Important Canadian contributions to the world of cuisine

You've heard it said that people travel on their stomachs. So have you ever wondered what the world thinks of "Canadian Cuisine". After a few days in Shanghai I had took an opportunity to try City Bull a chain of 4 or 5 Proud Canadian Steakhouses. I have learned to set the bar low when choosing a restaurant, the best meals are always served in the least likely places. First it was in a mall which is not uncommon in Asia. Entire floors of malls are devoted to sit down restaurants and it was done in a Western Motif. River stone walls and dark wooden accents. I'm pretty sure the guy who decorated the Prescott Hotel picked out the seating package so needless to say it felt like home. As I sat down and ordered the feature beer - Tiger or Stella - I lowered my bar one more notch. The gentle strains of "The Girl from Ipanema" wafted through the speakers and I knew this was not going to be an authentic experience.

Not to be disappointed the menu read like the travel guide of the couple at the table next to me.

100% Australian beef.
Fresh never frozen Norwegian Salmon.
"Try the special ?" said my bubbly non Canadian server ?
"what's that ? "
"Cuban burger !" she beamed.

I took the menu and scanned for those tastes of home I'd suddenly begun craving.
Montreal smoked meat ? - no
Digby Scallops ? - where ?
Pancakes and maple syrup ? Maybe come Canadian bacon ? - ummm there's ham on the Cuban burger !

I went with the traditional businessman's lunch - a good old Australian Steak Sandwich and wondered what has Canada really contributed to the worlds table?

Yes they had Poutine but really that's everywhere here now. And the steak sandwich was nothing like the "specials" back home but they do raise good cattle in Australia. And I didn't need chopsticks or an interpreter.

Cheers.

Red Bean Paste, not just for breakfast any more

I know it's been a while, but I have discovered, in addition to Facebook being illegal in China, so is Blogger. And since much of my best writing time is sitting in a hotel room, it's been tough to post. Here are some of those answers to the questions I get.

What do you do ? Probably the most common one, and I suppose it's not that easy to follow. You likely know that I work for DQ, and we are in the franchise business. Essentially, the people I work with form the support network and we try to make our franchise partners more successful. We also try to keep them aligned with what DQ is about, although that gets a little tricky as we have to adapt some things to the local taste. However I can confirm that DQ tastes like DQ whether it's in China, Thailand or Singapore. Oreo is still the big seller, but then things get a little different. Some markets we sell more fruit flavours, like Mango Cheesecake, or Papaya Smoothies.

Some markets have Green Tea or Red Bean Paste. I know, I thought it sounded weird but it's actually quite good. I thought I'd gross them out and explain Poutine, but they really are on the cutting edge of Cuisine

A lot of my time is spent wandering malls, scoping out the competition and our partners locations. And I'm often asked if I stand out over here - "a giant among them" so to speak. Well it is true often I am the tallest one on a train or in a crowd, I do my best to blend in. Sometimes that means adapting to the local definition of Business Casual

Traditional Peking Ceremonial Robes

 Sometimes I try to blend in with the locals, and clearly the height difference isn't always that obvious.

Former Ms. Philippines - 2008, '09 & '11 - I think. I wasn't really listening.

Hostess in Macau Hotel

And then there are the times I get to be the token corporate guy - trotted out on stage for a ribbon cutting or fashion show. This picture is actually from 2010 in Thailand and I still don't know who the models and actors were, but it was almost Bieber Fever right before I took the stage. At least thats how I remember it.

Of course most days I walk around with a dazed look and I swear a big sign over my head that says "Not From Here"

Anyway, thats the basics of it, and I am very lucky that I get to see the world on Uncle Warren's tab. I do spend a big chunk of my time in China and this blog is really meant to give you a sense of what those places are like without you having to get your passport covered in those pesky stamps. 

Shanghai has been a main focus, and it's a huge city, anywhere between 13 and 25 Million people depending who you ask. Very old, yet quite modern, it illustrates the word juxtaposition pretty well. One of my first trips, I looked out the window of my hotel and say a bunch of high rises.

Pretty typical of many cities, but I had the fancy camera this day and panned down and a little right.

And with a twist of the zoom lens, and a little more right you see what remains of a Hutong - a traditional "village" of connected alleys and courtyards. If you look you'll see the same brown building in all three shots.

Now many cities still have areas that are being developed, under the wreckers ball or scheduled for demolition. I did a little research, and this one is not. People still live here, day in day out. 

I have to admit sometimes it's tough to look at from the 20th storey of a 2 1/2 star hotel. 

