A few words from our friend Mark Hamilton, 

https://theluckyscratchingpost.wordpress.com/2018/08/08/chapter-x-in-honor-of-tony/

Chapter X, in honor of Tony

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“Context and memory play powerful roles in all the truly great meals of one’s life”  – Anthony Bourdain

How much do we learn about a place when we travel there?  How truly do we know and understand it’s culture, society, and people? These are questions I struggle with.  I have been to Singapore multiple times, and from the twitter accounts I follow, I’m still completely baffled.  I feel like in my failing Western eyes, that they will never comprehend this place, never understand what they have seen over the years, but yet, they compel me to return in my attempts.

So much has changed.  I am not the same person I was, nor is Singapore the same place.  We have both aged, grown, moved on in our existence.  Will this still be the same place I fell in love with.  Will its food still steal my desires with its allure?  I wonder if I’m struggling to recreate experiences which cannot be duplicated.

A large part of this trip is owed, and in honor of, my muse; Anthony Bourdain.  His passing was not just a loss to the food world, nor a loss to the TV world, but a loss to those that are interested in opening the eyes of our perception to the world.  Anthony’s death has affected me personally.  I very much modeled my travel approach after his:  Get lost, drink a lot, and immerse yourself in the experience.  Tell stories through the medium of food.  Someone who did what I long to do for life, how could he be unhappy?  And yet, I can see how the demons attack.  I have my own, as I’m sure he had his.

So how do I bereave that, how do I honor it?  I’d like to think…..go.  Do what you love, go where you love, experience things you love with those that are important to you.  I don’t have a specific agenda for this trip, nor do I want one.  But I want to go and experience a place that I love with a child-like vision.  Renewed in the fact that I’m on a trip to live life.  And that is what is most important, and what I think Anthony tried to communicate most.  Regardless of your wealth, status, or background, you should go.  Experience the unfamiliar, travel, share experiences, and connect with those around you in the world.  Because in doing so, you tell the story of others.

This entry was posted in Uncategorized on August 8, 2018.

Erich is back in business !!!

After only a few days of break renovating the new kiosk Erich is back and kicking. Not only more spacious but also covered is his new Wuerstelstand. 

No more excuses to stay home when it's raining or you're too tired because there is seating now as well. 

And no need to search for your beer or other drinks. Next to Erich a stall is selling liquids!

Isn't that fabulous news for sausage, meatloaf, 

pretzel, bread or onion bun lovers?

What are you waiting for? Get out of your lazy boys and visit Erich at his new location:

Blk 5 Banda Str, the K88 Coffehouse behind the stage in Chinatown! You can't miss it!

Soon Erich will offer his famous potato salad too!

Are you on your way yet? Cool, see you at Erich's!

I'm salivating now, I gotta go!

Year of the snake in Singapore

Happy Chinese New Year to all of Erich's customers and friends! 

Well, the "battle"and "war" on the KAESEKARAINER has been won!!!
Thanks to the support of all our friends



The Singapore Food Festival is back

Starting with July 13 (to July 22) all the gourmets can satisfy their desire for mouthwatering delicacies doing the annual Singapore Food Festival. This year focused on SEAFOOD!

You can experience this culinary event at the new Singapore Food Festival Village, the Waterfront Promenade@ Marina Bay! 

Up to 50 stalls will be featuring local favorites:

Chili Crab (my personal favorite!!)

and more.        I’m already salivating! :(  anyways...

Let’s look at some of the event highlights

    For details about the various cooking/demonstration workshops or dinners please checkout this website by clicking the logo

And last but not least, if you think you need a brake from Seafood visit Erich’s Wuerstelstand (who is officially part of the festival promotion) and enjoy discounts throughout the festival

The Sausage War is Over!

Austria and Slovenia finally find a solution in the cheese sausage war!

Austria and Slovenia came to a compromise in their quarrel about the name of a very specific sausage: the Kaese Krainer (cheese sausage). Slovenia files the name " Kranjska Klobasa" with the European Patent Office and Austria can continue to use the names : "Krainer resp. Kaese Krainer".

Both parties are very happy with the outcome.

This dispute about the name of "just" a sausage found a media uproar in both countries. Even international media reported in their newspapers.

This sausage is probably the most popular sausage besides Frankfurter in Austria and banning to use the name could have been a financial disaster for the parties concerned such as Sausage Kiosks, Restaurants and butchers.

Slovenia wanted to patent that name because the origin of the sausage is in their country however during the Austrian/ Hungarian Monarchy Slovenia was part of the empire however Vienna and the rest of Austria fell in love with that sausage and adjusted the recipe and made this delicacy world famous.

Well we're glad everything came to an happy ending and Erich is able to continue selling the Kaese Krainer at his Wuerstelstand in Singapore's Chinatown!

If you haven't tried that sausage you're missing out on a very palatable Austrian delicacy.

I recommend: Get there now and enjoy! And get a bun or pretzel as well ;)  Enjoy!

Erich's latest TV interview

Once again Erich made it into the news. This time Singapore's Razor TV. Check it out:

How Singapore has changed!

Here’s a film shot by Kees Renard with a 8mm camera in 1962. It shows the Post headquarters now “The Fullerton Hotel”, an already very busy Boat Quay, with merchants though and not tourists! 

Singapore’s Chinatown awaiting the Year of the Dragon

Thanks to the various photographers for their great shots. 

Celebrating Austrian National Day: That’s why we love Austria!

There are many reason why we love Austria. Living overseas we see our beloved country from a different perspective. Sometimes more critical, sometimes more sentimental but end of the day we love Austria because our roots are there and will ever be!

We would love to show what makes Austria so special however we only can point out some of the highlights otherwise it would become an almost never ending series.

Today it’s : SALZBURG, the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, a genius musician and composer. But Mozart is only one of many besides Haydn, Beethoven, Schubert , Strauss and Mahler to name a few.

It was one Hollywood movie that finally put Salzburg on international travel itinerraries,

“THE SOUND OF MUSIC”. Needless to say that there are organized 'Sound of Music Tours’ to show visitors some of the sites used in the movie.

Frohnburg Castle, when Maria arrived at Villa von Trapp.

The glasshouse (which was actually shipped from Hollywood to Salzburg). You can find it in the park of Schloss Hellbrunn, just a few miles outside of Salzburg.

Below is Nonnberg Abbey, the actual abbey where the real Maria von Trapp was a novice  as well as where the abbey scenes in the movie were filmed.

Of course everyone remembers the dramatic scene where the Von Trapps had to flee from the Nazis during the singing competition. It was the Cemetery of St. Peter

Of course Mozart and The Sound of Music sites aren’t all they are to see in Salzburg. There are also a bunch of castles, fortresses and churches.
And then there is the city of Salzburg

Getreidegasse

and not to forget the “Christkindlmarkt” (christmas market) in Dezember

The picture of Salzburg wouldn’t be complete without the picturesque surrounding mountains, lakes and villages such as St. Wolfgang or Hallstatt which are worth spending your time exploring.

Ice skating on Lake St. Wolfgang

Hallstatt in province Upper Austria about an hours away from Salzburg

And this concludes our trip to Salzburg.
Come back to see more of Austria’s beauty.