My favorite pasta is spaghetti aglio olio. Its sauce consists entirely of minced or pressed garlic lightly sauteed in olive oil, plus hot pepper flakes.

I also love anything oil-based, like Green Tomato's anchovies in oil. My next preference is tomato-based pasta dishes but I grew up in the Philippines so I kind of like them sweetened. I don't like cream-based pasta at all, except if it's doused with so much mushroom flavor that it overpowers the cream.

Yogurt Place

Yogurt Place's greek yogurt is really delicious - just the right combination of creamy and tartness.
However, their frozen yogurt, which they call "yogurt gelato" and which comes in 2 flavors, lychee or mango, is disappointing. The ice did not have the soft creamy consistency of gelato at all. It can't hold a candle to Red Mango, for sure. I'd stick to their plain yogurt.

Chocolate-Covered Marshmallows

I once described someone as thus: "he's like a chocolate-covered marshmallow - dark and hard on the outside, soft and sweet on the inside." And isn't that how chocolate-covered marshmallows are?

I've always loved chocolate-covered marshmallows but I think Lumont is the best I've tried so far.

Milo Dinosaur vs Godzilla

There is such a thing as Milo Dinosaur. It's iced Milo with a scoop or Milo powder on top. Can be bought from most hawker stalls and food shops in Singapore. The best I've tried is McDonald's Milo dinosaur shake, but it was a seasonal thing so I can't get it now even if I want to. Hmp.

Then there is also the Milo Godzilla. Iced Milo with a scoop or vanilla ice cream and Milo powder on top. Can be bought at Spize: the Makan Place.

Is there really a contest? Obviously you know who is the winner.

Hokkien Mee for Me

My first favorite Singaporean food was the prawn Hokkien Mee. It tastes a bit like the Philippine palabok only less fishy and not yellow. Perhaps the reason why it's so popular with Filipinos based in Singapore. The best one I've tried so far is from Vivo City's Food Republic.

Chowking is a King Indeed

Halo-halo is a popular Filipino dessert that is a mixture of shaved ice and milk to which are added various boiled sweet beans and fruits, and served cold in a tall glass or bowl. the most popular ones are from Razon and Chowking. I prefer the latter. The slices of leche flan and real ube are my favorite parts.

My other favorites from Chowking are chao fan, tofu (love the sauce) and siomai with toyomansi and chili oil. They actually have siew mai here in Singapore but no toyomansi. Where is the fun in that?

Fresh or No Dalandan at All

Dalandan is the Philippine native orange, and its juice is slightly sweeter than your usual orange. You can squeeze it to make dalandan juice or shake. It's my favorite drink of all time, but I want it fresh, not the ones that are made from concentrates. I like Dencio's version. My former housemate Reggie also makes them so good that the first time I tasted his creation, I asked, "Reggie, will you marry me?"

House of Sylvanas

I miss the sweet cold chewy sylvanas from House of Sylvanas. I used to swing by their branch in Glorietta 4 and buy a couple of pieces (at Php19 each) right before heading up to the movie theatre. There were many other flavors inside their freezer, but I always just chose the original one.

Quickly's Taro Ice

Purple is my favorite color except when it comes to food. I usually don't like ube (yam) flavored food until I tried Quickly's Taro Ice. Then I quickly became a fan. I especially love the nago (nata de coco sago, I suppose). Nata de coco are such wonderful things.

There's a stall in Glorietta 4 Foodcourt.

Pretzel Perfect

I love Auntie Anne's pretzel (plain or cheese) with caramel dip.

Aston's Hickory Chicken Barbeque

You can get cheap (less than S$15) and delicious steaks from Aston's (yes, there is no H after S). I love mine medium well (not medium rare, apparently there's a difference) even though the average Pinoy loves theirs well done.

Cheaper still are the barbeque chicken. I love the hickory chicken barbeque with a sweet-sour taste. At less than S$7, it already comes with two side dishes of your choice.

Barbeque Stingray

Let's avenge Steve Irwin's death* and eat a lot of stingray! This is my most favorite Singaporean food. Love the ones from Makan Sutra and Newton Circus hawker stalls.

*Steve Irwin, known as Australian TV's "Crocodile Hunter," was pierced to death by a stingray while he was being filmed snorkelling for a show.

Starbucks Represents More Than Just Coffee

Starbucks hot mocha sipped with a happy little straw equals happiness.

Cereal Prawns

They're delicious from Newton Circus hawker stalls. Elsewhere it's not as good.

Recipe: Beef and Eggplant Medley

Ingredients:
250 grams ground beef
1 big eggplant, sliced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
cooking oil or butter
1 tablespoon chicken stock
1 tablespoon tomato ketchup
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 cup of water
salt and seasoning granules

Preparation:
Saute the garlic in cooking oil or butter in a pan.
Brown the ground beef (about 5 minutes).
Stir in the eggplant.
Mix the chicken stock, ketchup, and soy sauce with the water and pour into the pan.
Add salt and seasoning granules to taste (about a teaspoon of each should be fine).
Stir for about 3 minutes.

Tsokolate Ice Cream Cake

This mini chocolate ice cream cake came all the way from my hometown, Zamboanga City. Apparently a franchise of Tsokolate has opened there. It has such a real chocolate taste that I honestly prefer it over Myrna's, whose cakes don't taste good at all, just their icing with the rich butter taste.

Thailand's Turon

What I like to call Thailand's turon (a Philippine banana-based delicacy) - fried batter and egg wrapped around some sliced bananas and drizzled with condensed milk. Bought off the sidewalks.

Doitung's Chocolate Macadamia Dream

Doitung's chocolate-macadamia blended ice drink is a dream. Worth every calorie.

Piri-Piri Portuguese Flame-Grilled Chicken

Located at basement 1 in Siam Paragon, Thailand.

I'd recommend the piri-piri chicken.

For your drink, get a coconut shake (smoothie). They even serve it in a coconut shell.

Thailand Fresh Coconut Ice Cream

Creamy coconut ice cream served with fresh coconut strips in its shell.

Apparently available for only a limited time in Siam Paragon's basement 1. Glad I caught it.