Like every child, I once wished upon a star. Okay, okay many times! ;-)

Yes, I had wished for a knight in shining armour until I saw the movie The Shining, but star gazing has never left me. I am in awe of God’s greatness whenever I look up at the sky. The planets, stars, sun, moon and lightnings never fail intrigue me!

I like to dabble, experiment with stuffs. I have mentioned in “About Me” from my peers award posts that I suffer from attention deficit but there’s something good in it, I think. I get bored easily, yes, but I get to move on, too. Staying long enough to achieve something is a bonus but it doesn’t matters to me at my age because life as a rolling stone (which my mom says will gather no moss) is never static and I love it!

I have been actively pursuing most genre of photography before our little bundle of joy arrives, sometime in August. Guess you can say I’m into overdrive mode of second childhood before playing the role of a granny.

Last Saturday (18th April 2015), I attended a wide field photography workshop conducted by my pal Guek Peng Siong or GPS or short. Yea, the lame joke goes about him being a GPS (global positioning satellite) but by calling him GPS (photography friends), Peng Siong (colleagues), Benson (tertiary education years) or his Chinese name (school mates), he could identify the years of friendship he’d share with them. I knew Peng Siong (PS) when I participated in the One FC in a previous event. And when we couldn’t contact him, like Google’s voice navigation would alert, “GPS signal is lost”. Hahaha…

Peng Siong and I attending a meeting at the People’s Association Headquarters in January this year.

This 3rd workshop was sponsored by Kampong Chai Chee Community Centre and for $20 participation fee, the session included dinner, mineral water, sharing session on wide field photography and post processing by PS, and two-way transport to Marina Barage where we had practical session on Milky Way, which was unlikely as the timing (our session ended at 11pm and Milky Way would only rise at around 2am) was not right but yes even with light pollution, we are still be able to capture it in Singapore! Star trails was the next best thing and that’s what I took. But alas, I had the wrong settings, hahaha… I was shooting stars at ETTR (photography term for exposing to the right) and boy did my photos turned out overly bright. I spent a good 8 hour or so trying to salvage my images and came out with this sparsely adorned star trails. I would have had a full semi-circled trails but there were clouds as well as the lighted kites in some photos which became unusable.

There were 24 participants, an excess of 4.
PS was afraid to take in more interested parties as he worried he may not be able to give everyone enough attention.

Chicken rice dinner was provided but you know me!
I had duck porridge in addition to the chicken rice.

Desmond, Emanuel and Wacky.
We went for drinks at Georges Siglap after the workshop.

I met Wacky during a Supermoon camp out last year and Emanuel at a steel wool photography outing and on that very same night captured my first lightning shot. Desmond is one of my macro kakis who is also very well versed in many photography genre. It is always fun to interact with people sharing the same passion. Tips are shared freely face to face; there’s no escaping with a silence like on Facebook threads, hahaha… But hey, meeting and eating bonds, you can’t deny that.

When Emanuel asked if we would like to munch on something…
But of course!

Earlier in April, Emanuel and I went for Lunar Eclipse shot in Pasir Ris.
Georges has an outlet there and we went for their chicken wings and mini burgers.

Emanuel showed me how to photograph Lightning in December 2014.

Emanuel showing me how to photograph blood moon (lunar eclipse) in April 2015.

After shooting the lunar eclipse in Pasir Ris Park, Emanuel and I went to Georges At The Cove in Pasir Park which was just a stone’s throw away.
We had chicken wings and mini sliders.
After a few shots of Macallan, my edit of the moon photo was outrageously similar to whiskey colour, hahaha…

This should be closer to the blood moon shot ;-)

When I told Vanessa that I do not have a nice background photo for my blood moon, she offered me this beautiful scene from Shanghai which she took in March on her China trip.
Thank you darling!

Here’s my salvaged photo of star trails in Singapore.

Kampong Chai Chee Community Centre
Address: 200 Bedok North Avenue 1,
Singapore 469752.

Tel:6241 9878

Georges At The Cove.

Georges
Address: 693 East Coast Road (Siglap), Frankel Estate.
Singapore 459058.
Tel:6441 9122

Georges At The Cove (Pasir Ris Park)
Address: 133 Pasir Ris Road.
Tel: 6445 4533

Other Georges: Georges MADBar & Grill ; Georges By The Bay ; Georges Beach Club.

The atmosphere at both Georges I been to were slightly different. The one at Pasir Ris Park seemed more relax and family oriented. The staff told me their cze char is nice. I have yet to try.

Georges at Siglap was more electrifying, hahaha… Both have competent staff service. The finger food was to my liking but the burgers were a little dry. The chilli sauce that came with the wings was fiery hot. I like the moist and succulent battered fish. We had Macallan. If you like soda with your drinks, Singha premium soda is highly recommended for its fizzle!

Will I visit again? Why not??? It seems like I go to Georges whenever wide field photography calls. Starry nights are Georges!

Happy learning, eating and bonding :D

Click on links to see:
ONE FC 12 – Warrior Spirit @ Putra Indoor Stadium

Supermoon!

Vanessa’s birthday is 3 days before mine. We shared a dinner party in Merah Putih, a gorgeous restaurant in Bali, last December. On my actual birthday, 9th December, Al celebrated with me. He couldn’t wander far from his work place with an hour’s (at most 2 hours) break so we decided to lunch at nearby.

“What do you feel like having, Japanese or French?”

I have always linked French cuisine to be romantic cuisine and more appropriate for dinner but what the heck, it’s my party and I can have French in the afternoon if I feel like it. So the venue was decided, Absinthe at 72 Boat Quay.

Outdoor seating available, overlooking the Parliament House and Singapore River.

Absinthe is the brain child of long time friends Vincent Jauguiberry on one side and Diego Chiarini & Stephane Colleoni of the famed OSO Ristorante on the other.

From warm and cozy atmosphere, to the delicious and tasty dishes served, not forgetting of course the extensive selection of reasonably priced wines covering not only most of France wine producing regions but as well a fair representation of others countries, Absinthe was created as a comfortable, convivial and unassuming place.

Chef Nicolas Reynard’s cuisine is deeply rooted in the French heritage, influenced by his younger years in the South West Region; he shows a respect for the produces he uses; enhancing them rather than merely blending them together.

Absinthe tries to somehow demystify the idea of the French Restaurant in Singapore; it is a lively and friendly place, serving delicate yet generous portions and affordable prices, we believe in the concept of comfort food as well as professional yet personable service.

Once in Absinthe make sure you do taste one of the Absinthes we have on offer and experience the “Green Fairy”! – the website of Restaurant Absinthe Francais

Warm cozy atmosphere on the upper floor of the restaurant.

Vincent Jauguiberry and I.
Restaurant Manager Vincent Jaureguiberry’s roots are from the Basque region of France. Vincent arrived in Singapore in 2005 and work for Saint Pierre Restaurant for 2 years. Vincent has joined the team at Absinthe as Restaurant Manager and you can look forward to his warm welcome and his wine recommendations.

Vincent is passionate about wine and graduated from the sommelier school in Bordeaux in 1995. He has worked with great names in the culinary world, some examples are Gagnaire, Reine Sammut and Jean Marie Amat. Vincent arrived in Singapore 2005 and after working for Saint Pierre Restaurant for 2 years, he joined Absinthe. Charming and witty, Vincent possesses humour that makes me feel comfortable; I have always found my French buddies to be haughty, that’s my personal opinion from the interactions I have experienced, except for Jacque and now Vincent ;-)

Back on track… My lunch was a set meal. I found the standard set lunch to be value-for money at S$38++ for 3 courses.

We were seated in the restaurant and found it to be a little stuffy that afternoon and requested for our meal to be served downstairs in the open.

Baguette or what I like to call mini French loaves.
Crusty outside and “meaty” inside.
I wonder if they baked these from scratch. I liked it so much we had 2 baskets.

Pan Fried Foie Gras, Figs and Warm Jerusalem Artichoke Blinis (add $10 to the set meal).

I love offals/organ meats and whenever there’s liver, I must have it.
The foie gras here was done very much to my liking.
Not overly done, it was velvety smooth and rich.

We started with a bottle of white wine while having foie gras and graduated to red for our mains (beef).

Grass fed beef with mash, spinach and mushrooms.
Grass fed beef tastes better the corn fed, always!
The beef was juicy, very pink and not so bloody until iron was detected.

Poached Pear served with Custard.

Crepes served with Vanilla Ice Cream.

Quoting their website, “Once in Absinthe make sure you do taste one of the Absinthes we have on offer and experience the “Green Fairy”!
So here’s mine :)

Absinthe is historically described as a distilled, highly alcoholic (45–74% ABV / 90–148 U.S. proof) beverage. It is an anise-flavoured spirit derived from botanicals, including the flowers and leaves of Artemisia absinthium (“grand wormwood”), together with green anise, sweet fennel, and other medicinal and culinary herbs. Absinthe traditionally has a natural green colour but may also be colourless. It is commonly referred to in historical literature as “la fée verte” (the green fairy). Although it is sometimes mistakenly referred to as a liqueur, absinthe is not traditionally bottled with added sugar; it is therefore classified as a spirit. Absinthe is traditionally bottled at a high level of alcohol by volume, but it is normally diluted with water prior to being consumed.

Absinthe originated in the canton of Neuchâtel in Switzerland in the late 18th century. It rose to great popularity as an alcoholic drink in late 19th- and early 20th-century France, particularly among Parisian artists and writers. Owing in part to its association with bohemian culture, the consumption of absinthe was opposed by social conservatives and prohibitionists. Ernest Hemingway, James Joyce, Charles Baudelaire, Paul Verlaine, Arthur Rimbaud, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Amedeo Modigliani, Pablo Picasso, Vincent van Gogh, Oscar Wilde, Aleister Crowley, Erik Satie and Alfred Jarry were all known absinthe drinkers.

Absinthe has often been portrayed as a dangerously addictive psychoactive drug and hallucinogen. The chemical compound thujone, although present in the spirit in only trace amounts, was blamed for its alleged harmful effects. By 1915, absinthe had been banned in the United States and in much of Europe, including France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland and Austria-Hungary. Although absinthe was vilified, it has not been demonstrated to be any more dangerous than ordinary spirits. Recent studies have shown that absinthe’s psychoactive properties (apart from that of the alcohol) have been exaggerated. – Wikipedia

I didn’t know how to or what was expected to drink this “Green Fairy” but not even after mixing with red and white wine did I see any. The taste was like peppermint (possibly the star anise) to me, not a favourite herb of mine but hey, try something different each birthday :D

Happy birthday to me!

Boat Quay 驳船码头 – a historical quay in Singapore which is situated upstream from the mouth of the Singapore River on its southern bank.

It was the busiest part of the old Port of Singapore, handling three quarters of all shipping business during the 1860s. Because the south of the river here resembles the belly of a carp, which according to Chinese belief is where wealth and prosperity lay, many shophouses were built, crowded into the area.

Though serving aquatic trade is no longer Boat Quay’s primary role, the shophouses on it have been carefully conserved and now house various bars, pubs and restaurants. Therefore Boat Quay’s social-economic role in the city has shifted away from that of trade and maritime commerce, and now leans towards more of a role accommodated for tourism and aesthetics for the commercial zone of which encloses the Singapore River. It is the soft front to the banking and financial sectors lying immediately behind it.

Boat Quay is also the name of the road along the quay, which has since been converted into a pedestrian mall. – Wikipedia

Boat Quay 驳船码头 – When you dine at night, you may just catch the laser show from MBS

Restaurant Absinthe prides itself to serving the finest seasonal ingredients and daily supply of fresh seafood. They have more customized set menus available for lunch, dinner, catering and canapés upon requests for your corporate functions, gatherings and events.

Restaurant Absinthe Francais
Address: 72 Boat Quay.
Singapore 049860.

Tel: 6222 9068

Opening hours:
Lunch: 12pm – 2.30pm
Dinner: 5.30pm – 10:30pm

Happy eating and bonding :D

Another value-for-money set meal is Buona Terra @ 29 Scotts Road (Italian cuisine).

Keef has mentioned he liked Delicious Boneless Chicken Rice in Katong Shopping Centre when I returned to Singapore in 2012. He said the ko lei chye tng (cabbage soup) was good and it came free of charge! 3 years later I’m here with a huge appetite. The queue was long, and that’s a good sign!

Katong Shopping Centre is a shopping mall located along Mountbatten Road in Singapore. Established in 1971 and opened to the public in 1973, it is the first air-conditioned mall in Singapore. – Wikipedia

Tommy (left), Mark (right) and Alvin playing waiters of the day.
Alvin was still at the stall getting more food!

We tried to squeeze everything onto one table but it was not enough.
Alvin and I sat at adjoining table to partake our meal.

More rice please :)
The bottom front plate of acar (pickles) with abalone slices was complimentary from the stall owner.

