by Maren Johnson
Contributing Writer
With a basis in Singapore cuisine, Crossroads Café seeks to capture the essence of food native to the small city-state and to bring it to Sewanee. Sometimes this means offering cooking classes to the students of Sewanee.
The instructors for the night were Irene from Crossroads and David from the Bon Appetit Management Company. Chopping, slicing, and preparing the fresh vegetables was the focus of the class, allowing more time for everyone’s favorite sport: eating. Irene had thought ahead to make some dishes ahead of time, so that nobody would have to wait for the food to cook and the lesson could be the technique. The atmosphere was adventurous, and the air was heavy with the sounds of chopping, slicing, peeling. Smells of garlic and onions filled the room, making everyone glad that they were soon going to get to eat the fruits (and vegetables) of their labors.
The dishes were “Hokkien” Chicken with Chinese Mushrooms and Quail Eggs, Stir Fry Broccoli with Onions, Bell Pepper, and Mushrooms, Jasmine Rice, and Steamed “Swai” Fish with Scallions and Ginger. There was also a tofu dish that Irene had thoughtfully included to the final meal so that any vegetarians could eat too.
This restaurant offers a great alternative to the typical weekend party scene and is especially fun because of the great food and the musicians. During dinner, Irene came over and said, “We are open for lunch and dinner from Wednesday to Saturday and we have live music on Friday and Saturday nights.”