See The English House In Singapore, food from Marco Pierre White

 

Photos by Faith.

 Jasmine Faith Vahdati IP5:  Faith. Credentials: holds Master’s Degree, holds ABRSM Grade 8 Piano with Distinction, 2nd place winner of piano competition in USA. Past President of Braddell Heights Advanced Toastmasters Club and winner of speech contests in multiple categories.

 Jasmine Faith Vahdati IP5: Currently teaching piano and studying piano under a world-renowned pianist who won the Russian National Piano Competition three times.

Faith’s dream is to perform piano at Carnegie Hall in New York City, USA.

The English House restaurant in Singapore. As you can see, you have a choice of round of oblong tables. tables for two or big tables. Dining chairs or stools.  The decor includes books and models of cars and animals such as horses. 

Singaporean local food includes fish head curry on bamboo leaves, dishes with unfamiliar names such as kway teow. If you are craving English food here in Singapore, says Faith, check out the English House!

It's a super quaint restaurant.

It's in Mohamed Sultan Road.

Faith ate Eton mess. It's a traditional dessert, usually consisting of stawberries and crushed hard white meringue with thick whipped double cream hiding strawberries. The fresh strawberries help to comensate for the sugariness of meringue, which is made from egg whites and what the British call caster sugar, not to be confused with icing sugar which is a powdered sugar which the Americans call confectioner's sugar.

The food is by renowned chef Marco Pierre White.

The restaurant has rooms. (Bedrooms.)

Photo from Wikipedia article on the chef.

I had Eton mess in the UK in Windsor. You can walk across the bridge to Eton. Like Buda and Pest in Hungary, two places either side of the river. 

If you want to make the dish at home, if you don't have strawberries you can use another red fruit or even bananas. To making it less sickly and cloying you can add yogurt.

Useful Websites

theenglishhouse.com

The history of the food Eton mess and variations on ingredients

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eton_mess

Recipe for Eton mess

https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Cookbook:Eton_Mess

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Travelling To Success Like Marco Pierre White - No Qualifications - Training as A Chef

I was emailed about Marco Pierre White appearing at the Taste of London Festival in Regents Park, London, England. I said to myself, er, remind me, which restaurant is he associated with? I looked him up on the internet expecting to find him on Wikipedia but went straight to his own page.

The first photo was a bit off putting. Something white which looked like a cigarette was in his mouth. Maybe not. I persisted. Had to know.

Then comes the big bang surprise. He has been the apprentice of, or colleague of, or boss of, a whole slew of world famous chefs. Such as Blumenthal (of the Fat Duck). They have all or mostly worked in Michelin starred restaurants, and words 'world's youngest' keep cropping up.

Finally, the real message of hope. He says, "I left school with no qualifications."

Wow. What an achievement. What a success story. Not Cinderella or rags to riches but no qualifications to known worldwide chef. That is one of the answers I've been looking for. What can you do if you have no qualifications?

Worldwide the answers are to make clothes, sell food, sell goods, work in construction. But being a trainee chef has extra possibilities.

I had already discovered at food fairs that you can join the army or navy or merchant navy as an apprentice chef. What are the advantages of life on board ship? That's where to do if you want to see the world and be part of a community. (See one of my previous posts.)

In America you need never be unemployed if you are willing to work in a fast food outlet such as McDonalds. I should have said you need never go hungry.

I think the worst thing is to sit around unemployed. If you are employed you meet people, both staff and customers. You learn about the world. I now have something to say to those who have no qualifications. I now have the basis for a speech at Toastmasters Clubs worldwide.

I think if you are an extravert you would prefer to be a waiter or bar person. If you are an introvert you might prefer to create in the kitchen and deal with inanimate objects. (If you are afraid of the heat and burning yourself, stick to specialising in salads, fruits, and cold desserts and cold buffets.)

If you have a young relative or friend who has no qualifications, they might go to cookery school and discover their forte.

It is a skill, a job, a source of pride, something you can say about yourself. And you will never go hungry. You can cook for yourself. You can make a dish for a dinner party and always be a welcome guest.

If you want to see Marco Pierre White or visit his hotels, these are useful links:

www.marcopierrewhite.co

Mark your diary now
Taste Of London 15-19 June 2016.

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer.