Danish Street Food "Polser", Copenhagen

Danish sausages and I go a long way back as I grew up eating Tulip cocktail sausages. Though not exactly the ideal growing-kid diet, man they were good. Along with smorrebrod (open-faced sandwiches) and frikadeller (meatballs), the polser (sausages) is quintessentially Danish and Pølsevogn (polser wagons) are peppered around the city, making it uber-convenient to grab-and-go a snack.

The hot dog sausage is steamed, then grilled and the bread is warmed in either an oven or toaster. Yeap, all that steaming, toasting and grilling all takes place within that cubicle-sized cart.






I personally prefer the "French Hot Dog" so named because it is similar to the French variant. The bun is hollowed into, leaving enough room to stuff the sausage and dressing. To me, this is the best way to eat a hot dog: fuss-free, no worries about dripping sauces- who ever thought of this is genius!

You can get as complicated as you want -ketchup, mustard and remoulade sauce, topped with either raw or fried onions, cucumbers, but I liked to keep it simple so it was just mustard and ketchup for me.





It’s seriously tempting to linger at the cart and go, “gee I wonder what this tastes like” and work your way through the menu. I probably wouldn't go bananas over hot dogs anytime soon or anywhere esle, but in Copenhagen, one can't help but feel in the mood for pølser.

Pug Video, Copenhagen

Pug Video here, just in case it doesn't work in the spot below

Copenhagen

Before we begin

I know the food blogging community and non-food bloggers usually get their knickers in a twist when Chubby Hubby blogs about somewhere new. I'm usually quite indifferent to most places but White Rabbit looks very very interesting.

* *

All this while, I feel like I have been carrying the torch for Copenhagen. Two years again, it was a life devoid of the finer material things in life but full of hope and the feeling of "anything was possible". Though it wasn’t love at first sight, I did eventually fall in love with the city and after a brief 6 months affair, I left that life behind and rejoined Singapore's corporate congo line.

Things were off to a bumpy start. We took the 7am flight from London Stanstead, which meant sleeping at the airport the night before (well barely since I had to watch our bags) and suffering from any possible aches in the back and legs.

Upon touchdown, it wasn’t exactly war-hero-returns-home-and-collasps-into-the-warm-embrace-of-pining-lover too. At times, it was too chilly to feel anything else as the wind and cold pierced through my trench coat in sporadic bouts. However, when the sky cleared up and the sun shone briefly, it wasn’t difficult to get all sentimental again.

It’s not a foodie town too, as my sister can definitely testify to it. Ham, sausages and gelatos later, I think she was ready to call it quits. I didn’t have much of a problem since I basically lived on pumpernickel bread and corn (and later sushi) back then; in fact, I would have just been happy with pumpernickel slices, smoked salmon and Paradis gelato.

The weather was beautilful on most days but insanely windy too. I'm looking through my pictures now and in most of them, my hair was in such a state of mess, it looked as if a drunk Cousin IT had crashed on my head after some crazy partying. We basically walked around the city centre, Vesterbro and Frederiksberg; there wasn’t enough time to visit Malmo. Oh and I finally visited The Little Mermaid.



To TLM: It was somewhat of an anti-climax meeting you, especially I’ve heard so much about you. You seemed a little forlorn too but I’m sure it can’t be much fun strapped to the rocks, entertaining busloads of tourists. By the way, that sad look of yours could really teach us a thing or two about the fickle-mindedness of men. And just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse, Disney totally misconstrued your story and gave it a ‘happily ever after’ ending. You have my condolences.

We stalked an old lady and her pug. Er, it sounds worse in print but we just couldn’t resist tailing the cute-as-hell pug and we even took a video. Sex tapes are so er, last Hollywood flop?



If you were thinking, "this blog is getting from bad to worse! First she doesn't update as often, next she makes me watch a 45 second video of a pug's butt"... Aww, don’t be such a surly sop. Here's the pup.



Now isn’t that a face that would make you go, "ooo... let me huggg youuu, kissss youu..."

I'm back.

But I doubt I will be updating religiously since I start my internship tomorrow (and my office is around MacDonald House/ Dhoby Gaut, JUST IN CASE you want to meet for lunch). I'll be hanging around for 6 weeks before heading back for my final term at SMU.