Usually, when we go out eating, the guys would split up the task – one would do the queueing up and ordering, one or more would help to get the sauces, cutleries so that when food came, we could start ‘stying’ and the rest be seated or try to find a table (when extremely busy i.e. lunch time). We managed to be seated outside, quite far away from the stall.

This particular day, Alvin was the one getting the sauces. He took so much the stall helper “chided” him. Alvin told us later that he understood why the stall helper was “frustrated” – there was a long queue and taking all these sauces before our turn would disrupt his workflow of refilling fast enough and holding up patrons who were in front of us. I use quotation marks in the words chided and frustration as it wasn’t an unpleasant or rude encounter but for lack of better vocabulary on my part (my mind is in Hokkien mode now, lol…). I think the owner felt bad and gave us a complimentary acar with Thai-style sweet chilli sauce dressing as a kind gesture of apology for his assistant’s remark. Thank you! :)

There were standard freebies that come with the chicken rice meal here i.e. acar and the cabbage soup which Keef raved about. I don’t know how they apportion the free soups but we ordered two types of chicken yesterday, the poached and the roasted and we got another bowl of soup with melon chunks, pork ribs and chicken feet.

Free Cabbage Soup.

I like the winter melon soup but when eating chicken rice, cabbage soup seemed more appropriate.
Behind is the complimentary Acar (pickles) we got with quite a lot of abalone slices.
On left was the “oily rice” which is chicken rice cooked with chicken broth and some extra ingredients like ginger and garlic, etc… etc…

Now for the non freebies, hehehe… We ordered the following which cost us a total of under S$55 inclusive of 4 plates of chicken rice.

Chicken Gizzards and Livers.
I found the gizzards a little “gamey” but I have always preferred livers to gizzards.
I did enjoy the velvety texture of the livers with some chilli sauce and ginger mince.

Boneless Chicken Feet was succulent and crisp with a hint of sesame oil.

We found most of dishes that were laden with the same dressing to be a tad on the sweet side (for our taste) so that when we had this blanched Beansprout, the savoury sauce was a welcome change.

I don’t know why we call this Roast Chicken when it is actually deep-fried.

Poached or Boiled Chicken.
I like this better than the roast.
The skin was slippery smooth without visible fats.
I had spooned some sauce over the chicken before we started to eat but when dining, I skipped the extra sauce (as I found it sweet) and had chilli sauce mixed with ginger mince and *premium dark soy.
The dark soy for chicken rice is thicker in viscosity and richer in taste than the standard soy we use for cooking.

Review from my pals:
Tommy revealed that it was a different kind of Chicken Rice (CR) experience, “The soups, acar with abalone & beansprout dish stood out more than the chicken itself!” He liked the savoury crunchy beansprout dish most. Mark liked the fried garlic bits on the chicken and loved the chicken feet. Alvin was not blown away by the chicken rice but he was impressed by the generous serving of soup (with lots of ingredients) and acar. I liked the soups, beansprouts, poached chicken sans the dressing sauce and livers. The rice was fluffy but not as fragrant as expected. The chilli sauce was not spicy enough for my taste but better than most other CR stalls. Nevertheless, Delicious Boneless Chicken Rice was the most popular stall judging by the longest queue formed in this tiny basement food court. Overall, we did enjoy our lunch. It was a good thing we sat outside as I reckoned it would be warmer and noisier inside.

And oh! The chicken is not boneless by default, you have to ask for it but I like mine bone-in.

The queue kept building up during lunch time.

Delicious Boneless Chicken Rice
Address: #B1-85/87, Katong Shopping Centre,
865 Mountbatten Road.
Singapore 437844.

Opening hours: Daily
10am – 8pm

Tel:(+65) 97896073

P.S. Did you notice we had no drinks? Probably because we had free soups and limited table space, we didn’t order any. So! That was an excuse for round 2. Coming up next post, coffee with nonya kueh ;-)

After a heavy lunch at Delicious Boneless Chicken Rice, we still had room for kopi and some kueh (also spelled as kuih). Glory Catering is just down the road so we went there.

There are several types of kueh and in Singapore, the two most popular kueh origins are the Chinese Kueh (some found in dim sum menu) and the *Nonya Kuih (this category include Indonesian/Malaysian).

I’m not sure if Kueh originated from the Chinese word 粿 (guo) or if it is a Malay term. We have such harmonious cross-cutlural influences so much so that many things are taken for granted until we have to explain it. I think it is likely from the Hokkien dialect word which sounds like… Kueh! Hehehe…

Kueh (usually bite-sized snacks/desserts) is never an entrée with a few exceptions i.e. the Kueh Pie Tee (Top Hats) or Popiah parties; and that’s when these snacking items become the main course.

Many hotels include kueh kueh in their “High Tea” menu except that in Asia, eating kueh is not confined to a certain meal time – they can be consumed throughout the day. They are an integral part, especially of Indonesian, Malaysian and Singaporean festivities such as Tahun Baru Imlek, Hari Raya and Chinese New Year. We are lucky to not have to wait to eat kueh kueh once a year. And oh, when Asian children grow up and have an income they give some money (from their salaries) which is either known as ‘Kopi lui’ or ‘Jiak kueh lui’ where kopi (Malay) = coffee, jiak (Hokkien) = eat, kueh (Hokkien) = snack, lui (Hokkien) = money. In English, pocket money (monthly allowance) for their elders i.e. parents and/or grandparents.

In almost all Malay and Peranakan kuih, the most common flavouring ingredients are grated coconut (plain or flavoured), coconut cream (thick or thin), pandan (screwpine) leaves and gula melaka (palm sugar, fresh or aged). While those make the flavour of kuih, their base and texture are built on a group of starches – rice flour, glutinous rice flour, glutinous rice and tapioca. Two other common ingredients are tapioca flour and green bean (mung bean) flour (sometimes called “green pea flour” in certain recipes). They play a most important part in giving kuihs their distinctive soft, almost pudding-like, yet firm texture. Wheat flour is rarely used in Southeast Asian cakes and pastries.

For most kuih there is no single “original” or “authentic” recipe. Traditionally, making kuih was the domain of elderly grandmothers, aunts and other women-folk, for whom the only (and best) method for cooking was by “agak-agak” (approximation). They would instinctively take handfuls of ingredients and mix them without any measurements or any need of weighing scales. All is judged by its look and feel, the consistency of the batter and how it feels to the touch. Each family holds its own traditional recipe as well as each region and state.

*Nyonya (Peranakan) and Malay kuih should not be distinguished since Peranakans have settled in the Malay Peninsula. They have adapted to Malay culinary and cultural heritage. Therefore there are many kuih native to Malay culture which have been improvised and retained by the Peranakans.

Nonya kuih come in different shapes, colours, texture and designs. Some examples are filled, coated, wrapped, sliced and layered kuih. Also, as mentioned earlier, most kuih are steamed, with some being boiled or baked. They can also be deep-fried and sometimes even grilled. – Wikipedia

Some of the Nonya snacks we tried at Glory Catering.

This is Popiah or fresh spring roll (as opposed to the deep-fried ones normally served as hors d’oeuvres during parties).

Kueh Pie Tee or Top Hat is one of the favourites at a Nonya’s home party.

Nonya Kueh 娘惹粿.
Clockwise from front:
1) Kueh Lapis or 9 layer kueh (娘惹九層糕) should not be confused with Cake (kek) Lapis. The latter is a baked product very much like western cake. Lapis means layers in Malay.
2)Kueh Sarlat (娘惹咖椰粿) has glutinous (here we have one with white and the other with black glutinous rice) bottom and kaya (coconut egg custard) topping. The green looking custard is due to the use of Pandan juice extract and a bit of green food colouring.
3) Onde Onde (椰木薯) dough skin usually contains sweet potatoes and flour. It has gula melaka (palm sugar) filling inside and the outer is coated with fresh desiccated coconut.

I was just happy to be greeted by rainbow coloured kueh kueh the minute I walked near the shopfront. As for the taste of the kueh kueh I had that day, it was not the best I have tasted (the best ones are those home-made which I order well in advance) but Glory Catering is certainly better than most of the mass producing commercial outlets I have come across in Singapore. Glory also serves nasi padang and hot one dish meals. If you don’t have a Nonya relative or one who will cook for you and you do like slow-cooked heritage food, Glory Catering could be a friend when you plan your next party.

Glory Catering Pte Ltd
139 East Coast Road.
Singapore 428829.

Tel: (+65) 6344 1749

Happy eating and bonding :)

Recipe for Popiah Filling and Kueh Pie Tee:
Kueh Pie Tee (Top Hat Pastry)

Before setting foot on Pulau Ubin, we had substantial brunch so much so we thought we could do away with dinner. Big mistake! We did have enough drinks but the storm made us feel cold and hungry come nightfall. Yama was dreaming about having a cup of hot instant noodles!

When Mr. Teck picked us at our camping point the next day, we were famished! We asked him if any of the makan shops were opened. He said no shops are opened in the early morn as there’s no demand for breakfast on Pulau Ubin, and that it is better to go to mainland Changi Village Hawker Centre where there’s plenty of varieties to choose from.

Changi Village is noted for being a nasi lemak haven but I must say I totally disagree! I have tried more than a couple of stalls and each has its weaknesses; not sweet enough sambal tumis or fragrant fluffy coconut rice, both the backbone of a good nasi lemak. Still the queues are long each time I visit the food centre. The Chinese stalls were also disappointing. To date, I have yet to come across one stall that I would make a purposeful trip just to savour their fare. Whenever I’m there, it would be more for convenience’s sake but that’s my personal taste experience since my friends did enjoy some dishes which I am sharing in this post.

That said, there are a few stalls that I like in Changi Village Hawker Centre. Million Stars Goreng Pisang’s banana cake fritters is one of them and a couple of Malay rice (our local version of nasi padang) stalls selling rich tasting rendang, assam fish curry, sambal goreng, sayur lodeh, etc… etc…

I had Malay rice from this stall before we left for Pulau Ubin.
The macik (Malay for aunt) was very attentive reminding her assistant or daughter to put in more curry over my rice as I had requested.
The price was value-for-money although I had forgotten exactly how much but I remembered telling Yama and he agreed that it was rather cheap since I had chicken, fish, mussels and vegetables.

The price was value-for-money although I had forgotten exactly how much but I remembered telling Yama and he agreed that it was rather cheap since I had chicken, fish, mussels and vegetables.

Alaric’s meal of herbal mutton soup was more expensive than my plate of rice but he didn’t mind since he enjoyed it.

Jimmy’s meal of omelet on rice.
This dish is a bit too dry on its own for me.

Ben had fried rice earlier and bought these chicken wings for all of us to share.
The wings were nicely crisp but the chilli dip was so so only.

Andy was running a little late that day and had his own lunch. We met at the ferry terminal. The following were foods that we had after returning from Pulau Ubin to mainland Singapore. We had gone without dinner and suffered cold weather and sandfly bites. We were all tired and hungry. And yet when the food failed to satisfy me, I think it is fair for me to say (again I must stress that this is my personal taste) that generally, Changi Village Hawker’s food is not extraordinary.

We were seated on the left of this stall.
I saw a queue forming and decided to give this stall a try.
I ordered a large plate so everyone of us could share.
Unfortunately, the taste was slightly below good.

Carrot Cake here was almost minced.
There weren’t wok hei, sweet and savoury tastes that I expected.

Traditional Nasi Lemak where Alaric and Jimmy bought their meals.

Jimmy had a bowl of noodle and some chicken wings with nasi lemak sambal.

Alaric’s meal of nasi lemak.
Both the look and taste did not appeal to me (I had some of it).

Jimmy told me that he bought his noodles from a stall behind the row we were sitting which I am guessing is this stall.
Yet the colour of the bowl of his noodles are different from this stall’s so I could have gotten it wrong.

Jimmy’s meal of Bak Chor Mee which he said was okay in taste.

Three or four of us ordered from this stall because Yama had chicken cutlet noodles from it the day before and said it was very good.

Chicken Cutlet Horfun that Yama and the boys had over the two days.

The boys had Chicken Cutlet Horfun but this picture showed mine, Ipoh Horfun.
I found the taste a tad too sweet for my liking.
I took a bite of the cutlet from one of the boys and found it sweet, too.
Yama said the taste was slightly off that morning. Perhaps I should give this stall another try on my next visit. It is a very popular stall in this food centre.

The stall that Yama bought his Malay rice seemed popular, too.

Yama’s plate of Malay rice had nice sambal and aromatic rendang.
The price at below $6 seemed reasonable, too.

I have patronised many stalls in Changi Village Hawker Centre. The few famous nasi lemak stalls, overrated!!! In fact, a packet of factory packed nasi lemak sold in petrol kiosk tasted better, not joking! The BBQ stall, the cze char stall, chicken rice stall, tahu goreng from a Chinese stall, sambal fish head stall, and quite a few noodle stalls but while they are not downright lousy, there’s nothing to shout about either (that’s why none or very few of the stalls were posted on my blog). To me, Changi Village Hawker Centre is a place to eat if you happened to be in the vicinity.

