Book Review : The Mile Hi! Club by Janet Chew

As the book's name implies, The Mile Hi! Club deals with the travel industry. In particular with the commercial aviation industry. The book claims to offer an insider's peek into the glossy world of stewardesses and an insight into the not-so-glossy goings on behind the curtains.

Written by Singaporean Janet Chew who 'has spent working her ass off in an airline, reputably one of the best in the world', it leaves you wondering why Singapore Airlines (SQ) is not named specifically as her employer and the main playground for the events of the book to unfold. The book lists interesting accounts from how crew are forced to stay in jaw dropping shape to be able to fit into their fitted uniforms to newly recruited crew being paired up with buddies a.k.a. senior attendants on their initial flights and getting lessons in serving meals, handling irate passengers, covering up for crew errors (spilling wine on a man's crotch) etc. Some accounts are hilarious and will leave you with some compassion for airline crew the next time you fly.

Some other incidents mentioned herein offer explanation for SQ not being explicitly mentioned as Chew's employer. Clearly the airline did not authorize Chew to write this book which might tarnish SQ's impeccable image and change people's opinion of the smiling 'Singapore girl' what with details of crew pilfering toasters, pots, pans from hotels and hold your breath, even cutting carpets from under hotel beds to display at home! But I am sure this kind of behavior is not restricted to Chew's erstwhile colleagues only. Au contraire, if these are the shenanigans of one of the best paid crew in the world, we can only imagine what other airlines' crew members are upto.

The book is not all about work though. Accounts of crew partying, dating and male passengers fantasizing about uniform clad women after being accidentally offered a peek a boo when they come around to drop window shades are all to be found here. Whilst Chew's writing style is amateurish at best, what is glaring is the poor English and lenient use of slang words which make this book an exercise in reading Slanglish. If you are looking for quality literature, you won't find it here. The book is ideal pool-side and in-flight reading (no pun intended) and I would recommend it only for some of the realistic insights it offers into what is seen as an all gloss and no grime profession. Just avoid reading it aboard an SQ flight !

Restaurant Review : Indochine (Clarke Quay), Singapore

Indochine has been around in Singapore for a long time and with their unique mixed offering of Thai, Vietnamese and Asian dishes, the restaurant chain is usually an agreeable compromise amongst diners with different palates. Their Waterfront restaurant at Boat Quay is the most popular one being sold out for dinner on most days. Offering scenic views of the Singapore skyline and river front, the restaurant is much sought after for its outdoor dining experience. In my opinion the restaurant is a let down but I'll save that for another review. A short walk down the river stands another Indochine restaurant by the Clarke Quay waterfront within a complex called 'Forbidden City.' Clarke Quay is short on quality dining options so it was with friends I headed somewhat listlessly to Indochine on a Friday evening.

Given Singapore's sultry May weather, there were few takers for the outdoor seats but we gladly settled into the ones directly under fans. Deciding to skip appetizers we went straight for the main course. First came the chicken in basil sauce which is always a sure winner here. Perfectly done and difficult to do better. Next to come was the crispy seabass fillet. Though tasty, the dish did leave me flummoxed. The menu specifically states this to be a fillet and I double checked with the waiter if this was indeed the case as we had members in our party who did not relish the sight of a full fish with head, tail etc. And voila - what appeared on our table was precisely that ! A full fish with cuts made in the main body to ease the scooping process but a full fish nonetheless. I was exasperated with the menu description and with the waiter's misleading communication regarding the same. The fish was tasty but due to its presentation, I was practically the only person having it. What injustice to what could have been a good dish. Accompanying our meats was a portion of Lad Na - stir fried noodles with chicken, eggs and prawns. Lip smacking and again, always a hit on the table. Did I mention we had also ordered Chilli Tiger Prawns with Mango Sauce which came when our entire meal was over? We had a full mind to return it but knowing they would charge us anyways, decided to give it a try. Big mistake. The mashed prawns were cold, rubbery and totally skippable.

As for drinks, friends were having Yamazaki and ordered it on the rocks with water on the side. Not only did the whisky come without ice or water, but it took the waiter a good 20 minutes to get them. Couple of Erdingers that were ordered were warm and flat. Clarke Quay thrives on F&B and more on the 'B' part of it. How a place in a party district can get beverages so wrong is beyond me. Guess it all boils down to poor service and lackadaisical attitude. You have to look around for waiters to come and serve you. And every round is served by a new face making it all the more difficult to pin down one waiter responsible for your table. The only thing that came promptly and efficiently was the bill. Big waste of money when you fork out SGD200+ for the above.

