In 1977 when the the original Star Wars film – the one simply called Star Wars – was released, my only foreign travel until then was to Singapore. Otherwise, all our family holidays were taken in Malaysia. The premise of life in a galaxy far, far away was novel and exciting, and I fell truly, madly, deeply in love with the film. Somewhere in a past cache of souvenirs I had photo books, toy models and a Polaroid photo of me with someone dressed as Chewbacca, taken when the film was being promoted in Kuala Lumpur.
I mention Star Wars because yesterday was 4th May, and the in-joke for fans of the franchise is to greet each other with May the Fourth be with you. It is also the date my dad passed away three years ago. I wanted to gather the children round for a dinner but they were otherwise engaged, so we are marking this instead tonight.
We are also seeing Investment Banker Friend and King’s College Boy for dinner. The last time we met up (with mum Shoe Lady) was in Singapore when we were invited to a very special meal at Pangium, located within the grounds of the Singapore Botanic Gardens. Every dish was delightful and at every point in the meal I had this overwhelming thought: we are so fortunate to have someone like Chef Malcolm Lee to think through and reinterpret traditional dishes, and to take care of everything from the description and evolution of the dish, to its presentation, lighting and even a goodbye gift.
One of my favourite verses in the Bible is Jesus’s promise: Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28). This rest is a spiritual rest that takes away our burdens and places them on Jesus who, as the embodiment of God in human form, is the only person who has the power to shoulder it. If we try to carry our own burdens, it would crush us.
Even then, as Christians, we cannot escape life events that tire us or bring us down. Dinner at restaurants like Pangium are a reminder that rest can still be found daily, and that dining with treasured friends provides refreshment in itself.
Photos of some of the dishes we had at dinner are below. I am unable to describe each dish as well as our lovely server did. I highly recommend my readers to head there themselves, with me in tow if possible.
Pangium’s menu is always a work in progress
Pang susi
Laksa Kedah
Spicy mee sua
Kiam hu kut gulai & nasi ulam
Bugis beef rendang, sambal telur pecah, sate lilit
Carrot bakwan kepiting soup
To end our meal: mikan sorbet and kumquat, coconut sorbet and a selection of kuehs
It isn’t over until it’s over: we packed the cakes home and the attention to detail was still evident at this point
Pangium: Gallop Entrance, Singapore Botanic Gardens, 11 Gallop Road, Singapore 259015. A reservation at the restaurant allows you to drive in via the separate entrance located nearest to the restaurant.