Read post on “Pulau Ubin – The Legend of An Elephant, A Frog And A Pig!” by clicking here.

See more food from Changi Village Hawker Centre here:
Birds Of Different Feathers – Part 3

Life at large is about finding equilibrium between work and play, joy and sorrow. There is no guarantee that problems will go away but having family and caring friends around us let us know that we are not alone when we are down. Sometimes, we need to take a step back from the chaos to truly appreciate how fortunate we are.

There are too many deaths… Besides the recent passing of our founding father Mr. Lee Kuan Yew, our nation is once again deeply saddened by the fatal catastrophic incident of eight Singaporeans and many more other nationalities who died in the earthquake at Mount Kinabalu. The Singaporeans were one teacher and six pupils from Tanjong Katong Primary School on an overseas learning trip, plus one adventure guide. One teacher and one student are still missing. Our Prime Minister’s Office issued a statement that Monday, 8 June 2015 will be a Day of National Remembrance. State flags on all Government buildings will be flown at half-mast. One minute of silence will be observed at the beginning of the day at all SEA Games venues, in the hope that this collective expression of sympathy and support from all Singaporeans will give solace and comfort to the families and loved ones of the victims. As a mother and fellow earthling, I am deeply saddened. This has been a thoughtful week. My heart goes out to the families involved and I remember them in my prayers.

My children are adults and have started working, with unforgiving schedules I must say, and thus to be able to share a meal with all the family members at the table is truly a blessing for me. My children are doing brilliantly in their respective industry but to juggle the balance between family and work is an art they have yet to master – being successful in work and at home are two different things and often, they do not come hand in hand. There is always a price to pay. Everyone has the same 24 hours and so it takes careful calculations how one allocates time in order to find the equilibrium so as to enjoy the fruits of their labour with their love ones.

I always prompt my children they should spend more time with their dad which will naturally include me (sneaky!). It is pointless if, knock on wood, they are forced to spend time with us when we are lying on our deathbeds. Age is catching up on their parents, I reminded. And if they thought this were emotional blackmailing, then I am guilty as charged! I cautioned that they should take a few steps back and put things in perspective before it is too late.

It worked! The “blackmailing” worked! Hahaha…

It rained the whole of yesterday and I was sleeping at home knowing that Ryan and Valerie would be out shopping for their new home. Vanessa came into my room, woke me and said to get ready for dinner with 姐 (pronounced as “Jie” meaning elder sister and that’s Valerie). Wow, I have slept through the day, how unproductive! But then again, it was a Sunday. A day of rest and to recharge the body so one could slog hard come Monday.

We had no particular restaurant in mind. There were suggestions of Boon Tong Kee’s chicken rice and north Indian cuisine while Ryan was driving but in the end we headed towards Tampines. There are many restaurants there and we wound up in Nando’s.

Eating at Nando’s is a trip down memory lane. The first time we had Nando’s was when we were residing in Melbourne. It was good and I hope this dinner would be just as good.

Nando’s at Tampines Mall was running at full house. Clearly, the restaurant was understaffed. We were first in line and quickly brought to a table immediately after it was cleaned up. We were handed some menus and from then on, we had to wait for a very long time without service of water and attention. Frantic waves at the wait staff only gathered blur or “look right through you” indifference. No one made a fuss about the slow service and unavailable side dishes due to lack of staff (as the waitress reiterated when Valerie got back from getting the peri peri hot sauce from the common table). We took the chance to catch up on gossips and small talks as well as serious “business”, like where to go for desserts afterwards. You must be having gastric reading this lengthy post so we’ll get down to food now, eh? :D

“Nando’s is an international casual dining restaurant chain originating from South Africa, with a Mozambican/Portuguese theme. Founded in 1987, Nando’s operates about 1,000 outlets in 30 countries.” – Wikipedia

“The Nando’s cockerel landed on the tropical land of Singapore in 2010 at Bugis Junction– the 1st Nando’s restaurant in Singapore officially opened on 9 May 2010.” – Nando’s Singapore website

Our order of Jumbo Platter that came with 2 whole chickens and 5 side dishes.

Potato Wedges with peri peri seasonings.

Chips with peri peri seasonings.

Spicy Rice.

Mediterranean Rice.

Coleslaw.

My dinner :)

The service was not good but there’s nothing serious that we should kick up a fuss at. It’s Sunday where families are out shopping and eating and the restaurant simply did not have enough staff to cope with the guests. They ran out of corn and Fino sides, as we were told, could not be prepared since they did not have enough staff. We make do with repeat starch of Peri Peri Chips and Wedges in place of Sweet Potato Mash and Corn on the Cob. The Spicy Rice was okay, but the Mediterranean Rice which looked very much like Chinese fried rice was bland. The Coleslaw ordinary. We ordered mild flavoured flame grilled Chicken since we were going to have the hot peri peri sauce anyway and they were tender and juicy. All was good until I saw a strand of hair. No complaining to the staff or telling the children about this “defect”. It was grilled so I assume all bacterias are dead. It was at the joint of the drumstick not on the meat so, live and let live. Whoa! This coming from an OCD, erhm ex OCD! I am finally freed from this freaking cleanliness disorder! What the heck? My family is safe and warm with me tonight. I am blessed. Rainy days and Sundays always makes me smile! :D

Nando’s Singapore (there are 6 restaurants in Singapore)
Address: Unit #01-46, Tampines Mall
4, Tampines Central 5,
Singapore 529510.

Telephone: +(65) 6789 5052

Opening hours:
Daily: 10am – 10pm

Happy eating and bonding :D

Look out for the desserts we had in my upcoming post!

It has been said that “The best in Singapore is the best in the world” – they were, of course, referring to fine dining experience! And Singapore does have superabundance of regionally and internationally renowned food and beverage establishments.

However, from a restauranteur’s standpoint (I’m making an educated guess after talking to several managers/owners), tight-laced fine dining may not necessarily be the way forward in the present culinary world. There are only a handful of filthy rich wealthy customers who could afford the luxury of fine dining and how many of this minority would actually fine dine on a daily basis on personal account? With inflation ongoing, I dare say many of these punctilious establishments need a new class of consumers. Their best bet is on the modern generation with trendy tastebuds but these youngsters do not have obese wallets like daddy has, and thus the birth of secondary or sister restaurants serving fares with adjusted price tags and baptised the second line as semi-formal or casual relax style.

Since I also do not have a father or sugar daddy with obscene amount of money, I am always delighted when I chance upon conscionable restaurants with great chefs offering affordable menus without compromising on taste experiences.

Last night, I had the pleasure to share flavours with Jerry (my friend of nearly 3 decades) at Tamarind Hill Restaurant in the handsome surroundings of the Labrador Nature Reserve in Pasir Panjang area.

The staff service was impeccable!
Just as I was approaching the restaurant’s main entrance, they “threw” open the doors and welcome me by name!
Yes, I made reservations earlier but to be greeted by name, now that’s what I dressed up for :D

When Jerry suggested having Thai cuisine at Tamarind Hill, I was a bit reluctant because it was quite far away. I would have settled for a hamburger at The American Club but after seeing online photos of the fully-restored-colonial-bungalow restaurant, I knew I had to “location scout” to see if there’s any suitable grounds for sunset (this is west area of Singapore) and macro opportunities in the future.

“Set majestically atop Labrador Nature Reserve is Tamarind Hill, an elegant Thai restaurant that’s been part of Singapore’s vibrant dining scene since 2012. Barely three years old, it’s already received critical acclaim from the likes of Cuisine and Wine, which named it “Restaurant of the Month” just two months after its official opening.

Beyond its resplendent façade lies an equally luxurious restaurant and bar where aperitifs and signature cocktails like Tamarini, Pad Thai and King of the Hill are served before and after dinner. Here, diners can also find an extensive wine list that’s managed and attended by Rajeshwaran Gopal, one of the country’s best-known sommeliers.

Aesthetics and alcoholic indulgences aside, what sets Tamarind Hill apart is its authentic Thai food. The kitchen is headed by executive chef Wanthana Nikonsaen who, armed with years of restaurant experience, serves unpretentious yet tasty Thai cuisines, such as the delectable beef massaman curry and crispy duck breast served alongside green pea and eggplant tempura.” – Expat Living (Wine and Dine/Restaurants) 6 May 2013

I was waiting here for Jerry when they served me the most delicious (complimentary) very chilled Tamarind Juice!

Women Everywhere in Food Empires But No Head Chefs.
Women occupy just 6.3 percent, or 10 out of 160 head chef positions at 15 prominent U.S. restaurant groups analyzed by Bloomberg. – Ryan Sutton, March 7, 2014

With that, I am honoured to take nourishment prepared by a woman Executive Chef Wanthana Nikonsaen, also affectionately known as Chef Phin. The reason for Chef Phin’s ambition to become a chef has to do with her childhood. During her younger days in Thailand, she would follow her mother shopping for groceries. She found it interesting watching her mother from picking out fresh ingredients at the marketplace to preparing meals in their home kitchen. She dabbled in cooking but her dad criticised – her cooking was not as good as mom’s. To prove her dad wrong, she decided to work hard to become a chef. Such dedication, I guess she must love her dad a lot!

I haven’t been fine dining for quite a while now and was anxiously anticipating my meal.

“A knife is to a chef, what a brush is to an artist. The rush I get every time I hold a knife is indescribable – It excites me the same way some people do when they get behind the wheel of a luxury car, for example.” – Chef Wanthana Nikonsaen (Tamarind Hill Singapore)

We had Aqua Panna – S$9 (1 ltr) and I also had a glass of Italian Moscato – S$14 (glass).

Let’s see what I’d enjoyed from Chef Phin…

Deep-fried Soft Shell Crab – S$24.
Served on a bed of tropical fruit salad.

Red Tomyum With Assorted Seafood – S$28.

Whole Fish Sea Bass – S$59.
Steamed with Thai herbs, lime juice, garlic and fresh Thai Chili.
Served with a side of lime and chili sauce.

Quick Wok Sautéed Assorted Mushrooms With Hot Thai Basil Sauce – S$18.

Outdoor seating area where we had desserts and coffee.
The staff already warned us about the mosquitoes but I didn’t expect them to be so ferocious! Several red welts popped within seconds and we rushed for our bill.
I must remember to bring some Deet next time I visit. I do like this place.

Fried Banana With Rum & Raisin Ice Cream – S$14.
I had 2 scoops of Coconut Ice Cream – S$6.

Americano (background) – S$7 and Cafe Latte – S$7.

The soft shell crab was very crispy and light with no oily mouthfeel.

The red tomyum soup was my favourite, rich aromatic with the right level of sour and spiciness coupled with very fresh ingredients of mix seafood (fish, scallop, squid and prawn) and mushrooms.

Jerry liked the sea bass but I felt it was slightly overcooked and I also preferred more soupy broth.

The mushrooms’ texture was firm even though they were thoroughly cooked through, spongey and soaking up the hot sauce nicely. I’m sure Vanessa would enjoy them.

That said, the portions were indeed very generous for two persons. We’ve over ordered. I was stuffed!

The coffee was acceptable but the coconut ice cream was a disappointment but I think any coconut ice cream would be a letdown since the day I had 320 Below’s coconut ice cream.

I must say that the overall experience was wonderful and this is a place I would return for their Thai hospitality and, of course, to try out some wine since they have one of the best sommeliers in town. The laid back sumptuous greenery neutralised the killing pace of city living, a most welcoming detour in our hectic lives. When fine dining, we are not just paying for food (as in paying at a hawker stall) but for service and ambience; for how we felt as a being after the taste experience is digested. Did I find value here? Yes, I did. For a moment, my mind was allayed from the mayhem of recent dealings. I had peace and reconciliation. My conscience clear. If not for the annoying mozzies, I would have stayed longer.

Tamarind Hill Restaurant (owned and managed by Samadhi Retreats)
Address: 30 Labrador Villa Road,
Singapore 119189.

Telephone: (+65) 6278 6364

Opening hours:
Lunch: 12nn – 3pm
Dinner: 6pm – 11pm

Happy eating and bonding :)

See other food ventures I had with Jerry:
CHIRASHIZUSHI
CHUI HUAY LIM TEOCHEW CUISINE 醉花林品潮轩辕 @ CHUI HUAY LIM CLUB 醉花林俱乐部
CHIHULY LOUNGE @ THE RITZ-CARLTON, MILLENIA SINGAPORE
EAST OCEAN TEOCHEW RESTAURANT 东海潮州酒家 @ NGEE ANN CITY
EN JAPANESE DINING BAR – IRRASHAIMASE いっらしゃいませ
HUA TING RESTAURANT 華廳 @ ORCHARD HOTEL
HUA TING RESTAURANT 華廳 – FINE CANTONESE CUISINE
LET’S HAVE A RENDEZVOUS!

I had my latest meal with Jerry on Monday and he remarked nonchalantly as I stood up to take some food photos, “You have put on some weight.”