And now it's time for 'You've been FAQ-ed!'

1. Wait, aren't you supposed to be done with school?
Well no, because I took a term off after my exchange program to do an internship, so I doing 'payback' now.

2. Err, does this mean you are graduating half a year later than most of your peers?
Well math genius, yeap!

3. Heyyy, didn't you head to UK to attend your YOUNGER sister's graduation... so does this mean your younger sister graduated before you? Ding Ding Ding! Stay on the line, we got to get your details for the prize.

Oh yes. I took the A380. It was ok, since the hype is usually over "the suite above the rest"... but it's SIA so the service was pleasant, inflight entertainment awesome-mous and the food surprisingly good (for airplane microwaved dinner boxes). The hugeass A380 might have been a beast in the sky but the real monster materialised in the shape and form of a chubby blond 2 year old who made it her aerial mission to terrorise fellow passangers with her hourly tantrums and screeches. The word 'terrorist' could soon have a new photo identity.

*cough* July happens to be my birthday month. *cough* I won't be revealing the exact date but I'm open to presents at any time of the month... year... and lifetime. Hey if you want to wish me Happy Birthday in December, go ahead- just don't lump my Christmas gift and birthday present together. Haha.

Anyway I'll update soon. Maybe tomorrow. Maybe over the weekend.

(Poor attempt at trying to sound mysterious)

Stay tuned.

UPDATE (4TH July): I need lunch recommendations urgently. Ok maybe not urgent-urgently but I don't think I can live on Subway or Saybons for 6 weeks. If you have any suggestions that fit the 3 criterias below, do drop me a line?
1. Around Dhoby Gaut
2. About $4-$8 per person
3. Thanks but preferably no food courts or hawker centres

Barracks Cafe at House, Dempsey Hill

It might have been the Father's Day weekend but with Dad away on his golf trip, Mum and I shared some Oyaku time with nosh and interior design.

We did brunch at Barracks Cafe over at Dempsey Hill. Now apart from PS Cafe, I'm not familar with the Dempsey terrain but I saw the allure of Dempsey- a piece of Singapore free from life's daily worries. There were many brunch options at Dempsey but I passed on PS Cafe (too much see-and-be-seen going on), Culina and Jones The Grocer (to visit next).

Save for a table of Girlfriends On Brunch Patrol, Barracks Cafe was thankfully somewhat empty. I liked the haphazard interior design with mismatched chairs and hanging naked bulbs and almost fell for the 'Greenhouse,' a private dining room.



As we weren't all that hungry, Mum and I shared the Old-fashioned American Sliders, a good put-me-together with ciabatta bread, respectable beef patty, cheddar cheese and bacon.



It was a sizable menu with alluring options but what committed me to the sliders were the sides- sweet potato fries and truffle fries. The chunkier sweet potato fries bore a batter-film while the shoestring fries lapped up heady, whoozy tuffle aroma.



Oh I know what you must be thinking... Fries with truffle oil? Very Dirty Sexy Money. Urgh, ever since I started watching these New York Upper East Side dramas, I've been besotted with truffle. Don't get me started on the Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Truffle from Gossip Girl!

Our drinks? The Caring Carrots juice, a blend of carrot, apple and beet, for me while I opted for the Femme Fatale, a elderberry, coconut and blackcurrant tea.

After brunch, we roamed around the Dempsey Cluster for a bit before heading over to Design Intervention at Loewen Cluster. Fabrics and textiles of various prints, patterns and price tags, available for customization- this was my I-Dream-of-Domino-Magazine wonderland. I could finally rid myself of those mass-produced lamp shades and quilt covers! I almost went mad with delight.

After Dempsey and still high on interior design, we drove to Chip Bee Gardens. We popped by Cho Lan's and found it practically empty. Ok, save for a few cushion covers, it was almost cleaned Out. Cho Lan, which I'm sorry to report at time of publish, has closed for good.



By then, I was hungry. Making a pass at Da Paolo Gastronomia was a no-brainer. The fruit cake was generously studded with dried fruit, while the white yogurt crumble (my must-have at Gastronomia) was a triple-layer sensation made of brittle crumbs, luscious tangy yogurt and grated white chocolate.

