(Updated with correction) SOMETIMES the best-laid plans is having no plans at all. More often than not, the best travel companions are those whom you will most unlikely travel with. This was proven true when I last visited Singapore on practically a whim.
For this sojourn, I traveled with a diverse group of accomplished men. One was a chef who owns his restaurant, the others were marketing managers of a major oil company and a multi-national company, a manager of a telecommunications behemoth and a food and beverages manager of a plush resort.
As all of us met at the lobby of the Marina Bay Sands. We knew this would be a blast. A blast it was, indeed, as we forayed onto the streets of Orchard Road with our empty stomachs and street food in mind.
On we went to Maxwell Hawker Centres where you can find the cleanest, cheapest and safest street foods of Indian, Malay and Chinese origin. No visit to Singapore's vibrant street food scene is complete without a taste of Hokkein Mee, a delectable concoction of prawn-fried noodles and Hainanese chicken rice, chicken poached in ginger-laced stock, sold in slices and just about the most delicious pieces of poultry I have ever tasted. Of course, who cannot miss the chicken feet and pig's organ soup - an all too familiar street food widely considered delicacies in the Philippines.
While this challenged my sheltered gastronomic world, these guys were so convincing I had no choice but to bite the hook and enter the nether world of the gastronomically daring with my eyes closed. It was worth it though. Added to the mystery of the food in front of you and the exhilarating sense of adventure as you debate whether to take the first or not was all so much fun. The fact that it was literally the cheapest way to have fun in a country where cuisine is as diverse as its denizens wasn't too shabby, either.
As payback for the dare on me, the Resorts World Sentosa was next on the agenda as everybody assented that we experience fine dining at the newly-opened restaurant of Joel Robuchon, himself a collector of Michelin stars (as of late his restaurants around the world have accumulated 28). All I can say is that Singapore is slowly making a name for itself and giving Japan a run for its money in the cutthroat gastronomic world.
Enjoying the dining scene wasn't the only thing this group of newfound friend did in the Lion City. In contrast to me, these men are spontaneous and adventurous. Not that I am, neither. Let's just say I prefer to plan a little bit more and take the more cautious route. But this doesn't mean I didn't have fun with these guys. As a matter of fact, I had immense fun. And being free-wheeling didn't hurt either. So I found out.
They were new acquaintances I hope would blossom into lasting friendships. All of us definitely put the right foot forward because despite our glaring differences, everything seamlessly coalesced into one memorable get-together.
They were the very essence of spontaneity to my obsessive-compulsiveness. Practically the yin and yang by all circumstance but melded just the right amount of fun everybody wished and hoped for. A menagerie of personalities for sure. But one I really don't mind at all. Not at all.
By the way, the sweetest of Valentine to everyone!
(Correction: The restaurants owned by Mario Batal and Tetsuya Wakuda are located at Marina Bay Sands, not at Resorts World Sentosa as reported earlier in this article.)