I wondered how much “some” is to him, a little or a lot? “Nope, the dress shrank after laundry.” I retorted in my mind but not aloud as I knew what he said was the truth. I’ve been acquainted with Jerry long enough to appreciate that he always tell it like it is. He’s not tactful and can be completely clueless… Weight, just like age, is a very sensitive issue with women! Oh well, there goes my having more wine. I stopped after one drink. In fact, after I got home and thought deeper about Jerry’s uncoloured opinion, there goes my entire week’s appetite, too!

How dare he! I’m just voluptuous, that all. Yea right! Lie to yourself and then see how becoming you’ll turn out to be, Samantha! (Slap forehead).

Okay, okay, I admit. I’m getting fat! Period.

My hours are nocturnal thus it is hard for me to eat in a regulated and supervised fashion. We have facilities like gym and swimming pool within the compound but… but… Simply put, I am just not disciplined! Thinking of that depresses me and when I’m depressed, I munch.

Upon returning home, I saw a big brown paper bag on our dining table but there was no package in it except for a business card that says “Bonheur Pattisserie Pte Ltd”. My heart quickened, then skipped. I felt a rush. I was reaching for the fridge door, “Erm… No la, don’t even see it. You’re a fatty bum bum, remember?”

I’m going on a diet. Officially.

I angled off into my room and called it a night.

Tuesday: No solid food, liquid diet = coffee. I bought a new blend to motivate myself.

First time trying this blend, 117, from UCC.
I like it and may switch over from Nescafe.

Have you ever had dreams and knew that you were dreaming while you were in the dream? Well, this happened to me that night. I was a character in Brothers Grimm’s. You know, the story of a young brother and sister threatened by an anthropophagous witch living in a house fudged together by cake and chocolates? The confectionery fabricated house was exactly the same as the one I saw in the library borrowed story book Hansel and Gretel, during my primary school days. I knew I was dreaming because hello, I’m Asian not ang moh and I’m not that young but wait a minute! Where’s my brother? “Was my brother going to be eaten???” I woke up.

That was it! I’m not going to let any diet give me nightmares. I marched straight to the fridge and opened up the brown box. Through the carton’s window, I could see the fat deluxe assorted macarons. “Bonjour Bonheur Pattisserie”, I whispered.

But I was trying to be disciplined and keep my weight off.
Fat hopes!

To my delight, Valerie had chosen two with cutesy design.
She bought them knowing that I would want to take food photos of whatever I laid my eyes on.
Smart girl!

I recognised Hello Kitty but it took me some time to figure out the other animal…

Until I turned it around and realised it was a BABY!!!
Now who would eat this adorable little baby?
Certainly not this grandma. I’m not the witch in Hansel and Gretel’s!

If you have not already known, macarons are rock stars of the cookie world! They are made with almonds, egg whites and sugar (meringue). Their visually appealing shape is a distinctive flat round, like puffed up coins. They come in regular and delectable seasonal/exotic flavours, the latter to entice food snobs as well as to raise the status of the pattissiers.

Valerie told me the flavours of the filled cookies – Strawberry, Green Tea… I will not second guess the rest for I could only remember those I had vividly, Lavender and Salted Caramel. The meringue was airy and crumbled immediately. Its filling was chewy and subtly perfumed with their respective ingredients. If I were to be held hostage in any confectionery, Bonheur Pattisserie is the shop I would voluntarily imprison myself in.

No more nightmare afterwards. Sweet dreams are made of these!

人生不求满分，只求满足!

Bonheur Patisserie @ Turf City
Address: 200 Turf Club Road, #02-06,
Pasarbella, The Grandstand,
Singapore 287994.

Tel: +(65) 6466 1498

Opening Hours:
Mon – Thurs: 10am -7pm
Fri – Sat: 10am – 9.30pm
Sun: 10am – 8.30pm

Happy eating and bonding :)

See previous post on Bonheur Pattisserie here.

Last Thursday was Grandpa-to-be’s birthday and as I have mentioned he is not adventurous in food – Chinese cuisine, in particular, the Teochew and Cantonese are his main favourites. Thus, it was only natural we picked a Cantonese restaurant to celebrate his special day!

Taste Paradise at ION Orchard is considered a fine dining din sum place.
The service was efficient and the dining environment French Chinois “grandeur”.

Paradise Group’s Concept

“Poised as a diners’ paradise for Oriental cuisine, the Paradise Group offers gourmet menus of exceptional value in a wide variety of restaurant concepts together with a catering arm.

Promising a sensorial experience with service from the heart, every concept immerses the diner in an atmosphere that captures the finer points of Chinese culture, particularly the finest from its rich array of culinary delights.

True to our mission to improve, enhance and create for its our customers’ the ultimate experiential enjoyment, the Paradise Group marries tradition with innovation – a match that, as they say, is made in heaven.” – Paradise Group’s website

The appetiser offered this time was quite different from the usual braised peanuts, pickled acar or caramelised walnuts.
These were melon strips (likely wintermelon) soaked in orange juice.
They were crunchy (not too hard so could have been par boiled) and sweet and tart from the juice.

Our lunch may not be the most healthy fare but I am pleased Paradise Group does their bit in healthy eating.

Cooking Masterclass For NUH (National University Hospital)

“We are pleased to be working together with National University Hospital to conduct cooking Masterclass for cancer patients and their caregivers. The first class conducted by Paradise Inn on 27 April was a success with a cooking demonstration of two healthy and delicious dishes that the participants sampled on the spot. With a cheerful and amicable group of participants who love food and asked questions actively during the class, you can be sure that our chefs enjoyed themselves at the class as well!” – Paradise Group’s Admin At 06/05/2015

Without further adieu, let’s dive into our 廣州茶飲 lunch!

Har Gao (4 pcs) – S$5.80
Traditionally, har gao should have at least seven and preferably ten or more pleats imprinted on its wrapper.
The shrimp must be cooked through, but not overcooked.

Dumpling with Wild Fungus (3 pcs) _ S$5.80
I thought these were the Teochew-styled Dumplings and I was delighted to be wrong.
The wild fungus were moist and quite refreshing.

Siew Mai (4pcs) – S$5.80
Traditionally, the amount of meat should be generous, yet not so much that it cannot be eaten in one bite.
Here, they ignore tradition and gave us generous meaty bites which I preferred.

XLB (4 pcs) – S$4.80
Xiao Long Bao’s skin must be thin yet be sturdy enough not to break when picked up with chopsticks.
Surprisingly, the standard XLB here was better than those at Paradise Dynasty (sister company, a few doors away. See post link below).

Pork Dumpling with Foie Gras (4 pcs) – S$8.80
I can’t really taste the foie gras but it was still an interesting rendition.
Good XLB, or all steamed dumplings for that matter, must not stick to the paper, container or the other XLB in the basket.

Fried Beancurd Skin (3 pcs) – S$5.80
Ordinary tasting but these had meaty (prawn) bites.

Cheong Fun with Dough Fritter – S$4.80
The soya sauce was poured at the table when serving so as not to make the fritters soggy.
Indeed, the dough fritters were still crispy when I ate them.

X.O. Carrot Cake – S$7.80
X.O. Sauce with shrimp bits, beansprouts, scallions and scrambled eggs gave this simple carrot cake dish a delicious, crisp and chewy texture all at once.

2 BBQ Combination Roasts – S$20
I didn’t get to taste the roast pork belly at all so I gathered it must be good to be gone before I could stab at it.
The roast duck was crispy on the skin, tender and moist inside. It went very well with the plum sauce provided.

Ramen with Scallops in SS – S$10
What is SS? Special Sauce?

Ramen with Scallop, Tobiko and Bonito Flakes.
We ordered 3 portions.
The birthday boy had one all to himself since noodles represent longevity in Chinese tradition.
Vanessa and I shared one while Ryan and Valerie shared the other.
Ryan is a big fan of scallops, too bad there’s only one fat scallop in this dish.

Edamame Tofu with Crab Roe – S$26

The green colouring was from the peas (Edamame).
I’ve had standard tofu (whitish), egg tofu (yellowish), charcoal tofu (blackish grey) and now edamame tofu (green)!
What will they come up next?

Steamed Custard Buns (3 pcs) – S$5.80

Aka Liu Sar Bao, the oozing hot larva like salted egg yolk custard is what we are looking forward to each time we break into these.

Mango Pudding – S$5.

I don’t remember anyone having a steamed rice…

We had a great time bonding over lunch; catching up on the latest happenings in each other’s lives and sharing news worthy titbits.

The hearty meal was satisfying but I was only interested in scrutinising the dumplings in Taste Paradise 味之楼 @ ION. I wondered if their XLB had a minimum of 18 pleats on their wrappers. Hahaha… Anyway, all their dumplings had thin, translucent and smooth skin dough which did not break easily when picked up with chopsticks. So what’s the big deal, you ask. Well, dumplings are said to be the one that the skill of a dim sum chef is judged on. Basing on that, I must agree then that the chefs did a very good job here, and which is to be expected when dining in any of Paradise Group’s restaurants!

Happy birthday dearie! :D

Taste Paradise 味之楼 @ ION
Address: 2 Orchard Turn.
#04- 07, ION Orchard.
Singapore 238801.

Tel: (+65) 6509 9660.

Opening hours: Daily
Lunch: 11am – 3pm (Mon – Fri)
Dinner: 6pm – 11pm (Mon – Fri)
Sat – Sun: 11am – 11pm

Happy eating and bonding :)

See more Dim Sum posts here:
A TASTE OF PARADISE – 樂天皇朝
HONG KONG DIM SUM 香港点心 @ NEW CENTURY FOOD PARADISE
YUM CHA (CHINATOWN) RESTAURANT 飲茶酒楼
YUM CHA IS CHINESE BRUNCH – 點心
CHINESE TAPAS, ANYONE?
MEET THE PARENTS @ IMPERIAL TREASURE NAN BEI RESTAURANT 御宝南北小馆
HUA TING RESTAURANT 華廳 @ ORCHARD HOTEL
DIN TAI FUNG RESTAURANT 鼎泰豐
KUN SHU FOOD STALL 根叔美食世家 – UPMARKET FOOD AT HAWKER PRICES
CHOON MING BAO DIAN 春茗手工包点
VICTOR’S KITCHEN – GOLDEN EGG YOLK LAVA BUN 黄金流沙包
MAD ABOUT MAD! – MODERN ASIAN DINER (Ceased Operation)

In Malaysia:
RESTORAN CLAN 大家城点心茶楼 @ SRI PETALING
DELICIOUS MAKAN TRAIL IN BATU PAHAT, JOHOR, MALAYSIA! PART 1 (CHOP SEE KEE WANTON MEE 張亞泗雲吞面)

In Macau:
PETRUS RESTAURANT 碧翠轩餐厅 @ THE LANDMARK HOTEL MACAU
THE DAY BEFORE CHRISTMAS EVE @ KING RESTAURANT 帝皇樓 (MACAU) – They serve very good Dim Sum and Claypot Rice.

Sunday is undoubtedly family time for most Singaporeans. It is a day when most of the ordinary folks do their weekly wet-marketing, some with the whole jin gang of 3 generations along (see definition of a Wet Market and Whole Jin Gang in Singlish Dictionary, link provided below). In Singapore, most wet markets or “pasar” as we called them have food centres annexed to them. While the ladies and/or domestic helpers do the shopping, the men and children would be at the cooked food centre side of the complex. Going to the wet market can be a fun or frustrating event, a double edge sword when every member of the family is involved.

Heavy duty wet-marketing days are over for me since my children started employment. Their unconventional working hours meant they have to eat out more often than not. These days, I only shop for food at wet market on an ad hoc basis. I do, however, visit the food centres adjoining these pasar, frequently.

Last Sunday morning, Andrew and I went to Pasar 16 @ Bedok for Hill Street Fried Kway Teow. The stall had just sold out during our last trip there, and this time, they have not started business. We walked around the food centre and Andrew gave me a brief commentary of some stalls he patronises. He mentioned that there were a few good Malay stalls. I was intrigued because there weren’t any good Malay stalls where I lived and I was eager to eat some mee siam mee soto mee rebus!

We had mee rebus from Warong Jawa. The boiled noodles with potato gravy was a tad too sweet for my liking. Andrew said, “Don’t finish it. We’ll eat something else, later.”

Warong Jawa Stall #01-17.
Operates from morning till afternoon.

Mee Rebus from Warong Jawa.

Song Luck Noodle Stall #01-42.

Prawn Noodle Soup and Prawn Mee Pok (dry) from Song Luck.

The next two dishes of Prawn Noodles (pics shown above above) and Fried Carrot Cake (pics below) were undistinguished. The hot tea I had was also mediocre. The food wasn’t run-of-the-mill but they sure weren’t spectacular. The broth of the prawn noodle soup had plenty of crustacean flavour and needless to say, msg. The fried carrot cake was too mushy for my taste. We had quite a lot of leftovers. In between meals, Andrew would disappear and then finally returning with bags of food each time.

