SINGAPORE, SINGAPORE -- In my last blog, I talked about great local food here in Singapore I eat all the time. In this follow-up, I'll let you know what a displaced Milwaukeean would be able to dig up to be reminded of home.
Fortunately, technology has made it easy. I can watch the Brewers and Packers on my laptop and even sit on my porch in my shorts, T-shirt and flip flops, tune into the Fox 6 news to watch you all suffer through another snowy day. I can also talk to and see my brother Josh, sister Rachel or dad Frank and their families (and dogs) on Skype.
They can even show me the ribs Dad made on the grill and the cold bottles of Miller High Life they are drinking, but there is no technology yet that allows them to hand me a plate or pass me a cold one -- so I have to figure that one out on this end.
Sadly, but sometimes happily, the world is getting smaller and when it comes to shopping and dining out, you can find the same places and things virtually any place in the world. Singapore is no exception.
There are many, many U.S. type options for dining out. Of course we have McDonald's, Burger King, KFC, Pizza Hut, Subway and Wendy's. But we also have Carl's Jr., Swenson's, Chili's, TGIF and Appleby's, Dunkin' Donuts and Tony Roma's. All the coffee places are here with multiple locations (although the local coffee, kopi, is much better) like Starbuck's, Coffee Bean, Spinelli and Pacific. On the high end there is a Morton's Steakhouse and Lowery's Prime Rib (need an expense account for those places). And for dessert there is Ben and Jerry's, Pinkberry, Cold Stone Creamery and Maggie Moo's.
For home cooking, the good news is the local grocery stores carry Johnsonville brats, most Kraft products like Philly Cream Cheese, Mac and Cheese and Oreos (free plug for my former employer, but I will say the Aussie cream cheese isn't as good as the U.S. and neither are the Indonesian Oreos) and Miller Lite can be found. One can find American products like Heinz Ketchup, Herdez salsa, Snyder's pretzels, Florida's Natural orange juice, Horizon Dairy milk, Land O' Lakes butter and many, many more.
So firing up the grill at home can be like being in your backyard on the East Side on that one, super hot and humid summer night. My wife Sophia and I have entertained friends from home and from Asia and the world in true Milwaukee fashion and they have all gone home full and happy. "Hmm, where can I find some of those those brats?" they ask.
All of that said, I do sometimes long for a bowl of Real Chili, a burger from Elsa's, a Zaffiro's pizza, a cone of Gille's frozen custard, or some of the other great foods found only in Milwaukee ...
