Here is a wonderful authentic Indonesian cuisine located at about a 15minutes walking distance away from Keihan Korien station.
Kway teow and glass noodles are rather sweet if you don't request them to be spicy though they usually serve them with sambal, a chilli paste. I personally prefer it really really spicy so for my nasi goreng , fried rice, I asked the chef to add extra chilli . Despite my long stay here in Japan, I still crave for spicy chilli flavor from Southeastern countries. While Indean cuisine has been very popular as well as more common here in Keihan Line area , other spicy food such as Indonesian, Thai or Malaysian cuisines are not.
I remember it was far from tasty when I first tried Tomyamkun soup in Singapore forty years ago. Yet, not only it took me just a couple of months to get used to it but also appreciate the internationally famous dish once I finally began staying in Singapore.
Singapore was developing at an incredible pace then and I was rather disappointed as I had fallen in love with what the tropical island
had been : super sophisticated Orchard Road, yet relaxed and friendly people . The buses had had no air conditioning system and the Singaporeans had used to walk around with a pair of sandals along the street packed with five star hotels and shopping centers.
The scene was a bit odd as the contrast between the exclusiveness of the buildings and the outfit of the citizens. Mind you , it wasn't at all unpleasant , however. On the contrary, felt so comfortable and was impressed by the kind treatment I received there.
Singapore had been invaded by Japanese during the second world war . Perhaps it was my youth - I was just thirteen- that made themever so friendly but whatever it was, I was grateful.
I immediately decided that I would come back as an expatriate and work in Singapore.
Indeed nine years later, I made it.
I managed to get what I had dreamed of but the only ' miscalculation' I would say was that the ' character' of the nation was no longer the same . Well, it's not fair to say that. I guess the involvement in business there simply made it clear that the picture I had seen as a child was not all to it.
This experience has taught me a lesson; don't idealize any society. This allowed me not to hesitate to leave and go to wherever the financial gain prevailed. Losing good social life with friends and loneliness didn't matter to me then as I didn't want to cling onto any form of comfort in fear of becoming too dependent on it .