Original Changi Ten Mile Fried Carrot Cake.
Sorry didn’t capture the stall number but it is in the middle row of food centre.

Half and Half (Ebony and Ivory? Hahaha… :)
Fried Carrot Cake.

Sam and Vanessa polished off both the black and white fried carrot cake – compliments from Andrew. Tummy filled, they did not bother with the other package which sat on the table, left untouched even by Ryan and Valerie when they woke up. None of us knew what was wrapped in that brown paper. The children did ask, “What’s that?” But none of them opened it. I’m guessing it was the not so exciting mee rebus. “I don’t know, could be mee rebus.” That didn’t titillate their tastebuds. I kept the unexposed in the fridge.

The next day, as I opened the unknown package, I was pleasantly surprised to see smell the content. Yes, even though it has been chilled overnight, the coconutty fragrance of the aromatic nasi permeated the air. I got excited this time and hoped that it would taste as good as it smelled and looked. The vibrant red from the sambal tumis was a sight to behold. The fried ikan kuning (fish), chicken wing and ikan bilis (anchovies) still possessed a crispy golden brown complexion that was unwilted by the cold. I shifted the contents into a bowl carefully, so as not to excoriate its physiognomy. I needed to take a photo of it for this post ;-)

Nasi lemak can be eaten piping hot or even at room temperature. I decided mine would be lukewarm, as long as the sambal was feverish; so I kept vigil in front of the microwave.

The most unexpected tasty discovery!
Nasi Lemak from Warong Jawa “unearthed” the next day.

When Andrew said that he liked Warong Jawa’s Nasi Lemak, I had no idea it was THAT good! The warmed through rice was soft yet did not clump together. The savoury chicken wing, ikan kuning and ikan bilis did not go limp albeit I heated them in the microwave (normally they would become soggy). There was a paper thin omelet and a slice of cucumber, both negligible. But the sambal, heavens! Simultaneously sweet and savoury with multiple spices teasing the tongue, ending on high notes.  For me, a good nasi lemak is made up of 3 components, the rice (fluffy, tender, rich in coconut milk), ikan bilis (crunch and colour) and the sambal (not too sweet but must be sweet enough, confusing? The sweetness should be from loads of onions/shallots and not entirely from sugar). While Warong Jawa’s mee rebus did not create any waves for me, their nasi lemak was an outstanding umami combination of the 3 components I listed above. Step aside **Changi Village!

Seriously, the nasi lemak was so darn good, I told Andrew I wanted to blog it. He was kind enough to drive to the food centre to find out the address and take pictures of those I did not cover. Thank you for everything! :D

Pasar 16 @ Bedok

Bedok South Market and Food Centre (Various Stalls)
Address: Block 16, Bedok South Road.
Singapore 460016.

Happy eating and bonding :)

The term *whole jin gang is ***Singlish and thus I must enlighten readers here ;-)
“whole jin gang, the /jin, dʒɪn/ n. or pron. [origin uncertain, poss. < engine gang a gang of people working on an engine; or chain-gang a gang or number of convicts chained together while at work, etc., to prevent escape]. The whole group, everyone.” Simply put, it means the “whole group, everyone” and in this post’s context, all the family members.

**Changi Village has been touted (and very much overrated to me) to have the best nasi lemak stalls.

***Singlish is a unique language widely used in Singapore, of course! You can get a taste of Singlish by browsing the Singlish dictionary here: http://www.singlishdictionary.com

See posts of other Nasi Lemak here:
Changi Village Hawker Centre
Royal Rumble
Indonesian Delights by Rita Lim @ Tampines St. 42 (no longer operating)

In Malaysia:
Happy Land Cafeteria (JB)
Jalan Jalan Cari Makan (KL)

See my versatile Sambal Tumis Recipe here
Nasi Lemak (Tumeric version and video clip)

The only Nasi Ambeng I have had were from Mamanda but the last few months, I have been seeing posts on Facebook raving about it from other establishments but I am particularly interested in Ambeng Cafe by Ummi Abdullah @ East Village.

East Village is opposite Bedok Simpang.
Now where is Ambeng Cafe?

Found it!

Queue forming even before they open for business at noon.

“Nasi ambeng or Nasi ambang is a fragrant rice dish consists of white rice prepared with chicken curry or chicken cooked in soy sauce, vegetables, fried noodles, some salted fish, fried coconut flesh, and so on. It is a popular Javanese cuisine, especially in every Javanese-Malay communities in Malaysian states of Selangor and Johor, Singapore and also in Java, Indonesia. It is served during the festivities and served in a tray and enjoyed together in a tray by four to five people.” – Wikipedia

Ambeng Cafe by Ummi Abdullah serves 4 sets of traditional Ambeng Platters. They are Ambeng Original Duo Set A (S$24) and Ambeng Original Trio Set B (S$34), Ambeng Classic Duo Set C (S$38) and Ambeng Classic Trio Set D (S$48).

Set A and Set B have 10 items each, including rice. The additional 4 items in Set C and D are Ikan Kering, Sambal Kacang Ikan Bilis, Ikan Bali, Sambal Sotong. Knowing me, I must, of course, have everything! Alvin saw me looking at other items on the menu and said “Let’s wait till the food arrives before you order more. It should be more than enough.” ;-)

We had SA4 which is the Ambeng Classic Trio Set D S$48.00

We chose our drinks from this part of the menu.
We’ll order desserts later.

Looks empty but don’t be fooled.
Diners are at the cashier placing orders before going to their assigned tables.

Full house daily.
There’s a queue of people outside.

Kalamansi (Lime) Juice and Bandung (Rose Syrup with Evaporated Milk).

We wanted to wait for Mark but looking at the queue at the cashier’s, we decided to order first. Food arrived rather quickly, so when Mark came, it was feast for the cameras first, then our belly. :D

Knowing me, we must, of course, have the most complete set!

This is Set D which, according to the menu, is enough to feed 3 persons.
The Ayam Kalio (background) was served separately so that the gravy does not mess up the rice and other ingredients.

Ayam Kalio – the half-way chicken rendang!
I’m more into the gravy than the protein.
We loved the not too thick not too thin viscosity of the gravy and asked for more.
Ambeng Cafe obliged with a little topping up at not extra charge.

The two reddish looking items in between the beef rendang was Ikan Bali (left) and Sambal Sotong (furthest bottom right).
These are not inclusive in the Original Set A & B.
I found the fish too be dry but then again most fried fish and fried chicken items tend to be overly done in Malay cuisine (that’s my personal observation).
I love sotong (squid) in any style of cooking but not the akaline soaked type so this Sambal Sotong although delectable did not entice me to go for more than just a tasting bite.

Ikan Kering, on top (in the middle) is also not in the Original Sets.
I don’t normally like this fish as they are very salty but here the saltiness is acceptable and I did enjoy the brittle crunch.
Sambal Goreng can be considered a vegetarian dish consisting of long beans, taukwa and tempe (firm soybean cake and fermented soybean cake), cooked in spices and coconut milk till gravy is fully absorbed by the ingredients..

The Sambal next to the eggs were spicy but nothing we cannot handle. We asked for more even!
The eggs (I suspect) were pricked with fork and then deep-fried, topped with a different chilli sambal.
Terung (brinjal or eggplant) was deep-fried till limp and the tangy assam (tamarind) sauce did complemented the dish well with a slight tang.

Sambal Kacang (spicy peanuts) and Ikan Bilis (anchovies) are also not included in the Original Sets.

The blackish looking stuff is Paru (ox lungs).
They are supposedly spongey and can be chewy.
I found these to be a bit over-fried and thus lacking “bounce” –  if they were more moist, I would like it better.

There were supposedly 14 items butI kept counting 13!

There were supposedly 14 items butI kept counting 13! In the end, I found the missing item or should I say items and make it 15, instead? The missing item(s) was Serunding, the golden shreds sprinkled on top of the Beansprouts and 4-Angled Beans, and Sambal Belachan, next to the eggs. I didn’t think Sambal Belachan was an item. We had requested for 2 more refills of this delicious dip and wondering why they stinge on it. Now I know. It is considered an item part of the dishes and not a dipping sauce.

We were fully satisfied! We were so filled up we couldn’t order any desserts. I had planned on having Ice Chendol as well as Pisang Keju, which I heard is to die for. Oh well, I’ll just have to die another day!

SATISFACTION!

Each of us spent S$15 for this meal, inclusive of drinks.

Ambeng Cafe by Ummi Abdullah is managed and owned by Dapur Ummi Abdullah Catering and Management Pte Ltd.

Ambeng Cafe By Ummi Abdullah
Address: 430 Upper Changi Road.
#01-65 East Village.
Singapore 487048.

Opening hours: (Closed on Mondays)
Tuesdays to Thursdays: 11am – 10pm
Fridays: 3pm – 10pm
Saturdays & Sundays: 11am – 10pm

Tel: +65 63840495

Please note that being the *Ramadan (fasting) period, Ambeng Cafe by Ummi Abdullah is only opened for take-aways from 3pm – 5pm daily and dinner is strictly by reservations only!

*Ramadan in 2015 started on Thursday, the 18th of June and will continue for 30 days until Friday, the 17th of July.

Happy eating and bonding :)

Click here to see Nasi Tumpeng/Nasi Ambeng from Mamanda.

If you like Ayam Kalio, try my recipe. Click here.

If you like Sambal Dishes, try some of my recipes below:

Sambal Enam Recipe.

Sambal Tumis Recipe

Sambal Sotong Recipe

Sambal Prawns Recipe

Sambal Telur Recipe

Sambal Ikan Bilis Recipe

Sambal Kangkong Recipe

マン席, pronounced as Manseki, means “sold out” or “all seats taken” in the Japanese language. And in effect with the yummilicious omakase meal I had recently, this semi-fine dining restaurant ought to be!

I wanted to name this post “A Tale of 2 Friendships” because it was a union of 2 old buddies and I bonding over dinner. They do not know each other but quickly warmed up to one another. Jerry, the guest, and Chef Ron who served us a “surprise me” menu of dainty sushi, exquisite sashimi, mouth-watering braised and grilled seafood with his own recipe of delicate sauces.

I’m acquainted with Jerry for nearly 30 years now. I knew Ron at Matsuki Restaurant at The Pinetree Town & Country Club back in the early 2000s, when he left *Nogawa after a 5-year stint.

*Back in 1978, Nogawa Japanese Restaurant is Singapore’s first sushi restaurant. Many of our local chefs apprenticed there. It was considered the industry’s top level then.

Chef Ron was proper enough to greet me at the door with a slight bow (Japanese style). I walked over and gave him a hug (Western style). Lol…

I was escorted to the sushi counter by Yumi, the cheery young waitress. Lo and behold! Jerry was already seated there. I was surprised as I thought I would be having sake with Chef Ron for a good half hour before he arrives. I’ll have to share more of the sake then. ;-)

MASUMI – “SANKA” JUNMAI DAIGINJO SAKE (720ml).
Ricetype used is Yamada-Nishiki and Yeast Kyokai #9, without any sulfites nor preservatives..
Semaibuai (amount of rice left after milling) is 45% with alcohol content of 16.5%.
From Suwa, Nagano Prefecture.

Masumi Sanka means “Mountain Flowers”.

I prefer cold to hot sake and this bottle of semi-sweet, medium to full bodied drink was made from polished rice with SMV (Sake Meter Value – the lower the sweeter and higher, drier) of +2 or was it +1? Its complex bouquet revealed hints of ripe fruit (cranberry?), rose petals and even the earthy oregano! We enjoyed this luscious flow so much we had another smaller bottle to end the night.

EDAMAME (枝豆) is a preparation of immature soybeans in the pod.
This dish is a popular accompaniment to Sake or pre-meal snacks in Japanese eateries all the way to fine dining restaurants.

FUGU MIRIN BOSHI and TATAMI IWASHI.

Tatami Iwashi (たたみいわし) is a Japanese appetiser of shirashu (dried baby sardines) laid out and dried while entwined in a single layer to form a large mat-like (hence, the name tatami) sheet. They were crispy, slightly bland but went very well with my cold Sanka. The Fugu Mirin Boshi (the pale maroonish brown strips in the middle of the plate), on the other hand, tasted savoury-sweet with smoky flavours. They had pleasant soft chewy texture which reminds me of Bak Kwa (pork jerky).

Here’s an interesting fact about Fugu (フグ), which is pufferfish or blowfish. Did you know that Fugu contains a poison called tetrodotoxin, which is 1,200 times deadlier than cyanide? In view of the high risk involved, fugu-preparing licensed chefs are subjected to a 2-3year training program before certification. Eating them (not the chefs but fugu) with the mayo and tobiko (飛子 flying fish roe) dip is a luxury combined with high stakes gamble, don’t you think? Danger is now my middle name. :)

Plating, especially that of Sashimi, is a visual display of an Itamae’s skill.
Thus, it is safe to say that eating a platter of sashimi is like eating works of art, so feast with your eyes first!