Walk into Indochine Clarke Quay at your own risk. You cannot say you haven't been sufficiently warned. And yes, now I know why they call it the Forbidden City.

Hotel Review : Hotel Ambassador, Zurich, Switzerland

Everything is expensive in Zurich and it is difficult to find value in this Swiss city. From eating out to hotel rates to even bottled water, you pay top dollar for them all. So when I was faced with having to book a hotel for a 3 day trip to Zurich, options were limited and expensive. I usually avoid business hotels since they are always fully booked and too pricey for the too little they offer. Apart from their generic look, they share another aspect : you never feel genuinely comfortable in them.

I was looking for hotels around Opera House in the city centre which would also offer good connectivity to Zurich airport. All options were eye wateringly expensive and Ambassador Hotel popped up as the most reasonable option with rooms priced in CHF 250-350 range. In any other city this kind of money would get you a 5 star hotel but in pricey Zurich, 4 star luxury is the best it can buy and I promptly booked it. The location is hard to beat. Zurich airport is 16 minutes away from the nearest train station, Stadelhofen which is a mere 5 minutes walk from the hotel. Ambassador Hotel is easily accessible from tram as well towards 'Opernhaus' stop. From the moment I walked into the hotel, I got a good vibe. I am usually very sceptical of European hotels since I believe hospitality is an experience best enjoyed in Asia. The check-in was smooth and I was promptly showed to my room on the top floor. The hotel is housed in a classic five storey vintage building and a compact lift unable to accommodate more than 2 guests is available to ferry you up and down. Do note none of the standard hotel facilities like fitness centre, swimming pool are available at the Ambassador.

The hotel is located at an intersection and on one side faces its sister hotel 'Opera' across the street. In some people's opinion the hotel may lack character what with its small reception area and lack of common spaces. All rooms are of different sizes and shapes and you are well advised to enquire about the exact room you'd be occupying. My room, though small by Asian standards, was of a comfortable size and the attached bathroom was decent. Swiss city hotels are typically no-frills and the best you can expect is a coffee maker which is duly provided. A pleasant positive was the free wifi which is strangely compatible only with laptops. If you are carrying an Ipad, expect to face some issues. The bed was comfortable and my only complaint with the room was paucity of storage space. If you have a few clothes to hang, then it is a problem. Upon check-in I had been handed a 25% discount voucher for use at the hotel's award winning restaurant also called 'Opera'. Seeing it crowded during my stay, I had full intentions of dining there but unfortunately it did not happen. It is famous for its fish dishes and I do intend to try it on my next visit.

Buffet breakfast is not included in the room rate and at CHF 28 is expensive for the nominal spread on offer. There is no live cooking station which means you cannot have anything cooked to your taste. I'd recommend you skip the hotel breakfast and grab a bite at any of the numerous cafes around the hotel. I highly recommend 'Tidbits' which is located a mere 2 minutes away from the hotel. Ambassador's front office staff doubles up as concierge and are very friendly, polite and helpful. They gave me useful tips on what to see, how to get around and convinced me in buying a 24 hour Zurich Card. Must say it was the sanest piece of advice I received since the Card includes unlimited train and tram travel including a return ride to the airport, complimentary entrance to museums and a short cruise on the Limmat lake. All for CHF 20. If you wish, a 72 hour Zurich Card is also available for CHF 40. The front desk staff also recommended a trip to Uetliberg for panaromic views of Zurich city and lake of Zurich which was well worth my time and I highly recommend you make that trip as well.

Overall, the Ambassador satisfies with its comfortable rooms, polite staff and unbeatable location. It is a short walk to the Limmat lake front and a 20 minutes easy walk to Bahnofstrasse, Zurich's upmarket shopping enclave. However, if you are expecting blissful luxury of the pampering kind this is not the place for you. But then, Zurich is not a holiday spot to begin with. It is a business centre and most hotels are geared to service business travelers. I'd recommend this hotel primarily for its location apart from comfortable basic rooms. Remember to skip the breakfast and you'll be fine. If there is value to be found in Zurich, this is it.

P.S. I came across a website (among a host of others) that offers tips and recommendations for the budget conscious Swiss traveller. Check it out http://www.myswissalps.com/en/hotelszurich.aspx 

Request to all travelers, diners et al

For all of you writing to me seeking help with travel and dining plans : it will be great if you can provide me with some information regarding length of stay, budget and travel preferences (mountain vs beach holidays, historical vs nightlife bent) rather than "Iam planning to go to Italy and need travel ideas." Help me to help you! I look forward to hearing from you at jeevesonthego@gmail.com

Thank you for seeking my inputs. Happy planning! The journey is often more interesting than the destination.