Now before the Shanghai Tourist Board jumps on me, it's not all doom and gloom. SH is a beautiful city that seems to be growing as fast as any of the cities I visit. The area known as the Bund is beautiful, rich in history of Junks and traders in boats, and now a huge tourist draw. 

What is really cool is they haven't lost sight of their heritage, and many buildings retain the traditional style. 

And then you look to the left and see the iconic logo!

Moving on from SH is Beijing. I had a chance to visit Beijing in 2010 when I dropped in on my brother, who was posted there for his work. If you don't know him, check out his blog. www.actonsafricanadventures.blogspot.com/ - he is currently in Liberia doing a gig for Journalists for Human Rights www.jhr.ca/en/

Beijing is the home of Tiananmen Square, The Forbidden City and a rather large wall. I wish I could say I haven't had the time to take pictures there but the truth is the "fog" has been so bad, little shows up in the pics. Here are a couple from 2010. Not much has changed.

Formerly known as Peking, Beijing is the home of the world famous Peking Duck. Delicious and crispy, you can buy it almost any food court or mall, as well as some of the finer places around town. They take their duck seriously, in fact so serious, we were actually presented with a Commemoration Card with our ducks number. Clearly not a lucky number if you are a duck. 

Ironically these two great cities have the same insecurities as Edmonton and it's constant desire to prove itself better than Calgary. I'm not sure why cities polarize people the way they do but Shanghai vs BJ is an interesting debate when ever they come up in conversation. Good thing they don't have hockey teams. 

Next stop on the tour will be Macau and Hong Kong, but first I have to catch a plane. 

Professionally speaking....

Please indulge me and allow me a "professional" rant if you will. This may take awhile.

Some of you know I have spent time on both sides of the wood at various bars and restaurants. I'm not counting the time under said bars btw.

I like to think that I know a little bit about the business. And while my current employer does not purvey intoxicating beverages and controlled substances at this moment I still like to keep sharp. I call it research, you can call it whatever you want as long as it's tax deductible.

Now let me back track a bit, to the day I toured the building my new home is in. You know the place, you read about it here on this blog. It has a number of restaurants and eateries all within walking distance.

It also has a bit of a "mall" on the first 3 floors and I have been keenly aware of the upcoming opening of "Ricks".

Now I'm not saying that Ricks is the reason I signed the lease but it just had that look of a happy place and we all need a happy place - right? I have fond memories of other Ricks, so I suppose that had a little something to do with it but I digress. The trouble is Ricks has not been open since I toured the place. Yes it's new but it wasn't under construction. It's been constructed since mid March. Done. Furnished. Finished. Beautiful. Just closed. Every now and then I'd wander down and tug on the door handle and it would be locked. And believe me I wasn't looking for brunch. It's not a brunch kind of place. So I wasn't early. One day there was a guy outside and I said "dude, whats up - lah? When you open - lah? " (that's how we talk in Singaporean - its like eh only different)

"Oh man, we wait for the stuff to come in - lah. Soon lah "

So, I resume my patient practice of tugging the door handle and looking through the tinted windows.

Well today is the day - lah!

As I came home from downtown, shirt stuck to my skin from the 33.C temperature (sorry Bev) there were lights on. And candles on the tables. And it was 4 o'clock. Who puts out candles at 4 o'clock. So I opened the door, the meat locker grade air conditioning welcoming me like an ex-girlfriends embrace. "dude - you open lah?" "yeah man - whatchu have?" (he's not Singaporean so no lah).

Heaven. A bar that I can take an elevator home from. You can not get in trouble drinking and elevating.

So I raced upstairs, peeled off the fetid "business casual" sweat suit and headed back down stairs. After all it's Friday and I only have 2 conference calls tonight (9 and 10 am Ontario time thank you Sir Sanford Fleming, Mr. Time Zone)

Back in the meat locker, belly up to the corner bar stool and order.

Moosehead ?
"Nope "
What's on tap?
"Ummm we only have half pints. The pint glasses aren't in yet. "
Imported?
"Budweiser! "
Pass - Stella ?
"We have Stella "
Done. Menu?
"Ummm yea we only have bar snacks. "
Ok - bar snack menu ?
"Ummm I can tell you what we have. The menu is still at the printers. "
Fine - what have you got?

"Chicken wings
Tater tots
Cheese sticks
Sausage
Calamari "

.... So basically you just have a deep fryer in the back?
"Yea we are waiting on the rest. "

Alright - in for a penny (or a nickel now I guess right Canada? ) in for a pound.
Bring me the sausage and the cheese sticks, my good man!

Now - I want to like this place. Remember I can get there on the elevator ! I want this to be my 4th place. Maybe my 3rd because $5bucks is a little pricy and I do have wifi at home now.

