Diary of a Culture Hedonist

I had the most amazing afternoon. Went to an intimate viewing (I was one of six) of a Canaletto (still held in private hands) in a gorgeous monastery next to Salute, in a room where Canaletto had painted the painting. Complete with an armed security guard who explained to us the intricate details of the painting, and allowed us to be within touching distance. And at the end of the viewing, we had the pleasure of taking a cup of coffee or refreshing drink in a delightful salon. That was a "once in a lifetime" experience.

Meyerbeer's L’africaine is rarely staged. So it was a "must see" at La Fenice when I was in Venice. Well, the cast was pretty good: Zuzana Marková was Inés who had presence despite the somewhat minor role. Luca Grassi was a heroic Nélusko - and had the right look too. Vasco was sung by Antonello Palombi who could fill the auditorium with a booming tenorial voice, though it lacked finesse and tenderness: his version of O paradis was ok. Patrizia Biccirè was Sélika who was superb - especially in the last act. The staging and lighting was poor. Clearly the house didn't have money, but to have a few chairs in act 1, some box-standard prison gates in act 2, a bit of a ship in act 3, NOTHING for act 4 and just a plank and a tree for act 5 simply did not do the genre justice. Oh and there was no ballet. Everything was poorly lit - they even for got to light the lead soloist at the final curtain call! I thought it was an engaging opera. The music followed (a mature Mey...

One has to admire Singapore's ability to refresh and renew the city. Gardens by the Bay was a fantastic example of this. Great architecture, unusual flora (by local standards) and a fun way to spend the better part of a day looking at plants, climbing structures and get educated.

It was too dark to see whether Long Beach (the restaurant) was next to a long beach (Changi East Coast). But that's not important. I was there to eat their famous pepper crab. But before the pepper crab, we'd ordered some other local delicacies. One was deep fried bean curd and squid covered in sesame seeds. All was washed down with a nice pint of Tiger beer.  Then there were these lovely deep fried white baits. Super crunch. Great when washed down with another pint of Tiger beer. And voila! White Pepper Crab (the crab was of Sri Lankan origin)! Lightly fried and coated with a white pepper sauce. The crab was very fresh (no shrunken meat behind the shells), spicy to the right degree and great with Tiger beer.

The New Department of Islamic Art was only opened on the 22 Sept 2012. As I was in Paris, this had to be a must stop! And I was not disappointed. As more and more museums around the world re trying to raise the profile of this great culture, none was more bold than this at the Louvre - a new wing, exciting architecture and superb curatorship. One of the most amazing pieces of art on display was the mosaic from the Damascus Mosque in Syria. The colours are so vivid and exiting, yet the abstract quality (when looked at up close) almost pointed to impressionist art that was yet to come. The curves, lines, motifs and chiaroscuro were just enchanting. There were a wealth of display of ceramic, tiles, mosaics etc., and one needed at least a couple of hours to give the exhibits justice. Do go!

I couldn't cope with the hordes of tourists inside Musée du Louvre. So, breakfast had to be at Café Marly. It's one of my old favourites and I'm glad to report that the staff continued to be professional with just enough politeness to stop you thinking how rude Parisians can be. Sadly, even this establishment was showing signs of economic strain - look at the chipped plate.

Yes, Paris, on a rainy night eating alone. Les Fines Gueules was just round the corner from where I was staying near Place des Victoires. Having read about it in the Time Out Paris guide, I thought I'd pop round for a late bite. The Veloute aux Petits Pois was delicious - enough substance to feel and taste the pea, yet velvety smooth in texture. Lovely. Next up was the steak with mash. Sounds simple. It was beautifully done - the beef was of very good quality (diners nearby had it a la tartar ). Each bite was juicy and full of that beefy taste. A delight. Dessert. I have to confess I didn't have enough space to eat this whole hazelnut pastry with a hazel cream sandwiched. But every mouthful was an explosion of ... praline! It was wonderful.

After Hill Country in New York, I just needed to check out similar places in Boston. Well, Blue Ribbon was nearby so I thought it's worth a try. Clearly, BBQ meat eateries are not places you linger ... The place was somewhat functional. The number plates (including a UK one) were an interesting. Chairs were hard. Metal top tables were utilitarian. But let's focus on the meat. A big slab. The ribs were meaty, had a good bite and taste. The magic appeared to be how flavouring were rubbed into the meat and how everything was slow cooked. The BBQ sauce had a wholesome feel - in fact there were big tubs with a push dispenser: one could mix spicy with sweet to one's taste. The cornbread was ok. But this time there was no brisket. Still, it tasted finger linking good.

That's 44th Street on Tenth Avenue in Hell's Kitchen. 44 & X was the perfect remedy on a rainy Sunday before a Broadway show. The tables were on the cosy side. Everyone was churpy (too churpy? must be New York!) The menu was americana. My baby muffins in the bread basket were delectable. The "Maryland crab cake, poached eggs, tomato and hollandaise" was superb. I could not resist trying their signature macaroni and cheese ... OMG I do not remember when I last had it but it tasted so good I wanted to eat the whole plate! You know where to go for a decent brunch.

Yes I have seen this at the Royal Opera. As Manon is seldom staged, I grasp the opportunity to see it at the Metropolitan Opera. At the helm was Fabio Luigi who brought this lush score to live. Anna Netrebko, as Manon, was fabulous - from the innocent little girl to the temptress par excellence - though the seduction scene in St Sulpice was, ahem, a bit over done - I didn't remember seeing Manon in the Royal Opera production acting like a nymphomaniac!

