ALL
ABOARD! Imagine being transported to a different time, ti
the bygone er of Agatha Christie with famous Belgian detective Hercule Poirot
in Christie’s novel, “Murder on teh Orient Express”. Except this time, there
isn’t any murder on the train, nor is there any famous Belgian detective.Teh
plot has changed: on board is a celebrity chef and a bunch of journalists fro
mfour countries – Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and the Philippines – the
public relatins team of Asian Food Channel, lucky winners of the “Jonathan
Phang’s Courmet Getaway” contest, as well as other international travellers.
And this orient express isn’t the one that runs
throughout the European countryside, but the Eastern & Oriental Express
which travels through the exotic tropical rainforest , paddy fields,
villages, towns and cities of Malaysia
and Thailand, journeying from Singapore to Bangkok.
Both trains are owned and operated by Belmond, a
premium travel curator and connoisseur taht owns a collection of 46 iconic
hotels, trains and river cruises worldwide.
Our journey starts from teh Raffles Hotel in
Singapore wehre we checked in to the E&O Express.
While waiting, we are served teh renowned
Singapore sling cocktail, born rihgt in this very hotel in 1915.
It was created by a Hainanese bartender working at
the Long Bar at the hotel. We then proceed to the Woodlands Train Checkpoint to
board the train.
Just like its original namesake, teh E&O
Express exudes old world glamour. From the moment you step on board, it is like
stepping into a different time and place wehre life slows down...and wehre
there is no television, gym, Internet or Wi-Fi (gaps!). doormen in smart
uniforms wait at the carriages to assisst passengers to their cabins.
Even in the limited space that one would expect on
a train, it exudes elegance, and is very comfortable and extremly cozy.
Wood-panelled walls and warm lighting add tothe
cahrming ambience as tropical rainforests, rivers and villages whizz by outside
the large window.
The scent of fresh jasmine pot-pourti waft through
when I open the bathroom door to a hot and cold shower compartment, sink,
cabineet and seat toilet.
Each carriage is assigned a pesonal steward who
sees to the comfort of the guests, reminiscent of a personal butler in days
gone by.
My steward is Eakachai, or jsut “Ea”. He makes
sure that i have breakfast in bed (literally, because the sofa is turned down
into a comfortable bed before sundown and only reconverted into a sofa afte
breakfast!) at time taht I specify, and afternoon tea each day with real china
on a silver tray with real silverware cutlery.
Lunches adn dinners are held at one of the dining
cars, quaintly named Malaya adn Rosaline.
Elaborate table lamps, polished silverware,
crystal glasses, starched white tablecloths adn personalized menus – so
characteristic of the charm of the 1930s – add to the opulent of a bygone era.
Lunch is a semi-formal affair, and dinner is
formal, something that i have to get used to, as I’m a regular
jeans-and-no-make-up kind of person, but dressing up forthe occasion adds to
the whole romantic feel of being on board teh elegant express.
I am amazed at how such delicious meals of good
portion could be prepared in such compct kitchens, and also the versatiltiy of
the dishes, which combine both flavors of the East and the West.
the meals prepared by executive chef Yannis Martineau
from France are the epitome of fine dining.
There are exquisite appetizers like cauliflower
bavois and vegetable medley with smoked duck breast, mouthwatering mains like
medallion of beef with foie gras croqueette and Asian vegetables, vindaloo
sauce adn mustard foam, and delectable desserts like chocolae and pandan mousse
on crispy hazelnut praline with coconut coulis.
For the participants of this trip, the icing on
the cake is, of course, meeting UK-based celebrity chef and host Jonathan
Phang, and enjoying a five-course Caribean-style dinner specially prepared by
him on board the train.
What is special about Phang’s style of cooking is
that, because of his unique Carribean background (his father is Chinese adn his
mother is Creole), it is a potpourri of tastes.
It is enchanting to savor the diverse flavors in
teh dishes that the celebrity chef serves up that night, which are also
featured in his cook book, The Peerpot
Club: A Celebration of Caribbean Cuisine.
Nuances of Western herbs and West Indian spices in
the pumpkin soup, touches of West Indian spices in teh cod fish cakes with red
mayonnaise, and traces of traditional chinese sesonings in the beef peppoepot
and jerk chicken, as well as hints of East Indian spices in teh chickpea and
vegetable curry, he mian courses served during dinner...all adds to the
uniqueness of the meal.
So..what does one do on board a luxurious tain
like the Easter & Oriental Express, wehre there are no internet or Wi-Fi,
television or gym? To taht, i have to stay taht it’s a really “social”
environment.
Besides hanging out in our cabins, tehr is a
reading room wehre one can sit and while away time amidst the pages of a novel,
a boutique wehr one can buy premium souvenirs, and evenings can be spentwathin
teh sunset fromteh obwervation car which is adjacent to a colonial,
planter-style lounge bar at the back fo the rain wehre one can chat with other
travllers, sit and sip champagne, or enjoy an espresso while wathcing the world
bo by.
There’s also a piano bar where guests can gather
to enjoy cocktails and after-dinner drinks while listening to vveteran pianist,
Singapore Pete.
Humour is a huge part of Phang’s adventures and
the down-to-earth celebrity host and food adventurer really throws himself into
each experience.
From telling us amusing anecdotes of his travels
to joining in the sing-a-along at the piano bar after dinner, Phang is an
excellent host and makes everyone feel at home.
Sleeping on a constantly moving train is a unique
experience for me. For some, the rocking motion of the trains lulls them to
slumberland easily, but for lights sleepers, wearing earplugs, or taking sleep
medication may help.
I’m thankful that I have to do neither to sleep,
but I wake up a few times during the night and wonder why everyting around me
is moving!
Not all the time is spent on board the train.
There are two exursions in the works.
The first is at the royal town of Kuala Lumpur in
Malaysia, wehre we are brought on a wet market tour by Phang and Martineau to
shop for ingredients for dinner.
We also visit the orayl Ubudiah Mosque, with its
majestic golden dome and minarets. The second is tothe River Kwai Bridge, in
Kanchanaburi, Thailand, wehre we go on a raft down the river, pass by a
Vietnamese temple, and ivsit the Kanchanaburi War Cemetery adn Museum.
According to Phang, one of his most moving
experiences travelling on the Eastern & Oriental Express was two years ago
at this location.
When they wer visiting the River Kwai Bridge dan
war cemetery, he noticed a group of older Australians who were learly war
veterans on a pilgrimage.
“When you see the River Kwai Bridge, something
rally hits you and you think: ‘Oh my God, how many people died here? Tens of
thousands.’
“It dawns on you when you see rows of graves of
young soldiers. That brought me down to earth very quickly and I did shed some
tears off screen. It was a very special and emotional part of my journey. I tas
teh place that moved me the most, and i will always remember it.”
Our journey rounds off at the Bangkok Railway Station
where we are brought t othe Dusit Thani Hotel for the night before catching our
flight back home the next day [*/traveladdress.blogspot.com]
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