But I gotta say I am struggling with "sausage". Its a hot dog. Ok 2 hot dogs - deepfried and sliced diagonally - ooo! Diagonally ! Martha Stewart would be pleased but it's still a hot dog.

So the night progresses, I order a second half pint, or 2, and the next thing I know - the band is here. Ok, a guy with a guitar. Named Peter. The guy, not the guitar, I have no idea what his guitar is named. Now Peter is not a typical rock star.  He's "old" according to the bartender - like 50 ! (that's not old btw) and it's an acoustic guitar, with nylon strings, so it's old school - classical guitar. My expectations are at an all time low.

And then, he plays. Cat Stevens, Eric Clapton, Harry Chapin...and he can sing - brilliantly. I am shocked. Mesmerized. and a little gassy from the hot dogs.

So now, I am in my new favourite bar, with my new favourite local musician, and I have to go back to work. (Stupid time change). So I wave over the new favourite bartender and settle up the bill.
"Are you a guest in the hotel?"
No, I'm not
"oh, ok"
Hey, do I get a discount if I am?
"yes, guests of the hotel get a discount"

And THAT's when the idea for this post came from - WHY would you give a discount to people in a hotel - they come, they go - they are transients. I live in the building - I ride the elevator to this place - I should get the discount - not the transients. Lah!

So I explain the situation to the bartender and the 2 other people in the place (Peter is still playing so he can't hear me - yet).
"But the boss thinks it's a good opportunity"
I get that - did you advertise in the hotel?
"No"
do you tell people when they check in?
"No"
so how do guests of the hotel know they get a discount ?
"well we tell them when they pay" -
LET ME GET THIS STRAIGHT - a man walks into a bar, orders a drink, a deep fried hot dog, and when you give him the bill you say - by the way, here is 10% off ?
"Yup"
and then he says thanks and flies back to where ever he's from and tells his friend - Where as I live in the building, I could come here every day and could tell my friends who live here and I don't get a deal?
"No - you're not a guest of the hotel"

But I like the place, I really do.

It's not the heat ......

We all know the saying, and i have to agree, it's the humidity. When your plane touches down in Singapore, and the windows of the plane fog up, you know it's humid. So humid in fact, it seems to rain every day - I've even given up checking the weather widget on the phone - it never changes.

And of course the weather widget doesn't show the humidity. But it's a small price to pay for the chance to live in paradise. Me and 5.4 million people in a land mass about the size of Calgary. Imagine an island you can drive across in 45 minutes... the long way, It's only 20 minutes north to south. And what does 5.4 million people look like? Well if you're walking a city street it looks a little like this.

But who am I to complain about the weather, they've been doing it for 1000's of years and I suppose I'll get used to it some day. I'm already used to 3 shirts and as many showers a day. Of course 4 air conditioners in the apartment helps too. As does being on the 25th floor, a little breeze goes a long way. 

Fortunately they have also air-conditioned the MRT (subway), the taxi's and the malls. Sometimes its one extreme to the other actually, too cool inside and too hot outside. What's a fellow to do but sit down with a $ 16 bottle of beer and chill. More on that later. 

Glad some of you enjoyed the updates, I'll post them randomly so either follow the blog or add your email on the right side and you'll get automatic updates. If you feel like sending me a question, I'm working on an FAQ list, seems many people have the same curiosiites.

Alright - I'm off to spend Sunday morning at the "wet market". Now I know some of you have questions.

d

Home Sweet Home

Alright, I've finally gotten around to posting some details. I took a page from my brother's book, and created an official Blog. Some of you may know I posted a few notes in Facebook last time but there seems to be a plethora of people who aren't on Facebook (Hi Mom!) and I figured this would be easier.

I've also copied the old posts into the Archive here so if you missed the details of Thailand and China in 2010 you can revisit them on the right.

Per my Changes In Latitude notice, I have relocated to Singapore, Singapore. DQ (dq.com) has a pretty decent foothold here in Asia and the powers that be have decided it's time to add to the team. Fortunately they picked me, and I packed up and moved officially on April 1.

"Packed up and moved" seems like a bit of an over statement actually. I sold, gave away, donated and tossed almost all of my worldly possessions (would have been a good Hoarders episode) and whittled my life down to about 8 boxes and 3 bags. I left Canada mid March  and headed to Shanghai for a couple weeks, and finally touched down in Singapore March 30th. I'd had a chance to come here a couple times prior, and had already negotiated an apartment. I'm actually pretty happy with how that worked out, the complex is more than a typical apartment block back home.