Restaurant Review : Britannia, Mumbai, India

'There is no love greater than the love of eating.' This is the sign which greets you when you enter the hallowed portals of Britannia, the nearly century old Parsi food restaurant in Mumbai. I've been a regular at Britannia for as long as I can remember but unfortunately, most of the time it has been take-away for me. The place is so crowded on weekdays (it opens only for lunch) that dining in was not really an option in the years I visited and stayed in Mumbai.

After a gap of 3 years, I revisited Britannia last month. Located in the once busy business district of Ballard Estate, the restaurant is one of a handful of Irani cafes left in Mumbai today. If you want to have a fix of Parsi food now, there is little to choose from except Ideal, Paradise and Britannia. I deliberately omit Jimmy Boy Cafe as the food is too nouveau and the final result on your table is anything but authentic Parsi cuisine. Cafe Mondegar, Cafe Leopold and Cafe Churchill in Colaba, whilst being owned by Parsis, serve continental and Chinese cuisine and down the road, another Parsi owned landmark Cafe Royal is famed for its steaks.

The son of the original owner and current owner of Britannia - 90 years young and charming Boman Kohinoor still tends to tables, occasionally taking orders and making small talk with customers. Boman's younger son Romin is the main chef at Britannia whilst the elder one Afshin looks after the till. The Kohinoor family is very friendly and you can't miss them on a trip here. Knowing the menu by heart I rattled off my order and sat waiting for the food to arrive.  To beat the Mumbai heat, first came the Pallonji's drink in raspberry flavour. Other flavours available are ginger and ice cream soda. Even if you don't like raspberries, you have to try this ultra-sweet fizzy drink. Apart from Parsi weddings, this drink is unavailable anywhere and in the era of Coke-Pepsi, the limited production from the Pallonji stable is just enough to cater to Parsi wedding demand and retail at a few Irani cafes.

One look around me and I noticed the interiors haven't changed one bit. The simple furniture is set in the classic Parsi style - glass table top placed over wooden tables covered with checked tablecloths. Plenty of signboards hang all over the place and vary from the functional 'debit and credit cards not accepted' to the hilarious ' Please don't argue with management.' The main wall of the restaurant is adorned with images of Zarathustra, Mahatma Gandhi and Queen Elizabeth II. The restaurant still has a hangover of the colonial era when Parsis were the favoured Indian lot with the ruling British for their fair complexion, refined manners and pro-British stand. In fact, it is not surprising to see a few old Parsis still refer to Queen Elizabeth II as 'Apri Rani' (Our Queen)! All these thoughts ran through my head when I saw the portrait on the wall and could not help smiling to myself at how you can choose to live in a time warp if you so wish.

The Patra Ni Macchi arrived promptly. The fish seasoned with coconut paste and steamed in banana leaves has been a winner for many years and thankfully still retains its melt-in-the-mouth taste. The fish is served in a way that the adept waiters can easily scoop the meat portion off the main bone without you having to worry about it in your mouthful. Next was the Sali Boti. These are succulent pieces of mutton marinated in ginger-garlic paste topped with cinnamon gravy and generously sprinkled with crispy matchstick potatoes. Absolutely heavenly and I polished them off to the last morsel. What followed next was Britannia's signature dish - Mutton Berry Pulav. Enough has been written about this dish : from Boman's wife introducing this item on the menu to the berries being imported from Iran to this day for the authentic taste. This is essentially a rice dish served with mutton balls and garnished with cashewnuts, fried onions and red berries. The distinctive flavour of well cooked mutton, steaming rice coupled with the crispy taste of onions and sweet taste of berries brings alive your taste buds like nothing else. I was in half a mind to order the dhansak as well but desisted in favour of dessert. Dhansak is a lentil preparation with chicken / mutton dunked in it and has gained a cult following not withstanding the fact it is widely a funeral dish in Parsi culture. As such, it is rarely cooked at homes and is mostly consumed outside. I couldn't have left Britannia without indulging in that most Parsi of sweets : Caramel Custard. This is one item that always emerges a winner at Britannia with its smooth consistency, light sweetness and delectable syrup.

Has Britannia changed in all these years? To quote Jean Paul Sartre, nothing has changed and yet everything is different. Whilst the ownership, decor and menu is the same, portion sizes and their prices are showing strains of inflation. The berry pulav till not so long ago used to be generously loaded with mutton kebabs for less than INR 100. Today a less meatier version costs INR 350. The prices though are still very reasonable for a dying cuisine. Britannia has its loyal set of international patrons and you should not be surprised to see large take-away orders being packed for patrons to be carried as precious cargo to cities all over the world and enjoyed on special occasions.

