On Friday, we woke up early and had an elaborate breakfast. Around 11 am, Aarush and I, after showering, left our hotel room. Today, again, we walked on the other side of Orchard Street till Dhoby Ghat Station. Nowadays, I too feel sick like my hubby when too much time is spent at malls… am I growing old? :D It was good to be in the mall when it is raining. On the other hand, it also allows you to enjoy the air-conditioning in the stores, as outside it is really hot and humid when not raining. We visited mall after mall - Paragon, Orchard Central, Specialist Shopping Centre (John Little store), Plaza Singapura, etc., flanked on Orchard Street. This street is one of the best places to spend during any time of the year, especially during year-end when the whole stretch of the street and the buildings are beautifully adorned with Christmas decors and lights.
Had hot piping dumpling soup at lunch while my son slept at a street shop. Then continued walking past the official residence of Singapore President, the Istana, which is next to Plaza Singapura Mall. There, I picked a local SIM card in the same mall so that I can talk to my hubby at least in need. Lastly, I couldn’t stop myself from seeing Carrefour, a French hyper store after a long time at the same mall. Bought some errands and returned around 6-ish to the hotel.
Hubby returned from the office early, being Friday around 7 ish; then we together left for dinner at Clark Quay. Everyone was in a weekend party mood. This area is lined with bars and notable restaurants like Hooters and others strung together, looking somewhat identical. Many waterfront restaurants to enjoy (Thai, Indian, Chinese…) food one wants to. They all have large covered patios that extend even further uncovered. G-MAX reverse bungee, river cruises, and river taxis on the Singapore River can be accessed from Clarke Quay.
We chose Riverside Jumbo restaurant, open-air seating near the waterfront; it’s a relaxing place for long chats while savoring seafood dishes after a long day of walking. We ordered steamed prawns with duck sauce as a starter. Instead of the popular and common Chili Crab, which has more gravy, we ordered black pepper crab, a dry variant. Taste-wise, Black Pepper Crab is dry and spicy! Very yummy! It’s crispy on the outside, light and fluffy on the inside.
This was my first experience with crab; I learned one thing that they are delicious but messy to eat. Not the most elegant food to eat, as they serve it with a bib, and trust me - unless you eat crab regularly, you’ll get it absolutely everywhere. Literally struggled during the whole course where the waitress kept on changing plates. Both hands got quite dirty, but thankfully, they kept a bowl with warm water and plenty of napkins to keep oneself clean. Santanu guided and helped me in cracking the crab. He told me that pickers generally used to split the shell or push the meat out with a long, thin tong. At times I felt like in a bio-laboratory to dissect these crabs, and in this long process, lost my appetite. We need to use fingers to fully savor the crab.
We ordered some Chinese buns (man tou) for Aarush, which he did not like much, so we finished those on behalf of him. Next time, we will definitely like to try the chili crabs. As Aarush only had yogurt and some side dish, we got french fries for him, which he had while running near Clarke Quay riverside.
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