Qun Zhong Eating House - Singapore

Checking Out SG's Dumpling Nazi
I didn't know until we'd left this place that the owner is known for being the Dumpling Nazi - a reference to Seinfeld's Soup Nazi. Why Ping-Ping didn't tell me this until later I don't know, perhaps she was worried? There are all kinds of funny stories about him on the internet - check them out. We started out with some Chinese Pizza. Yep, that's what they call it. It's got pork and scallion inside a crunchy crust. I really liked it - it was very juicy.

Ya Kun Kaya Toast - Singapore

Uniquely Singaporean Breakfast
Today we went for a breakfast of kaya toast and coffee. Kaya is a jam made out of coconut milk, egg and sugar and flavored with pandan leaf. The word kaya comes from the Malay word for "rich", which is pretty accurate - it is deeply sweet - perhaps even an acquired taste. It's usually served with butter between two pieces of toast, as shown below. It's also used like syrup for french toast.

Srisun Parata Paradise - Singapore

My Favorite Breakfast This Side of the World
Ok, so the story is kinda confusing. I was in Paris for only 4 days, then jumped on a flight to Singapore to hang with the Puffin on her home turf. So, no Paris posts, straight to the Singapore posts. Well, not exactly straight to them - first I spent a day battling jetlag and losing.... Today, however, I awoke excited to get some Roti Prata for breakfast (also spelled Roti Parata) which is an Indian bread served with curry sauce and sugar to dip. We kept it local, as in we walked about 5 minutes from home to one of the 3 trillion "coffee shops" nearby. The term "coffee shop" is misleading - it refers to a food court, usually outdoors, with a variety of foods to pick from. We tried a place recommended by Puffin's aunt. They make the pratas when you order them - check out the technique, it's pretty amazing.

Willie's Dawgs - Brooklyn

Dogs in the Slope
This is the last BK post for quite some time - I'm over in Paris now and loving it (not.) Anyway, as you might expect, prior to leaving I hit some spots that could be considered quintessentially American. Willie's Dawgs is a hot dog purveyor in the Slope which offers a variety of dogs and toppings that should satisfy most. They offer all-beef with a natural casing, a couple of natural beefs with and without natural casings as well as chicken, turkey and tofu dogs. I kept is pretty simple and old-school and ordered a "Mutt" (all beef with natural casing) with onions and mustard. It had a nice crunch thanks to the natural casing. I chomped it down within minutes.

al di là - Brooklyn

Orgasmic Venetian Lasagna?
These are the Puffin's words - and there ain't no doubt according to her. This is the best lasagna she has ever had, period, end of story. When she speaks about it I imagine she is talking about me, rather than a cheese and meat dish. She raved and raved about it after trying it for lunch last week. Prior to leaving for Paris, I went with her to check it out. I had a few spoonfuls and I agree - it's pretty excellent - and this is from a guy who doesn't necessarily like lasagna.

Tina's - Manhattan

Cuban Lunch Hits the Spot
I always knew this spot as Sophies and didn't even realize they'd changed their name to Tina's until I'd eaten and was leaving. Midtown lunch has a write-up about the name change here. They still got the patties in the window, pulling you off the sidewalk like a tray of magnets.

Hibino - Brooklyn

Japanese Lunch to Drown the Sorrows
I'm headed back to Paris on Saturday for a long spell. As spoiled as it sounds, I'm sad about it. I hate being away from NYC in the summer. As my time winds down here each meal takes on a special feeling. "This is the last time I will eat this food at this spot, blah-blah-blah" and other overblown sad-boy talk. I'm revisiting favorites, of which Hibino is one. We went for some Japanese home-cooking and I was sure to get some pork Gyoza, which were part of a lunch set.