On your way out, don't forget to say hello to another of Britannia's beloved fixtures : a trio of friendly canines and couple of cats who have been domesticated by the Kohinoors. They respond well to hugs and pats and seem to sense customers who enjoyed a Britannia meal ! I would be back to Britannia in a heartbeat. Mostly for the food but largely also for the fact this restaurant and its ilk may not be around in the next few years. Enjoy it while you can. On your next trip to Mumbai, make time for the Black Cock if you haven't already been here. Take in the charm of a carefully preserved era whilst enjoying a delectable feast of a centuries old cuisine. Priceless.

Airline Review : Aer Lingus

Aer Lingus is the national carrier of Ireland and second most popular in the country after Ryan Air. I can only comment on the airline's continental services as I've used it to fly between Paris, Cork, Dublin and Nice. Didn't get off to a flying start with them on my maiden flight as snowfall delayed our flight by 12 hours and ground staff was clueless on expected time of departure and showed great inability to handle agitated passengers.

What's going for the airline :
1. Website is very user friendly and if you book tickets at least 3 months in advance, you can avail of very low fares which could go up by 5-6 times as you approach your travel date.
2. In flight crew is friendly and smiling.
3. Overhead baggage space is decent on planes servicing continental Europe.
4. Continental connectivity is very good and they typically offer quite a few options per sector.
5. Let me shout this from the rooftop : Fares, fares, fares - they are the best I've seen on any carrier in Europe and can be lower than Easy Jet and Ryan Air for a lot of European destinations.

What can do with some help :
1. Our flight from Paris to Cork was delayed due to heavy snowfall (yes - having to spend 12 hours at CDG is a nightmare by itself!) and all Aer Lingus could offer during the period was a Eur 10 voucher for food! Passengers were not allowed to check into nearby hotels at their own cost also. Reason provided was 'security concerns.' Some empathy from airline management will do wonders for EI.
2. Inexperienced ground staff which is ill equipped to handle irate passenger crowds in exceptional situations.
3. Seats are very narrow and uncomfortable. There is very little leg space and if you recline your chair, the person behind you is going to have a very tough time eating and sleeping.
4.  No personal inflight entertainment system on Continental flights.
5. Food and beverage choices on board are limited and expensive.
6. Airline is not part of any of the global frequent flyer networks - One World or Star Alliance which means no mileage accrual for your EI flights.

Overall rating : 4/10. More suited for holiday crowd than business folk as the on-time performance record seems to be an issue. Fly Aer Lingus if you don't have connecting flights / trains to take and have the luxury to book tickets well in advance. Atleast the low fares will compensate to some extent for any inconvenience one might face at time of travel. And frankly, their fares should be the only reason you fly aboard the Shamrock.

Restaurant Review : The Tent Mongolian Fresh Grill and Bar, Singapore

I'd never had Mongolian food before and after a visit to The Tent which claims to be a Mongolian Grill, I am not sure if I've still tasted Mongolian food. Having said that, I've heard good reviews about the place and a visit was on the cards for sometime. The restaurant opened in 2006 and enjoys a good location around the central fountain area in Clarke Quay.

On entering the place, the ambience is underwhelming. Seems more like an office lunch place with its dark interiors and functional furniture. The restaurant offers both indoor and outdoor seating. The staff politely showed us to a table and explained the concept at The Tent. You choose your vegetables, meats, noodles and have them tossed on a hot grill with your choice of sauce. You can choose between a normal platter costing SGD 30++ which offers one soup, one appetizer and one round of the grill. The more popular Genghis Khan platter offers unlimited rounds of the grill for SGD 36++ which makes it the preferred option with diners. We settled for the Genghis Khan as well and with the 20 vegetable and 15 meat options coupled with your pick of rice, noodles or pasta, you are not short of choice. What is critical is your choice of sauce and this is where the staff is very helpful. I mentioned my preference for spicy sauces which would gel well with chicken and prawns and the waiter recommended a very good one. The food is then all tossed together and cooked on the grill and served to you in a bowl.

The ambience is laid back and service is polite and efficient. If you need help with putting together your meal, the staff is happy to assist. Ultimately it is all about the sauce. The overall concept is akin to a salad bar and as with dressings, without the correct sauce here you could end up with a strange tasting potpourri of cooked meats and vegetables. The restaurant is open for lunch as well albeit with a smaller spread. The wine list offers limited wines but at very reasonable prices. The Tent is not a place for fine dining and I wouldn't recommend you trudge all the way to Clarke Quay only to dine here but if you are in the vicinity and need quick comfort food, then you should be making a stop here for the not-so-Mongolian but enjoyable food.