry was great!!

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Overall, the ala-carte pricing is mid range but the set meal is quite economical at $13.80 or $14.80. With multiple outlets across the little red dot, you have a range to choose from! For more information (outlets, promotions, menu etc), please visit HERE.

If you insist on visiting this particular outlet at Sembawang Shopping Centre, no one is gonna stop you. Be prepared to drive, take a cab, take a bus or take a mrt and follow by bus.

If you want to save a few cents, utilise the free shuttle-bus services available at Yishun and Sembawang MRT stations. More information is available HERE.

F Cholesterol (Part 2) - Korean Butter Cuttlefish (韩国烤鱿鱼)

Further to my last post HERE, my friend found a branch that sells the cuttlefish!! I dun need to travel to Hong Kong and yet i can eat it fresh and warm from e stove! Yeh!!! Despite the fact that it costs slightly more; at $5 a piece.

I managed to take some pictures to tempt your taste buds! Although it looked like any dried cuttlefish bought from supermarkets, do take note the unique seasoning that makes it SO SO SO GOOD!

 

To try it, please go to the food area outside People's Park Complex! I am attaching a map for your perusal (look for e red star).

Mid Autumn Festival (中秋节)

My first memory of this festival was back in my kampong days; e big group of cousins will congregate in the big badminton court in front of the house, each taking a paper lantern propped by any branch we can find. Candles were lit and placed all over.

It was then i realised how fun and exciting fire can be. Im no fire arsonist but i hold the same amazement cavemen had when they first discovered fire! hahaha.

Enough about fire! The government has been diligently educating us (e papmpered citizens) that it's wrong to play with fire and how badly we tortured the road sweepers after this festival.

Enough of the educational messages! As most Singaporeans know, Mid Autumn Festival is also termed as Lantern or Mooncake Festival. Various items synonymous with this festival include:

Mooncakes

It is the ONLY time mooncakes are highly sought after and everywhere you go, its mooncakes, mooncakes and more mooncakes for sale; round shaped, retangular shaped or flower shaped filled with lotus seed paste, yam paste, red bean paste, green tea, five kernels (nuts), chocolate or even champagne!

Phew...... Singaporeans (me inclusive) can really accept a wide range of variations in their food.

Lanterns

Next in line; Lanterns!! Long time ago, only paper lanterns were available. Kids then took great joy to find an excuse to burn them. It's fine to give a muffled scream when it happened and react sadly when daddy or mummy confronted us.

In the late 80s to early 90s, mummies and daddies finally realised their angelic children were not so cherubic after all; they developed battery operated lanterns.

This year, i saw a super heads-turning lantern; loaded with numerous colourful LED bulbs! It looked more like a toy to me! What are we going to expect next year? Hologram lanterns?!

Fireworks Sparklers! 

A subtle form of fireworks, it was the only consolation in the past when we could hear and see the REAL fireworks across the Singapore Straits (our neighbours in Malaysia were so lucky then).

Finally, the lightup at Chinatown was really quite a disappointment but this festival is not about how elaborate the lightup is but on companionship, whether it is with your family or friends.

Go and Enjoy this Festival with your Loved Ones!

Happy Mid-Autumn!

First Trip to China - Yunnan (云南), China (中国)

Before my memory fails me, I better get my butt hand typing on the best overseas trip I ever have.

Yunnan, China

I do apologise for this utmost late entry since it was some 18 months ago (my trip was in March 2008). But it was a long trip (8 days; long for my standard), so many photographs were taken (to be exact, 1413 pictures) and the magnitude of cultural differences/shocks was so great! I was at a serious loss of words to type and I had no idea where to start.

This overseas trip will definitely be spread over a few entries since there were just too much things! Although my initial stereotypical impression of China was one of a traditional, backward, scheming, dirty society, I was slapped left and right with the truth

The people were friendly, the streets were clean (rural areas may differ), the hotels were modern and most importantly, the food was really quite good! Not to mention the breathtaking scenery that China is famous for and the cool weather in Yunnan (at least for those places I travelled to)! The temperature was never more than 20 degrees when I was there.

Scenery

The magnificent Stone Forest (石林), the deep Jiuxiang caves, the beautiful Jade Dragon Snow Mountain (玉龙雪山) with the old town in Lijiang, the snow capped mountains surrounding Shangri-La and the picturesque Dali fronted by Erhai lake in front and backed by a long line of Cangshan Mountains. I would love to settle down in Dali when I retired!

Stone Forest

Jiuxiang Caves

Old Town of Dali

 Foot of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain

 Old Town of Lijiang

Another area in Old Town (Lijiang)

 The waterways in Old Town (Lijiang)

Facing the Erhai Lake (Dali)

The back of Dali; the magnificient Cangshan Mountains

In Shangri-La; one of the nature reserves

Culture

With over 25 minorities residing in Yunnan, you will be treated with the different cultures, customs and traditional dressing every time you travelled to a new county; the 5 different ways of burials by Tibetans in Shangri-La, the three cups of tea ceremony by the Bai tribe in Dali, the matriarchal culture of the Naxi tribe in Lijiang and many, many more.

Numerous cultural villages are also available to further your knowledge of the various minorities. And you may consider a relaxed stroll down the old streets of Dali and Lijiang, where you absorb the rich history of the area.

One of the cultural villages in Lijiang

A typical Tibetan dwelling

Food

Contrary to popular perceptions, the food was not THAT oily and I did have meat and fish every meal! As with Chinese custom, two bottles of beer are provided for each table every lunch and dinner! I have never been a beer drinker but in the cold weather (at one time, zero degree Celsius), they were really warming to the body!

With overseas trips, a piece of boring but nonetheless good advice is to maintain an open mindset and embrace the culture of the host country. And with that mentality, I learnt a lot, I ate a lot, I enjoyed a lot over the span of 8 days.

It was a definitely a fruitful trip, affirmative.