The tower on the left is a hotel, and my building is the tower on the right. It's brand spanking new, so that was a bonus not having to clean out someone else's crumbs. The first 3 floors are actually a "mall" with a dry cleaner, some music and language schools, spa, hair place, and eventually a grocery store. Between the mall and the hotel there is a half dozen places to eat, a "gym" with a membership fee, and enough people coming and going that taxi's are not hard to find.

The neighbourhood is a mix of mostly research parks and University campuses so it's relatively quiet, but there are about a dozen restaurants in an enclave of historic bungalows that the city is saving. So I've basically nestled myself into a setting where I can eat at a different place every day for 2 weeks with out repeating a place.

Yup, that's a Starbucks in the second shot. To know me means you'll know where to find me. Ironically this week I was reading a book by a former exec of Starbucks and he talked about the concept of a "third place" - people have a home and a work place and $5bucks tries to be the third place people spend their time. For me, since I work from home, the Starbucks gets a disproportionate share of my time.

But back to my new home. I mentioned brand new. It's a 2 bedroom apartment for an obscene amount of money per month. The whole island is expensive and I actually was very happy with the deal I got. it's 1300 sq.ft (121 Sq.Mt) which is actually 300 sq.ft BIGGER than the house I sold in Airdrie. However they count the balcony in that calculation so when you deduct the fabulously large 250 sq ft balcony it's about the same.

I made them change the light fixture

Now before you go all judgemental on the decorating, I had to preorder furniture so that it would arrive in time. Since I am clueless with decor and it's hard to pick colour swatches on line, I ordered a sofa with out any cover, so one of these days I'll brave one of the 2 Ikea's on the island and pick something to cover the couch and brighten up the white on white starkness. Although I know some people who actually make that work quite well, my predisposition to drink coffee and spill it means I'll be shopping in the earth tone aisle.

If you're sharp, or can scroll back up, you'll notice the shower is beside the tub. An oddity in Asia but pretty common in the hotels I've been in. The shower is a drain on the floor and the tub is either in a room by itself or in my case beside the drain. Handy to balance the shampoo on but took a little getting used to.

As for the office/guest room, I dare say I have the nicest view in the land of Dairy Queen.

The balcony is the best part though, and once I get some furniture out there it will be an oasis worthy of a Jimmy Buffett party. Of course a balcony is often defined by the view it oversee's and I'm pretty happy with my view. Kind of facing South Southwest you can see the ocean and ships at sea, and most days the outer islands of Singapore and beyond to Indonesia.

Of course the Singaporeans have perfected the art of hi-rise living and it wouldn't be complete without a discrete place to do your laundry and store stuff. They call it a "yard" - seriously, 25 stories in the air. I have a back door off the kitchen and out there is another balcony with washer and dryer, and room for some shelves or whatever you want. It's inaccessible from any other unit (unless you're spider man) so it'll be a good spot for a bike or golf clubs. It's hard to capture in pictures, but look across the way and you'll see the neighbours, you get the idea. 

Of course a wise man once said the best way to beat the heat was a cold beer and a swim in the pool. I'll cover off beer in a later post (lets just say the government here conspires to keep people from drinking or driving by taxing both till it's cost prohibitive to do either one) but here is a quick look at the pool. 

Now if I can just figure out how to get wifi out there! 

Changes in Latitude

5 Things you didn't know about Singapore. 

5. It's a country and a city - Singapore, Singapore

4. The popultaion is a mix of 74% Chinese, 13% Malay, 9% Indian, 3% Others

3. English is the primary language.

2. It has the 3rd Highest Gross Domestic Product of any country in the world

1. I live there. 

Ok, I am moving  there but by April number 1 will be true. I have accepted a transfer to look after the Asia Operations for DQ, and Singapore is the jumping off point. Wheels are in motion, and the house is on the market. You may remember my earlier posts of travels to Thailand, and I guess this is a bit of a spin off. 

I will try and post some pics so you can have a sense of what I'll see and where I'll be living. My first trip is February, and then if all goes well, I'll be settled in by April.  

Feel free to visit, this is your invitation. 

d

What I learned last night in Bangkok

(the last of the original postings - July 2010)

Don't take pictures at the Tiger show.
There is no Tiger at the Tiger show.
"Thai girl" sounds a lot like "tiger" in a loud bar
There may not even be a thai girl at the Thai girl show.
Plastic surgery is very advanced in Thailand
You can buy anything at a market in Bangkok
Yes, anything, and if it's not instock they will have it tomorrow for a low low price
Cold beer is worth the extra .33 cents.
The literal translation for "Thai Massage" is "...will leave bruises "
Thailand advil is just as effective as the stuff back home.