I was so busy taking pictures of the beautiful platter I only realised upon reviewing these photos that I did not get to eat the Mirugai.
Jerry!!!

Our Sashimi Platter consisted of the following:
Shiro Maguro (白鮪): White Tuna
Kanpachi (間八): Greater Amberjack
Shima-aji (しま鯵): Striped Jack
Ōtoro (大とろ): fattiest portion of Bluefin Tuna belly
Tai (鯛): Seabream Snapper
Akagai (赤貝): Ark Shell
Mirugai (海松貝): Geoduck Clam
Ama-ebi (甘海老): raw Pink Shrimp

KANPACHI (間八).
Toppings on the thinly sliced Kanpachi fish starting from left to right in doubles:
1. Fried Bonito Flakes and Scallions.
2. Uni (sea urchin) and Caviar.
3. Shio Konbu with Mayo.

AWABI (アワビ) 
ABALONE

This was the LIVER of the abalone I had.
I didn’t know abalones have this organ.
Chef Ron said they have teeth, too!
My first try of abalone liver and it tasted smooth and mildly rich.
Two thumbs up!
Wait a minute… The crescent shape of the greyish green sac… Could it be the abalone’s gonad that’s rich in anti-oxidants???

This, I suspect, was a juvenile abalone as the flesh was more tender like eating a calamari steak, hahaha…

ISAKI SHIOYAKI (GRUNT FISH イサキ魚).
If you love white fish, you will love this fish!
The raw fish has a pretty translucent colour of white to pink with silver to white skin.

The light flavor of Isaki flesh is interesting because there is a noticable fat layer between the skin and meat. With a hint of sweetness, the fish had a very delicate texture. Isaki is known to be rich in protein, minerals and less mercury. However, it does contain a high percentage of fat (are they good fats, like omega-3 fatty acids?). The salted savoury crust drew out the fish’ natural sweetness and made it even more delectable. “More sake, please!”

DEEP-FRIED KAJIKI (SWORD FISH).

Kajiki (梶木) has sweet flavors in all applications from raw to high heat. We had them deep-fried and served with Ron’s creative Sesame Sauce, which was velvety rich and aromatic. The bite-sized snack had good mouthfeel, slightly chewy and firm. Kajiki has robust flavours and its high fat content ensured they do not dry even when deep-fried. I bet they’re fantastic cooked as fish steaks!

NASU EBI GOMO-AE (EGGPLANT WITH SESAME SAUCE).

NASU is a Japanese word for “eggplant”. EBI is prawn/shrimp. GOMA means “sesame” and AE means sauce in Japanese. My only vegetable for the night. The eggplant was very soft. There’s fresh prawns and if you look carefully, there were also some dried shrimps under the whitish… erm, beansprouts? The broth, although light and refreshing, was left mostly untouched since I didn’t have rice to go with it.

Available Sake in Manseki.

I ordered more Sake and told Chef Ron I needed more food. “Sushi!” I requested, as I walked out for a smoke break.

Chef Ron suggested Aburi Sushi when I requested for more food.

Aburi sushi, (炙り寿司) or roasted/flamed sushi, is sushi where the raw fish topping is partly raw and partly grilled (topside of fish) by a butane-fuelled blow torch.

TAI WITH SHIO KONBU, RED CAVIAR AND MAYO.

SHIMA AJI WITH BONITO FLOSS, SPRING ONIONS AND MAYO.

AMA-EBI WITH SPICY COD ROE AND MAYO.

HOTATE (海扇) WITH GOOSE LIVER (SCALLOP WITH FOIE GRAS).
The name says it all.
I know this will be a big hit with Ryan!

Jerry said he could not eat anymore. I wanted more. So we compromised. Chef Ron said, “The next sushi will be served by hand instead of putting it on the plate.” I had to ask why. You’d want to know why, don’t you?

“Well, flavours from my hand makes the sushi tastes better. I have named it ‘Forget Me Not’!”

“No kidding! We have been eating (your) handmade sushi all along but why must this be poached from your hand?”

Further interrogations revealed that the heavy topping of minced Otoro and Uni would topple the sushi if he puts it on the flat plate. His slightly cupped palm holds the sushi better.

Chef Ron’s “Forget Me Not”.

The handing over of delicate “FORGET ME NOT”.
Two old friends of mine fast becoming friends.
Food, definitely, is a bonding tool!
Jerry’s not going to be in my team for passing the baton.
How did he managed to take the sushi when his hand was below Chef Ron’s??? Epic fail!

“FORGET ME NOT”.
Aptly named as I love ŌTORO ( 大とろ) and UNI (海胆).
The COD FISH ROE was optional but I can never resist the former two!
I had to challenged that this sushi can be sitting on the plate without falling over :p

KAKI (貝) is OYSTER.
I believe this bowl of aphrodisiac needs no introduction.
The fat juicy oysters in cloudy medium-bodied broth guaranteed oomph!

ABURI HOKKAIDO CHEESECAKE.
Created in drunken stupor!

It is not unusual for an Itamae (sushi chef) to partake alcoholic drinks, compliments from their customers, and on one particular night, Chef Ron was served one too many from the merry making diners. In his tipsiness, he torched both the sushi and the unintended cheesecake. It was very well received. From then on, Aburi Cheesecake is on the menu! Hahaha…

Jerry was stuffed and relieved when the cheesecakes were served. He thought that was the end of the meal until…

Chef Ron and Chef Kang preparing Assorted Sushi.

This platter’s for YOU! :D

Until the bill was paid could Jerry be totally relaxed that we were not having any more food!
I think he only eats like a glut when with me :p

Entrance to Manseki is in between Fraser Place and Wine Connection.

Manseki 满席 is a Japanese semi-fine dining restaurant offering a range of sushi, sashimi, noodles, grilled and deep fried dishes as well as bento box selections.
The restaurant also offers a range of sake, shochu, Japanese whiskies and Japanese premium beers.

Tuesdays and Fridays are Manseki’s cargo day. That means the fish/seafood from Japan arrives into Singapore in the morning and gets prepared immediately by the chefs so they could be served by lunch time.

I had picked a Monday to visit Chef Ron at Manseki so as to test the quality of food since whatever I was eating was from last Friday’s cargo. I must say Chef Ron did a very good job holding the helm at Manseki 满席 (マン席). I am also very happy with the efficient and unobtrusive service I got that night from the other staff. Don’t take my words for it. Go visit! I know I’ll be heading there for their Bento set lunch soon. And this time, it’ll be on a cargo day! :)

Manseki 满席
Address: 11 Unity Street,
Robertson Walk #01-07.
Singapore 237995.

Tel: 6737 5968

Opening hours:
11.30am to 2.15pm (Mon to Sun)
6pm to 10.30pm (Sun to Wed)
6pm to 11pm (Thur to Sat)

Happy eating, making new friendships and bonding :)

P.S. I think there’s a 10% off the food bill for OCBC cardholders. Do find out if it is still available.

My very first Ajisen Ramen meals were in Melbourne. My last Ajisen Ramen meal was consumed when my brother visited us. I have always liked Ajisen Ramen in Melbourne. They have fantastic sides to pair up with their ramen sets and I do love their infamous Volcano Ramen!

As we waited in line at the Ajisen Ramen Singapore’s Tampines outlet, I told Valerie I was reminded of the ambrosial meal times in Ajisen Ramen Melbourne. The side dishes were standard whenever we order: Tofu Dengaku, Soft Shell Crabs, Tori Karaage and Salmon Sashimi. Oh, how I missed the buttery Gyutan Don!

I peered through the glass wall to see what the diners ate as I shuffled along the moving queue.

“Are those Thai fish cakes?” pointing at the orange patties.

Valerie: “Yes, I’m going to have Volcano Ramen set with the Fish Cakes as a side.”

“Weird! Thai food in Japanese eatery.”

As we reached near the entrance, I told Valerie that my friend *Philip produces plastic food models and wondered if those on display here were his works.

Plastic models of menu displayed at Ajisen Ramen Singapore outlets.

You place your orders electronically.
This helps to tackle the labour shortage in Singapore, faced by many F&B establishments.

Once you are satisfied with your order placement, click “SEND”.
Otherwise, go back to “MENU” and redo your ordering.

Volcano Ramen.

Standard Gyoza.
There’s a crispy version also.

Thai Fish Cakes.

Tori Karaage (Fried Chicken).

Ryan had extra noodles for S$3.

It is not unusual to see Singapore’s F&B outlets running full houses especially during the weekends. And in the past, seeing a long queue automatically served as a testament to the fine food of that establishment. These days, long queues, in my opinion, are due to lack of seats (high rental), not enough service staff (or well trained staff) to handle the situation, the influx of foreigners living and working here (more spending power), etc… etc… In short, long queues do not guarantee good food.

In the Ajisen Ramen Melbourne’s 1000 Tastes In A Bowl post, I proclaimed, “Affordable fast food meal that will not disappoint.” Sadly, this was not applicable to Singapore.

From the above 2 paragraphs, you may have already guessed correctly that I was not impressed with Ajisen Ramen Singapore.

There are a variety of ramen flavours and rice dishes. I am not sure if Volcano Ramen (VR) is the best selling ramen dish here but since Ryan and Valerie were having VR Set, I had that, too.

Regular Ramen Sets are S$16.90. You pick out one ramen, one standard side dish and a drink. You can pay more and opt for premium sides, upsize noodles and certain drinks like Pepsi.

Our 3 sets were:
Ryan – VR set with Gyoza ($16.90), upsize noodles (extra $3) and Pepsi (extra $1.90).
Valerie – VR set with Thai Fish Cake and Houji Tea ($16.90). They had cleverly taken out the word Thai but a rose by any other name is a rose. There is no mistaking that those were Thai fish cakes in my opinion.

Originally, my order was VR set with soft shell crab. Valerie wasn’t sure if that was offered in the sets until she scrolled down the electronic menu and found it under premium sides and would cost an extra $4. While she was keying the order, I peeked at other diners meal and changed my side to Tori Karaage. That change would require some help since we weren’t familiar with the electronic gadget. I am not sure if this outlet was short of staff but we struggled to get some attention. The sides came first, then the ramen.

No doubt the Volcano Ramen was edible. Anything that’s spicy works for me! The plus point was the porky tonkotsu soup was not too salty like most places, the noodles were toothsome as promised but they were no where near the more refined VR I had in Melbourne. The sides were deemed ultra ordinary. I was very disappointed with the dry fried chicken.

The culprit could be my expectation for it to fare better than Ajisen Ramen Melbourne but Ajisen Ramen Singapore – What Happened To The 1000 Tastes?

Maybe I shouldn’t be so quick as to write them off. There are other outlets with different chefs at helm. Until then…

Happy eating and bonding :)

Ajisen Ramen 味千拉面
There are many outlets in Singapore and around the world (more than 400 chain). You can google for an outlet near you.

Click to see post on Ajisen Ramen Melbourne.

Other ramen posts:
MARUTAMA RAMEN @ THE CENTRAL
KESUKE TAKEDA – THE TONKOTSU KING
SHIN TOKYO SUSHI – SHODDY AT BEST

In Melbourne:
1000 TASTES IN A BOWL
KENZAN@GPO IS NOW GEKKAZAN

*Food I shared with Philip:
TWE KEE HAINANESE CHICKEN RICE – UNTWEAKED TRADITION
LEK KEE AUTHENTIC TEOCHEW BRAISED DUCK 陆记正宗潮州卤鸭 @ PEOPLE’S PARK FOOD CENTRE
CONPOY CHICKEN @ CAFE DE HONG KONG 新天地小厨
GOOD MORNING NANYANG CAFE 早安南洋 – MORE THAN JUST A JAM!
KUN SHU FOOD STALL 根叔美食世家 – UPMARKET FOOD AT HAWKER PRICES
ZHEN MING PORK RIBS PRAWN NOODLE 真鸣肉骨虾面 @ MAYFLOWER
ROKEBY – AUSTRALIAN INSPIRED CAFE & NIGHT BISTRO BAR

Other posts with Philip:
CROSS WAY BAY HONG KONG ROASTED MEAT 尖沙嘴港式烧臘 @ TAMPINES, SINGAPORE (moved to Johor Bahru)

INDONESIAN DELIGHTS BY RITA LIM @ TAMPINES ST 42 (stall is NO LONGER OPERATING)
ROMANCING THE DISH @ IVY’S HANINANESE MUTTON SOUP 海南药材羊肉汤 (stall is NO LONGER OPERATING)

The last time we met was during the CNY period at Imperial Treasure Super Peking Duck Restaurant after Adrian’s scary heart attack incident and it’s about time we gather again for some food, booze and gossips but more importantly, we had to celebrate, albeit a belated one, Paulina’s birthday!

I had called/texted to wish her on the actual day and told her I would buy her a meal but I had been “busy”.

“Hey, when’s my treat coming?” she texted.

