Dec 2022

The Best Things We Ate At Singapore’s Hawker Centers

Singapore Hawker Center, Summer 2022

The Astronomer, June, and I exclusively ate at Singapore’s famed hawker centers during our four-day stay in the city-state this past summer. The superb quality of the cooking, affordability of the prices, and incredible variety of the offerings made these multi-storied, open-air communal cafeterias the perfect place to dine at any time of day — we couldn’t get enough of them.

Singapore Hawker Center, Summer 2022

All in all, we hit up seven hawker centers of different sizes and scopes spread across the island. Singapore’s world-class (and spotless) metro system made it easy to travel from one to another while fitting in the requisite sights, like Gardens By The Bay (meh), National Library (under renovation), Singapore City Gallery (amazing), Botanical Gardens (badass), Marina Bay Sands Hotel (like Vegas), and the Raffles Hotel (lovely in a colonial way).

Singapore Hawker Center, Summer 2022

While we initially sought out “famous” food stalls at the start of our stay, we soon got the hang of hawker food culture and understood that it was nearly impossible to have a bad meal anywhere. From there, we let our bellies or geographic convenience lead the way, and we were never led astray. Singapore is truly a wonderland of culinary treasures.

Here’s everything we ate at Singapore’s hawker centers…

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Oct 2022

Kid-Free Saturday: Quarter Sheets & Found Oyster

Quarter Sheets - Los Angeles - Echo Park

The Astronomer and I found ourselves with hours to kill one Saturday a few months back when June jetted off to an amusement park with friends at the last-minute. Soon, plans were hatched to dine at a duo of restaurants that I’d been wanting to try but were too cramped, crowded, or unpredictable in some way to consider visiting with our kiddo in tow. First stop: Quarter Sheets in Echo Park.

Quarter Sheets - Los Angeles - Echo Park

We snagged two bar stools peering into the kitchen after placing our order toward the front entrance.

Quarter Sheets - Los Angeles - Echo Park

First up was the Quiet Storm ($6.50), which came topped with maitake mushrooms, cream, mozz, Meyer lemon gremolata, thyme, and granna. The Sicilian Corners ($7) had vodka sauce, Bloomsdale spinach, fior di latte, Calabrian chile, and pecorino.

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Oct 2022

Asterid by Ray Garcia – Los Angeles (Downtown)

Asterid by Ray Garcia - Downtown

The dining room at Asterid was packed to the gills when my friend Bill and I arrived for our 6:30 p.m. reservation back in June. But even before our cocktails hit the table, the crowd quickly emptied for a concert happening at the adjoining Walt Disney Concert Hall. It was wild to be bumping elbows one minute, then having the place to ourselves the next.

Asterid by Ray Garcia - Downtown

Once the concert-goers vacated the premises, Bill and I sipped some cocktails while perusing the menu. I had the mezcal highball ($19) while taking in the peaceful room.

Asterid by Ray Garcia - Downtown

To start, a Tetra squash tamal with a heap of Schrenckii caviar, Beurre de Baratte (really good butter), and crema ($93).

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