Cedele Bakery Depot, Wheelock Place

Cedele Bakery Depot at Wheelock Place reopened this June with minimal changes to the layout and an expanded menu. Most of us would know Cedele's USP is organic, trans-fat-free grub, free of artificial flavourings and chemically produced additives. Well, basically if you live on the Cedele Diet, you might just live to see your great-great-great grandchildren... that is if your children, great grandchildren and great-great grandchildren don't drive you to your grave first.

Then again it seems too good to be true, doesn't it? Healthy food that tastes great? Hello, some of us were born yesterday? Cedele's carrot cake (complete with cream cheese) is easily the best in town and their kickass chocolate truffle cake had me thinking, 'good for me? Er, I believe you... almost as much as I believe in natural beauty!'

However rather than accuse them of being 'Liar Liar, pants on fire', I'm all for self-delusion so long as there isn't permanent damage.

I wanted something different. Something other than their soup and sandwiches. Something I couldn't find in any other Cedele cafes.



The savoury pancakes section waved its 'Come Try Me' flag at me and I found myself drawn to the mushroom and bacon pancakes. The pancakes arrived, unlike anything I had expected: studded with spring onions and button mushroom silver, served with bacon rashers and salad.

It was ok (not mind-blowing but edible) and awkwardly familiar. Lo and behold, it suddenly occurred to me that they tasted almost like the scallion pancakes my grandmother makes, only with mushrooms. Curisoty didn't kill the cat but it sure left it hanging.



Mum had the caramelised pork, served with bak choy and an ice cream scoop of rice. I'm hopeless at describing Chinese food so I can only say it tasted like good sweet braised pork.

Oh yeah, another thing to note: portions left us peckish an hour later.

I should have known that 'Adventurous' isn't my middle name and sometimes there is a reason why that rusty but trusty formula works.



We washed down brunch with wolfberry tea with red dates and longan, essentially 'cheng teng in a teapot'.



We fulfilled their Terms and Conditions and were given a complimentary scoop of Earl Grey and Fig ice cream. Eggless but utterly addictive. Begone Burnt Caramel! Earl Grey is THE Flavour of the Month.

2am Dessertbar

To be honest, I didn't enjoy my maiden visit to 2am Dessertbar.

There was some gathering going on. Mini party but major din. Gradually I grew unnerved by the crowd and awkward spaces, someone should have just played a Mariah Carey tune as a form of euthanasia. Was it the dessert bar's fault? Largely no, but I guess if its dessert was unable to cure me of my headache, the dessert bar could not be praised.

After chikalicious, I thought I've had it with artas-fartas desserts but deep within, a naggy feeling persuaded me to make re-visit 2am desert bar. With my new found intrigue, a sms from Diana took me a grand total of 3 secs to reply yes. I returned with Diana on a monday evening. the bar was understandably empty and i felt like we had the whole place to ourselves.

What is dessert without chocolate?

Painful. Incomplete.



The warm chocolate tart resembled Hans Christian Anderson's fairy tales- bittersweet and touching. The blood orange sorbet on the side served as a palate cleanser, creating an interplay of icy and warm, tangy and decadent. Faced with a melting sorbet and leaking molten chocolate, there was a real need to 'seize the moment'!

In life, most of us work towards achieving the 5Cs (I'm sure some regard Madonna's Material Girl as visionary). When it comes to dessert, I have my other set of 5Cs:

1. chocolate
2. caramel
3. crumble
4. cream cheese
5. custard

Twix did a neat job of pinning down points 2 to 4. Burnt caramel mousse and cream cheese slice on a bed of peanut crumble. Here, the flavour was milder but the play on texture was more evident.

2am Dessertbar had gained some flak for being overpriced and underwhelming and after my first visit, I was in that "Dessrtbar rhymes with Blah" school of thought. Although after this visit, I wasn't in Camp Wow-my-pants-off, I have at least defected from Camp Unimpressed.

La Rochefoucauld once said, "To eat is a necessity. To eat intelligently is an art."

And I thought this defnitely applied in this instance.

What do you mean i can't mindlessly gorge on chocolate and ice cream?

Sorry folks but at 2am Dessertbar, you got to give some thought to what you are eating. think of the textures, the pairing and the presentation... It may sound like too much work for dessert but you don't want to be the one who stands in front of a Botero painting, uttering these words, "gaw-, she needs to go on a diet" right?