“Hey you back, how about next Wednesday? I’m meeting Adrian and Yap for dinner. I buy your share?” grinning face accompanied my text.

I told Paulina that Wednesday is confirmed but we haven’t decided on the venue.

Adrian offered a few suggestions like sake binge but in the end we opted for steamboat (Ade thinks Yap prefers Chinese cuisine over Western and Japanese) even though Yap had assured us he was okay with whatever we decided.

7th July 2015, Tuesday night – I was having Korean language class when the text came. “Tomorrow dinner at Lao You Ji Fish Head Steamboat Seafood Restaurant near my place. Answer please!”

Yap okayed it. I replied I’m fine with it too. I relayed the message to Paulina and she yay-ed. We were set for a good time. Yap was not going to drive so we can all eat and drink to our hearts’ content! :D

Lao You Ji 老友记 at 245 Outram Road is actually a couple of shops away from my favourite steamboat place Tian Tian Fish Head Steamboat.

Paulina had some errands to run and would be late but Adrian and Yap decided to hit there first for beer.
I was just in time to catch them snacking on Crispy Baby Sotong (squid) when I arrived.
This item has been paid for before I arrived.

Red Garoupa Fish Head Steamboat.
There are other secondary ingredients like fried yam, nappa cabbage, etc…

Our extra order of secondary items.
From left to right (anti-clockwise):
1) Spinach & Tang Oh (some sort of green Chrysanthemum)
2) Sliced Red Garoupa Fish
3) Quail Eggs
4) Pork Balls
5) Enoki Mushrooms
6) Beef

We had ordered a medium size steamboat and this plate of fish seemed little compared to Tian Tian’s but the cuts were thicker here.
Or am I wrong? I haven’t been to Tian Tian for steamboat but we have been buying take-outs from Tian Tian.

Quail Eggs.
Adrian loves quail eggs. So do I.
Quail eggs are supposedly full of rejuvenating qualities, according to TCM.

Dumplings in wanton wrappers.
These dumplings had chunky prawn, meat, and some tee poh (dried flat fish).

Pig’s Liver.

Pork Balls.

Fatty Beef.
We called it fatty beef in steamboat restaurants due to, you guessed it, the generous fat marbling.

Deep-fried Beanskin (soy bean).
Paulina ate them off the plate when it was crispy hot.
A few pieces were “stolen” from this plate.
The culprits did it to piss me off.

Enoki also known as Golden Mushrooms.

We had Spinach and Tang Oh vegetables, too!

Adrian was happy to cook and feed everyone.

Yap was kind enough to switch his choice of Kidneys for Liver when he asked if I eat kidneys and I hesitated.

Paulina being funny realising that I was focusing on her.
What’s she eating? That was not presented to me for photo-taking!
Pass the dish over here, lady!

Hokkien Mee.
I wrote about this dish in a previous post.
It is one of my mom’s specialties which she cooked often when my siblings and I were young, as it was an easy to prepare one-dish meal.

Adrian said this must be eaten with crispy pork lard.
I obeyed.

Free top-ups of herbal soup at no extra charge.

Medium Steamboat S$40,
Fatty Beef S$16
Pork Balls S$8
Quail Eggs S$10
Enoki Mushrooms S$6
Spinach S$4
Dumplings S$8
Beanskin S$6
Tang Oh S$4
Hokkien Mee S$6
Pig’s Liver S$8
Beer S$54
I don’t know what the S$8 is for (baby sotong? but Yap said it was paid for).
Adrian was supposed to check the bill and I reckon the S$1.20 were for wet tissues.

What’s there not to like about the steamboat here? The food! No wonder there were only a few tables taken up when we were there. The crowd started streaming in around 9pm. That’s when they got busy but still attentive to our needs for more alcohol.

In my humble opinion, the beanskin was expensive and wasn’t that great; I still prefer the standard blistered sheet-type. The quail eggs at S$10 was daylight robbery! (although I can understand why many places do not offer them because of high cost). The herbal soup wasn’t overpowering with bitter taste and I suspect the broth was uncontaminated or had too little msg! There were too few of those “ocean” fresh fish slices although the cuts were thick.

The quality of the secondary items was disgustingly invigorating; fresh and succulent morsels (and with real chunky bits of fillings for those in wrappers).

The vegetables were cleaned so well I didn’t get to experience gritty soil that could have been buried in the wilted boiled leaves.

The maroonish liver was bloodied enough and they tasted “powdery” when cooked till 80% doneness (a quality one looks for when eating pig’s liver).

The pork balls, with some benefit of doubt, were butchered by hand (I still think Tian Tian’s pork balls are better).

The fatty beef, even when overdone (we cannot keep an eye on everything once dumped into the simmering cauldron), still possessed tender texture, no thanks to its fine marbling for I was getting fatter with each luscious bite. Two thumbs up!

The savoury Hokkien Mee was served with warm crispy pork lard (not cooled ones we were usually served at cze char stalls) – is this a usual treat (the warm cracklings) or did they know I was going to blog about them (my dslr could have clued them) and hence the special treatment? Adrian was right about the damned noodles. I hated every slurp of my second/third helpings with more lard and sliced chilli padi. I even had to text Valerie midway through dinner that we’ve found a new place to dabao the black noodles in future. Socks came off by the way ;-)

And oh, I haven’t forgotten that their had polite and prompt service, offering more pork lard and refilling our beer mugs but since there’s no service charge, I’m not going to complain about our reasonable bill.

We lingered on after a terribly full meal. How dare they did not have Orh Nee (yam paste) which we wanted for dessert so we had one more bottle of beer as consolation.

But Lao You Ji Fish Head Steamboat Seafood Restaurant 老友记鱼头火锅海鲜 is not only known for their steamboat, they are also famous for their chilli crabs and other cze char dishes. My roaming eyes saw what the other diners were having – fried rice, sweet & sour fish, horfun, chilli crabs, etc… etc… I will have to go again for the cze char to decide if they hold up to their name.

It was nearly midnight when we left. A few kilos heavier I’m sure but we were all smiles! In the cab, I texted into the group chat, “I had a wonderful time.”

What’s there not to like when there’s great food and complaisant buddies at the table?

Did I just say great food after all the ranting? I must be… Hic!

Happy eating and bonding :)

Lao You Ji Fish Head Steamboat Seafood Restaurant 老友记鱼头火锅海鲜
Address: 245 Outram Road.
Singapore 169046.

Operating hours: Daily
5pm – 5am

Tel:(+65) 62215280

Steamboat & Hotpot meals I’ve blogged:
LE LE POT 乐乐锅 @ SENG POH ROAD
HUALONG FISHHEAD STEAMBOAT 華龍魚頭爐
WHAMPOA FOOD STREET (KENG) – FISH HEAD STEAMBOAT RESTAURANT
136 HONG KONG STREET FISH HEAD STEAMBOAT 香港街魚頭爐

Not in restaurants:
GOAT STEAMBOAT? CNY LUNCHEON
LET’S DO THE TWIST!
THE WOOD HORSE HAS ARRIVED! 马年已到!
REUNION DINNER – 年夜飯 (團年飯)

In South Korea:
NORYANGJIN FISHERIES WHOLESALE MARKET 노량진수산시장 PART 2

In Macau:
EARLY REUNION STEAMBOAT DINNER @ KING RESTAURANT (MACAU)
TAI SHAN SHUI LAO RONG 台山水老荣

In Malaysia:
YONG’S STEAM BOT GARDEN 泳池海鲜生锅園

Click here to see Tian Tian Seafood Fish Head Steamboat post (it is one of my favourite steamboat places although this post did not feature steamboat but cze char dishes).

Was it because I had it again immediately the next night without a cooling-off period that I did not find it delicious? No! I am used to repeat menu. So are the kids. If we like something, we can eat them daily and then some (for years).

I posted on my FB wall that “I’m still thinking of their Hokkien Mee with pork lard” yesterday and Valerie commented in the thread later that evening, “I’m **dabao-ing now”.

“Yay!!! Ask for the crispy pork lard and sambal”.

Dinner came but the noodles looked very different from what I had the previous night at Lao You Ji 老友记. The journey home did not dry out the gravy so I’m guessing the noodles were cooked al dente and weren’t soft enough to allow the gravy to continue to penetrate into them with residual heat. And here lies the difference with Singapore style Hokkien Mee versus KL style Hokkien Mee (福建面). Ours is soft and wet while KL’s dry and springy. To compare them is like comparing grapes and blackcurrant; they are similar but not the same. Know what I mean? It’s all personal preferences. As for me, I do enjoy both the wet and dry versions.

My only grouse with Lao You Ji’s Hokkien Mee was that eating the stewed noodles in-house tasted rapturous, how come it did not deliver when we dabao home? Maybe the cook thought he was doing us a favour 1) by not thoroughly cooking the noodles, taking the chance that the gravy would bore into them or 2) so we don’t have to wait too long for our meal. OR they were busy running a full house and needed the wok!!! After all, infusing takes longer time. I found the noodles lacklustre and was embarrassed that Val and Ryan did not get to enjoy it as much as I did last night. I apologised but Ryan was sweet enough to say it was not too bad since there were pork cracklings which made the sauce yummy (he didn’t complain but those crispy cracklings had turned soft).

Lao You Ji Hokkien Mee 老友记福建面.
We asked for sambal and they gave us 3 sets each of sambal, limes as well as chilli padi in light soy.

Seasonings are in the gravy and because the noodles could not absorb the gravy, they didn’t taste as good.

3 x S$6 each

Singapore-style Hokkien Mee is supposed to be softer, not al dente, either very moist or with some gravy but not soupy like that you see in photo above. The secondary ingredients consist of prawns, squid and sliced pork with some greens like chye sim (mustard greens) or nappa cabbage. Some eateries and home-style cooking will garnish this dish with crispy fried shallots and crispy pork lard. Sliced chillies with light soy is the favoured side dip.

Malaysia’s Johor Bahru-style is very similar to Singapore’s style in terms of flat noodles and gravy.

JB’s Hokkien Mee is most similar to Singapore-style.
Hokkien Mee is a “Must Eat” when visiting Malaysia, especially the KL-style!
This dish was eaten at Good Luck Restoran 泗湾幸运海鲜酒楼.

Kuala Lumpur or KL- style Hokkien Mee have similar ingredients of prawns and sliced pork but they use cabbage instead. The yellow noodles are much fatter, providing a QQ (chewy) texture, than those employed by JB and Singapore. Their drier version of this dish is usually charcoal-fried with lard, which most Singaporean and some Johorian hawkers have abandoned due to environmental (more likely cost and labour) and health reasons.

KL Hokkien Mee from Restoran Ahwa 新青山亚华福建面.
There’s sliced pork , prawns and cabbage.

A variant of KL Hokkien Mee using Rice Vermicelli (Beehoon).
This had been topped with lots of crispy pork lard as we requested.

Lao You Ji Fish Head Steamboat Seafood Restaurant 老友记鱼头火锅海鲜
Address: 245 Outram Road.
Singapore 169046.
Operating hours: Daily
5pm – 5am
Tel:(+65) 62215280

Lee Do Restaurant 丽都饭店
Address: 61 Ubi Avenue 2.
#01-13 Automobile Megamart,
Singapore 408898.
Tel:6742 2181
Opening hours: Daily
Lunch: 11.30am – 3pm
Dinner: 5.30pm – 11pm
Lee Do (Fuzhou cuisine) is famous for their cold crabs and prawn roll (my favourite!) but we also often have Hokkien mee whenever we eat there. I must find time to go to Lee Do. I have not been there since they moved to Ubi.

Where I had my Hokkien Mee in Malaysia:
Good Luck Restoran 泗湾幸运海鲜酒楼
No. 86, Jalan Telok Ramunia
Sungai Rengit
81620 Pengerang
Johor, Malaysia.
Tel: 0207 826 3555.
David Law H/P: 013 775 3555

Restoran Ahwa 新青山亚华福建面
Address: 66, Jalan 14/48 (Jalan 222),
46100 Petaling Jaya.
Selangor, Malaysia.
Tel:(+60) 12382 9895
Whenever we are in KL, we would drive up to PJ just to eat this dish. Also when I was residing in Subang, I had this almost every night for about a year!

Happy eating and bonding :)

Click here to see post on Good Luck Restoran 泗湾幸运海鲜酒楼.

Click here to see what is Fried Hokkien Mee (Sotong Mee), a dish that is quite uniquely Singapore.

*Braised Hokkien Mee is not the same as Fried Hokkien Mee a.k.a Sotong Mee, commonly found in Singapore’s street food scene. It is one of the 四大天王 (4 heavenly meaning must-eat if you visit Singapore) noodle dish in Singapore. The other 3 heavenly noodle dishes are Bak Chor Mee, Fish Ball Noodles and Char Kway Teow (those fried with cockles). Noticed anything? The dishes seemed Hokkien and Teochew (dialects) based.

