My 30th birthday: Lunch
22 Aug
As long as I could remember, food has always played an important role in my life. It isn’t just about sustenance but it is closely tied to history, relationships, family, tradition, and emotions.
When I was a child, my father’s mood was determined by how successful the family dinner was. If he didn’t complain, my mother would sigh with relief and move on with her evening. But if the chicken feet were not boiled long enough, my parents would bicker no end. I am not convinced that they only fought about food, which seemed the case but looking back, it was really a reflection of their relationship — two vastly different people with contrasting desires stuck chewing the same slice of life.
Because of that, my sisters and I have grown up with an aversion to obsessing over food so we willingly ate crap. One of my best memories is munching a pack of large salty MacDonald’s fries with my elder sister while sharing girly secrets in her little hatchback in a dingy Ang Mo Kio car park.
All of that hostility towards food was forgotten when I moved out of the family home, and it was also probably the time I decided to quit smoking for good. My taste buds came alive again, so cooking and dining out became serious hobbies. I realized that food is a legacy most Singaporeans hold dear to their hearts and the immense joy we get out of this is something not everybody understands nor condones.
It is no wonder then, as a self-declared foodie, I should put my feet up and let others do the cooking for me on this special “me-day” yesterday. By the way, I have two parts to this topic: lunch and dinner. Let’s get cracking with what I had at mid-day.
Shabu Gen is one of my favourite lunch joints in Akasaka-mitsuke. This chic shabu-shabu restaurant serves thinly sliced beef and pork in a delicious broth.
The sauces, goma (sesame) and ponzu (citrus-flavoured soy sauce), are key in making this a culinary success. The ponzu had a gentle piquance that indicates its high-quality breed (I find cheaper ones to be too zesty), while the goma carried just a hint of nutty fragrance, so both subtle sauces didn’t overwhelm the slivers of meat.
I used to come in here for lunch during winter to have a short rest between teaching gigs and sigh over the savoury broth. The sitting area pictured below is part of the restaurant’s efficient lunch plan. Customers who finished the main course would be ushered over here to eat dessert or have a smoke before heading back to the office. The turnover in that two-hour period is amazing considering the small space. Shabu Gen is usually bustling with harrid executives, but today, it was peaceful and quiet — hot pot dishes are just not popular in humid weather.
Why do I love shabu-shabu? It’s just all about the meat. There is no loud seasoning or fancy decoration to smother it. Thus, it was my perfect nook to sit and think about turning 30.
Honestly, I didn’t like the lead up to my 30th birthday. I was plagued with self-doubt and suffered pangs of failure. I have always had a fairly simple goal and it was to earn a comfortable amount of money doing what I love — writing. I think I have always had the latter but financial success feels like the holy grail I will never find.
I wondered if I was doing the right thing in Japan, as we are facing some uncertainties career-wise. If we stay in Japan, I would have to deal with visa issues again, but if we move to another country, I would still have the same problem. And to balance my career ambitions can be a challenge. Would I have to take up a job, which I don’t really like? Possibly.
Basically I can’t get a dependent visa because the kangaroo is actually a resident of Singapore and flies to Japan on business. But he really lives here and all our domestic affairs are in my name because I have a work visa in Japan. Does that sound complicated? Well, I won’t go into that further and just say that some people are in the same situation for the sake of low personal income tax. There are certain sacrifices to be made but it’s really how you view the pros and cons of such a scenario.
So with an uncertain future, I pondered on the past. My 20s were a blur. I never stopped to think properly about my next steps and my life always careened at high speed with sudden, sharp turns and no room to breathe. This is something I would like to change in my 30s. At such a crossroad, I resolved to be more measured, and so have clarity in all my next moves. Would I like my life to be like a plate of shabu shabu — simple, stripped bare of frills, and just good, fresh meat? Yes, I hope so.
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Happy Birthday!
i think you can be good fresh meat
Hey There
I liked this blog post and yummm I will definitely try out Shabu Gen as it’s near my work.
Well, I’m going to be celebrating my birthday too next week!! And I agree that even though there’s a big 3 in front of my age; I feel more sure of myself and what I want to do. The 20s never gave me that. It was all about trying different career options, working myself out and figuring out what I like/ dislike.
Happy Birthday Yuming!
Thanks for the birthday wishes!
Fei: I certainly hope that I would feel like you do about growing older and more confident.
Ambien: aw thanks, babe. Very sweet of you to say that.
Happy (belated) birthday! One thing I know for sure is that we get better with age
My 30s was probably the best time of my life…but then my 40s is begining to look pretty promising too!
Joanne: That makes me feel so encouraged and I shouldn’t be afraid of the future.
I had a conversation with my gfs yesterday during my (belated) bday dinner and they were expounding to me how great it is to be a step closer to the 30s. Something abt ‘feeling more together’ and ‘no longer needing affirmations’ and so on. Well, if that is what is to come, I think we have lots to look forward to!
Happy birthday, Lioness!
Thanks, frou! Life can only get better…Though a friend cracked a joke at my party, “Are you going to buy some skiis?” “No, why?” “Because it’s all downhill from now!”Corny bugger.