Durian cake in Singapore and durian comparison

I love durian cakes and ice cream although I don't like the fruit. This cake had very little flavour nor aroma. Could not offend. But not sufficiently exciting to make me want to buy it. I did not eat a second piece. Interesting. 

I am glad somebody bought it and I am glad I tried it. Saved me from wasting my money. Oops - I think the green was pandan and the yellow was durian. I also find pandan cakes have almost non-existent flavour which does not match up to the enticing colour.

The Japanese would say, "very subtle flavour". 

I thought the durian season was over, because McDonald's had changed their formely durian flavour McFlurry (flavoured melting ice cream in a drink carton) 'drink' flavours to strawberry and chocolate. Flavour of the month.

 I asked an assistant and she thought her branch changed every two months. I presume although they have some autonomy that the bulk buying of McDonalds meant the same flavours were available to all branches. You either stock it or you don't.

I have to say nobody else has supplied a durian flavour to match the one from McDonatds which I tried and wrote about previously.

Eat Out At National University Hospital

Problem
After a day in A and E, I went back to the ENT department for some checkups, as well as an X-ray. You are in the hospital during lunch hour. Where do you eat?

Hospital Location
National University Hospital is very convenient. It is right next to Kent Ridge MRT station.
The skyscraper building has a food court where the staff and the patients can eat, just like any other shopping mall.

Food Break
Your choice of food is varied. When I was there stalls were offering all kinds of chicken and meat and egg dishes, seafood, Chinese and Asian food, Japanese food, Indian and Malay food, Halal food, vegetarian food, a fruit and fruit juice stall, plus tea and coffee.

Choice Of Food
As usual, my husband and I differed completely on our views of the food. He had shellfish. I'm allergic to it. I had a durian dessert. He won't go near anything durian. (I kept the contents secret until I had finished.

My first thought was to go for my favourite, chicken rice, but I eat that a lot at home, so I opted for a novelty. I wanted masala dosai. However the dosai was unavailable.  Instead I had another Indian bread pancake, with two side dishes, one of which was chickpeas.

I could not try my husband's shellfish.

However, he was happy to try the Indian bread and chickpeas. he said it was good. I thought the bread was dry and so-so.

Durian Dessert
The durian was in generous amounts, but bland. It may not be the right time of year, because the McDonalds McFlurry durian promotion has just ended (October). I must say the McDonald durian was better.

This is all I got in A and E. A bread and jam sandwich and water.

What was good about the place?

Seats and Tables
Seats with backs. Very big and busy yet still no trouble getting a table.

Menus And Healthy Options
The menus showing dishes were marked with coloured ticks showing the healthiest and least healthy options.

Toilets
What was best of all? The toilets have built-in bidets. Turn a knob on the side, and you get a wash. That is much better than the old fashioned hose which sends water all over the floor and seat.

All in all, very good because it kept my escort happy.

Useful Addresses and Websites
National University Hospital
5 Lower Kent Ridge Road
Singapore 1199074
tel:(65) 5555

Hospital website
www.nuh.com.sg

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.

More Durian McFlurry At Anchorvale Community Club In An Inspiring Building With A Swimming Pool Please Copy

Durian McFlurry ice cream in a pot with a handy plastic spoon from McDonalds at Anchorvale Community Club, Singapore. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

Problem
Where was I going to find my next Durian McFlurry?

Answer
In the new Anchorvale Community Club near Changi Airport.  Our driver was busy parking and a friend and I were waiting in the large void deck. I ran over to take a picture of the super swimming pool which had coloured slides. My friend told me, "All the new Community Clubs in Singapore have swimming pools."

I am so pleased. Private condos have had swimming pools for years for expats and the better paid. The HDB flats which house the majority don't have swimming pools. the residents are expected to use the public swimming pools, most of which have simply oblong conventional swimming pools. As the newly-built condos have added water slides, curves and water features, so the public pools have now caught up.

Not only does this provide families with entertainment and exercise, it makes the community clubs more of an attraction, which provides more cohesiveness in the community, and makes the community club more profitable, so that other activities such as small meetings for minorities in meeting rooms can be subsidised by the paid for swimming pool.

The Anchorvale Community Club was a great success, if you were to judge by numbers of people. Parking places were in short supply. The McDonalds was thriving and had a busy indoor seating area and a quick-service window in the main hall.

At the quick window I saw a sign for a card to sign up for. I decided I should do this, as it was my second day running visiting a McDonalds. Their choice of foods is much greater than in the old days: fish, vegetarian - and durian (fruit) ice cream.

Unfortunately, downloading the app was a problem. I never made it.

However, I can tell you that the swimming pool in Anchorvale looks great. If you are anywhere else in the world (such as Asia, the UK now that global warming will be making longer summers) and the southern area of the USA, look at the Singaporean Community Centres which are built in every government housing estate, a model for the world to copy.

Please Copy Community Centres
The community centres provide central parks watched by the surrounding buildings. Ground floor shops and doctors and dentists and pre-school so the elderly and pregnant women and young mothers and fathers don't need to travel with low budgets and toddlers. Schemes offer housing swaps so that the elderly on high floors oe people with inclined to climb children can swap with those on ground or lower floors (who get kudos and/or awards, or rewards).

Community Housing
 The housing estates, built and maintained by the governments Housing Development Board (HDB) to provide affordable housing for all citizens.  Basic upgrades such as repainting outside walls and repairing paths and installing covered walkways to keep off the sunshine and rain are funded by the government.

Upgrades To Housing
Extras such as designing and installing gardens, gazebos, fountains and fish pools and sculpture and arches and more shops are chosen and half-funded by residents. Their ideas and imput of money means that they feel responsible for keeping the new facilities in good condition.

Anchorvale Community Centre is already up and running successfully. Next year we anticipate that the new MRT (mass transit) underground railway station will be completed.
(photos and websites being added shortly)

Useful Websites
SINGAPORE TOURISM
visitsingapore.com
singaporeair.com
HDB

McDONALDS
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDonald
mcdonalds.com.sg/locate-us
mcdelivery.com.sg

To view this website post:

http://travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com/2018/09/more-durian-mcflurry-at-anchorvale.html

Previous post on durian:
http://travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com/2018/09/durian-delight-at-macdonalds.html

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.
Please share links to your favourite posts. 

Is it McDonalds or MacDonalds?

McDonalds McFlurry. Photo by Angela Lansbury. copyright.

Problem
The confusion occurs because there's a big Mac.

Answer
It's actually McDonalds. Saves you time when typing, only one a. The clue should be in the word McFlurry. You can say Mc-something or other. But mc on its own is hard to say. A big mc doesn't work. So they decided on Big Mac.

Oops! It's easy to make a mistake. In my title I had MadDonalds! Doesn't typing and spell-checking drive you mad. Enough to make you want to eat a McDonalds.

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.