I have read about how serious a BBQ can be on this side of The Pond. So I thought I'd better check out some of the restaurants that offer the BBQ experience. Hill Country was tucked away off the main avenues. It's kind of no non-sense - you get a ticket, go over to the meat counter to pick up the meat (ordered by weight) wrapped in paper, then sides, then sit down and eat off the tray. And oh my god, the brisket was fabulous - good bite, meaty, juicy, smokey and melt-in-your-mouth! So so very good (and high in fat). The ribs were excellent too. The sides were wholesome which matched the meat dishes. I can't imagine eating this everyday (unless I want to cut short my life), but the meat was definitely memorable!

A friend recently asked me about where to go and eat in London for a long weekend. There is so much one can do in London - so it's very hard to be prescriptive. Still, here is a suggested on-foot itinerary if one had a couple of days in London: Day 1: Covent Garden / Soho Morning: For a real change, eat breakfast at Dishoom where everything has an Indian twist. Also a fairly quiet place to start the day. Afterwards, explore the boutiques on Neal Street. Walk down to Covent Garden to enjoy the buzz all around. Remember to visit the Apple Store - nicely slotted into a period building. Lunch: A light Thai lunch at Busaba on Floral Street. Their Phad Thai is not half bad. Afternoon: Walk up to Soho (but avoid Leicester Sq as it's still a building site as of Jan 2012), and explore the unusual shops around Old Compton St and Berwick St. Here are a few suggestions for afternoon tea and coffee: Flat White on Berwick St for a gritty feel. Princi has good Italian coffee and p...

The Helena Rubinstein wing of the Tel Aviv Museum of Art had a lovely garden outside (a bit like Musée Branly in Paris) that softens the straight architectural lines. I was able to see quite a few temporary exhibitions of Israeli contemporary artists. Though it was a small space, the works were well curated and lit - with helpful staff. In fact, one of the artists-in-residence was giving a guided tour when I was there. But the main museum 10 minutes away couldn't be more different. It's a large space (actually a new wing was opening the following day after my visit) housing some impressionist / post-impressionist works by the usual French artists. There was also a big collection of contemporary works by more established artists. Alas there were no floor plans or highlight guide - so one had to walk through the entire museum to discover items of interest: great if one has the time, not so helpful if one only had an hour or so. Still it was worth the visit.

Never turn down a restaurant recommendation from a Italian Manhattanite. Ovest was just round the corner on 10th Avenue an 27th Street. OK it was a business lunch so had to order food that could be eaten easily while talking. The risotto with lemon and prawns were great - very southern. And the granny's lemon tart (torta di limone nonno) was fluffy light and not too tart. Nice.

My plane from Chicago was running late, and I thought I might have to drag my suitcase from La Guardia to Lincoln Centre! Luckily the tailwind helped the plane catch up. So I got to the Met in good time for Capriccio. It was the 9th performance of Strauss's last opera Capriccio at The Met. I was surprised - I thought it would have been performed more often. The opera didn't get off to a good start. The sextet overture was scrappy and the phrasing was not entirely logical - it sounded like those playing in it didn't rehearse enough. And there were some excruciating moments. Never mind. Joseph Kaiser was Flamand the composer who looked and sang wonderfully at the opening. Russell Braun was Olivier the poet whose more mellow tone reflected the role well. Peter Rose sang the role of La Roche with depth and compassion - especially his rant which was superb. The star of the show, Renée Fleming, was superb - she delivered playfulness and class throughout, culminating in ...

It's apparently well-known to the locals. Greens is in one of the rejuvenated warehouses in Fort Mason on the other side of Fisherman's Wharf. Annie Somerville uses the most local, fresh and where possible organic ingredients to concoct lots of delicious vegetarian dishes. There were no nut-roast or big bowls of lentils - all the dishes celebrated vegetables as they were. There were lots of good flavours - the seasonal asparagus were great, the potato cakes were really wholesome, and the salads were amazing. BTW the view looking out to the Bay was spectacular at sunset.

Business trips seldom offer the opportunity to eat well. So it was a pleasant surprise to be taken to Liviano which was a Italian / Slovak restaurant on the edge of town. I ordered a cold tomato soup - which came in a lovely rich red colour full of tomato flavour with a strong kick to it (perhaps paprika or chili). The main course was loin of venison - which was beautifully done. What looked like roast potatoes turned out to be potato dumplings pan fried. They had a lovely chew to it.

When in doubt, ask about! I was in Amsterdam for a day en famille and needed somewhere nice to have lunch. So I thought I'd consult a trusted friend who worked locally. After a lot of "where's that again" and "no I didn't see it", I eventually found Gartine which was in a narrow alley off a main shopping street. It's dinky and cosy. The menu was full of wholesome sandwiches made with locally sourced ingredients and beautifully dressed salads. I tried the tartare of marinated mackerel. Others had the freshly laid hen eggs in mayo. May be we were hungry, may be we were impressed, it all went down just too quickly. Then came desserts ... I asked our lovely waiter whether I should go for the white chocolate mousse or dark chocolate cake - he recommended the latter and you could see what arrived below! It's simply presented but packed full of flavours!

The Neues Museum was the cultural highlight of my visit to Berlin. Freshly opened this month after extensive work by David Chipperfield. Never have I seen such sympathetic yet ingenious renovation work at a museum. The layout and flow was kept largely intact. The key exhibitions spaces continued with their clever framing (Egyptian antiquities had frescoes and colour palette that matched the exhibits, likewise for Roman antiquities). Yet the finishing touches were of a very high quality - from new brick work (see below) through to the perfectly aligned internal cladding and door fittings. Naturally, the architectural setting complimented the significant exhibits - such as the beautiful and life like bust of Nefertiti or the alter of King Akhenaten (strangely Philip Glass's opera of the same name sprang to mind).