**Dabao is hanyu pinyin for Chinese words “打包” meaning “package” usually, if not mainly, for food items only and adding “-ing” to dabao indicated Valerie was in the act of buying the noodles to go. That’s Singlish!

I have been busy lately but here’s a heads up if you are traveling to Petaling Jaya in Malaysia. This no-frills restaurant may just be the place you can enjoy seafood (live tanks), some local cze char dishes and double-boiled soups.

This is where the locals eat! The restaurant may be no-frills but their dishes are no nonsense! I especially liked the steamed pomfret Teochew style. The tangy sour gravy made me order some rice (after we had noodles) to go with it.

I traveled to Kuala Lumpur immediately after my Taiwan trip to meet up with a friend who flew into Malaysia from Canada.

My Canadian friend had several supplier meetings and they treated us to yummy makan (food) and Pantai Seafood Restaurant is one of them.

I had thought the green shreds to be seaweed but they were actually the leafy parts of the Kailan (kale).

Chinese Spinach with Shimeji Mushrooms.

Steamed Pomfret Teochew-style.
I was blown away when my host told me this was a “live” fish.
I have never had a swimming (just prior to ordering and cooking) promfet before. In Singapore, most if not all promfets are chilled/frozen.

白灼蝦 or Boiled (live) Prawns with yummy spicy shrimp dip.
It was so good we ordered another round.

Sang Meen is crispy fried egg noodles and this was served with prawns and squid.

The food is generally good if not excellent by food snob standard; I’ll risk by saying that the dishes will be delighting even the fussy Singaporean tastebuds! As for the price… Sorry, my friend’s host gave us a treat and it would be rude for me to ask him how much he spent on us when I only got to know him.

Happy eating and bonding :)

Address: Lot 13575, Jalan Cempaka,
Kampung Sungai Ara,
47400 Petaling Jaya,
Selangor, Malaysia.

Tel:+60 3 7725 1099

Operating hours:
Lunch: 11.30am – 2.30pm
Dinner: 6pm – 10.30pm

During Lao You Ji‘s dinner, Adrian arranged for our next gathering to be at his house. It would be a poolside party! We should each bring a bottle of wine and food would be provided by Ade. Very quickly, that day arrived…

I had wanted to bring Moscato but I saw Ade’s alcohol provision, there were some pink moscato already so I took this SB from my chiller.

Yap brought this bottle because coincidentally, PAYS is the acronym which we used in our group chat.
You may have already guessed, it stands for “Paulina, Adrian, Yap and Sam”.

I don’t know why but this photo reminded me of the song The Good Life by Sacha Distel.
I loved Dionne Warwick’s singing…
“Oh, the good life, full of fun seems to be the ideal…
Mm, the good life lets you hide all the sadness you feel.
You won’t really fall in love for you can’t take the chance…
So please be honest with yourself, don’t try to fake romance.
It’s the good life to be free and explore the unknown…
Like the heartaches when you learn you must face them alone.
Please remember I still want you, and in case you wonder why…
Well, just wake up, kiss the good life goodbye!”

Store-bought nacho chips and Adrian’s secret recipe mayo dip.
Wait a minute, he said there’s no mayo in this!
I had asked Adrian to contribute the recipe for this delicious dip which he refused :(

Cheers!
I love pink moscato!

Adrian.

Paulina.

Yap.

Adrian’s dad was on his way out to play bridge but we convinced him to have some sandwiches before the game.

One for the record.

Let the party begin!

Adrian made these ham and cheese sandwiches using a dinosaur cookie cutter.
Aren’t they cute?
I jokingly told uncle Oh that these were made specially for him, the dinosaur in our group.
Thank goodness he didn’t catch on what I meant!

Uncle Oh said he’ll skip the wine and sushi as he would be driving and that the recent rumours of eating raw fish making people sick had him worried.

No one seemed to be very interested in these supermarket mass produced sushi so I had most of them.
They weren’t the standards I’m accustomed to (yes, I’m a sushi snob) but even though I hate to waste food, I could not eat the sweet beanskin sushi.

All of my friends knew never to eat before my camera but Adrian just had to have a few to “mess” up my shoot.
Good old Paulina came to the rescue by rearranging the strawberries.
She knew I wanted “height”.
Such an attentive sweetie!

Adrian provided whipped cream and fine sugar for these berries.
“Sugar? How come not icing sugar?”
“Aiyah, you damn ma fun (troublesome)!”
I’m always the unappreciative guest but luckily I have adoring friends that didn’t kick me out.

Ross worked on the night shift and had just woken up from his slumber. He returned Adrian’s missed call and was now making his way to Ade’s house.

Adrain, “I’m going up to bring the beers down for Ross.”

“Ross doesn’t like beers. He would love some whisky, instead.” I went on to relate how I discovered that Ross didn’t like the former.

“I have some whisky.”

My lips curled with satisfaction.

I knew Adrian “collects” spirits and if I played my cards right he might bring out the better, if not best, ones.

“Got a friend to bring back half a dozen from Japan.”

Dang! I was hoping for Aberlour A’Bunadh Batch 50. Was that asking for too much?

The pinks and whites were consumed and so we moved on to deep reds and rich ambers.

Nikka Whisky From The Barrel.
Nose: Medium-body with good balance.
There are notes of cut flowers and fresh fruits, spice and a little oak.
Palate: Full-bodied and punchy. There is plenty of winter spice and toffee, a little caramel and vanilla and a good mouthful of fruit.
Finish: Long, warming and fruity with a little oaken spice.

So I didn’t get my Speyside single malt scotch but Nikka Whisky From The Barrel is a real star in its own category. It won top prize at the World Whisky Awards not once but twice, in 2007 and 2010!

There’s a certain procedure for me to enjoy single malts. I would have a small sip of whisky and chew it with my molars before swallowing. If it’s not too robust, I will have it on rocks with tepid water on the side. My personal preference in drinking this Nikka, is to swirl it with ice and a few drops of water, to dull the alcohol which helped discriminate between gentle flavours from brioche to cherries. I found that on its own, it has very dry finish from pine to cocoa smokiness. Since we were still far from going home, I’m not going to let the high alcohol content of 50cl / 51.4% get to me before I had the chance to savour the famous Zion Road Char Kway Teow (CKT), the stall which is located within walking distance.

We have been talking about it (CKT) since we arrived in the early evening but it wasn’t until May came from work that we finally got the chance to hit on this meal. We had been “squabbling” who should go and buy. There’s always a long queue at the stall and none of us would move our butts citing we were already high. Ross was the kind soul. He had not had his drink yet and offered to go buy the cockles fried rice noodles for us. We even had special orders; Paulina wanted white kway teow (no dark sauce) and I wanted more cockles. It took a very long time before Ross came back with 6 packets of the upsized noodles.

“Wah, the wait is so long ah!”

The hero who volunteered to buy our dinner and had no dinner for himself.

May came from work and was just in time for dinner.

Paulina’s “White” Char Kway Teow.

The standard CKT but with extra cockles.
This was a S$4 packet but I did not feel there was extra cockles in them.

I’ve always felt that eating char kway teow on the spot where it is being prepared is tastier. Don’t get me wrong. This CKT was not bad tasting. I had eaten it at the hawker centre with May before. It’s just that the journey back took some time and the noodles had dried out. Still, there’s the lardy, slight wok hei fragrance and it wasn’t too oily. My only grouse besides the weakened temperature was the lack of cockles even though we paid more for it.

From the picture below, you could have guessed we didn’t bring tea-lights and we had to eat and pop wine corks with torchlight apps from our mobile phones. But I didn’t have to see it, I knew I only tasted 2 and to give benefit of doubt, 3 cockles!

Oyster Bay Sparkling Cuvée.
“Champagne” after Char Kway Teow???

Sparkling wines and champagnes should be drunk in the beginning but I think we must have finished everything and the girls went out to get more. I’m not going to let any sparkling wine make me throw up. I stuck with less gassy drinks and had the red that Yap brought.

By now, Adrian’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Oh were back from bridge and mahjong games, respectively. Mrs. Oh came to join us. The sweet lady (no pun intended) also brought us Corbeille Goncharoff baked goods!

“How’s the taste?”

“I liked the crumbly pastry but both the white and milk chocolate fillings were a tad too sweet for me.” I quipped. Forever, the demanding one… Sorry! But madame agreed with me :)

Corbeille Goncharoff Baked Goods (yup that’s the name).
Offered here only White and Milk Chocolates.

Ross had disappeared. He had had his fill of indulgence and went to sleep in the car. The rest of us continued to make merry until we heard a loud shout from a disgruntled neighbour. It was already past 1.30am. We’ve been at this since 4pm. It was time to go home. After all, it was midweek. People have to work the next day, you know? Lol…

I thank Adrian for hosting the party, bade his awesome parents and my dear buddies goodbye. May, the non drinker in our group gave me a lift home.

The next day Adrian texted, “I know Sam will be busy because of her grandchild due in August but if can find a date… I’ll do the *Abalone Maggi Mee.” Oh, the good life!

No. 18 Zion Road Fried Kway Teow 炒粿条面
Address: 70 Zion Road,
Singapore 247792.

Happy eating, drinking and bonding :)

*Abalone, whether canned or dried, is an expensive food item that required some care (esp. the dried) in preparation. Maggi Mee is the brand name of instant noodles most Singaporean grew up eating. These days, Maggi Mee is said to mean instant noodles although we might use other brands.

Click here for Adrian’s housewarming party post WHERE LOVE RESIDES… HARMONY AND HAPPINESS WILL FOLLOW

Click here to see LAO YOU JI FISH HEAD STEAMBOAT SEAFOOD RESTAURANT 老友记鱼头火锅海鲜.

Char Kway Teow Stalls I’ve blogged:
COCKLES AND NOODLES – OUTRAM PARK FRIED KWAY TEOW MEE

SINGAPORE CHAR KWAY TEOW 新加坡炒粿條

Paulina was picking out all the yellow noodles before eating. I’m sure she would love Penang Char Kway Teow, which is white and has no yellow noodles.
Click here for PENANG CHAR KWAY TEOW 檳城炒粿條 recipe.

Exactly one week ago, Mark invited me to join Alvin and himself for lunch. I had been asking around and have heard that Fei Lao’s horfun has one of the most intense wok hei in Singapore and that was where we were headed!

Mark gave me the address but I had no idea then that it was the same kopitiam I had gone to with Benny and Ricky. The taxi brought me to the back of the estate and when I arrived, I realised the cze char stall is located within the same coffee shop as Western Food 85 where I had the deep-fried version of German pork knuckles. The knuckles were so good, I brought Sam and Vanessa there a few days later and on a different occasion bought 3 pieces, one for Cynthia and Dominic to consume at Ho Tit Coffee Factory and the other two to be stewed with assam pedas gravy at home.

I saw Mark at the table but Alvin was no where in sight. I suppose Al was at the stall placing orders for our horfun but he returned with a bowl of curry chicken wings and a neat plate of mess.

Hainanese Curry Png and Curry Chicken Wings – $6.50.
Alvin had no idea of the breakdown but we’re guessing the curry chicken to be $3.50 and the plate of rice containing breaded pork cutlets, sunny side egg buried under the meat and cabbage to be S$3.

“I saw Hainanese Curry Png and thought we give it a try.”

“Sam said the pork knuckle is good, wanna try or not?”

“I ordered horfun, fish head and pork liver. Now with these two extra items, still can stomach the pork knuckles meh?”

“Can la.”

And they both look at me!

“Erm… We eat first?” I offered.

I don’t know why. I shouldn’t refused. It was very unlike me. But maybe it was a premonition for since that lunch till now, I have been down with flu through the weekend, followed by hacking cough and am still sick.

Mark and Alvin will be eating the pork knuckles soon but I can’t join them. Better not pass them my germs. The venue reminded me of our last meal which I have yet to post so I dragged my lifeless shell and started to work on this post. It is 3.15am!

Western Food 85 German Pork Knuckle Set – S$16.50.
Alvin and Mark will be enjoying this dish of deep-fried German Pork Knuckles at Western Food 85 later!

I digressed. Back on track…

Hainanese Curry Png is a very unique cuisine on its own.
I guess you can say it is one of the earliest fusion dishes found in Singapore.
The main components are rice, breaded pork cutlets (probably from the cook boys days where Hainanese men worked for the British homes and army canteens during the 50s), plain stir-fried cabbage and the gravy.
The gravy is made of two sauces: 1) curry that has been slurried with tapioca starch and 2) the braising liquid from Tau Yew Lor Bak (dark soy braised pork).

We started with the Hainanese Curry Png (png = rice in Hokkien dialect). The curry chicken wings were ordinary, maybe even slightly below standard according to my personal preference as I found it to be watered down. And if one were to argue, it could jolly well be the correct Hainanese-style consistency but this Hainanese lady here, that’s moi, prefers “lemak” (Malay for rich texture in food) when it comes to curries.

The sambal looked very different from the standard Hainanese Curry Png also. To me, it looked more Indonesian/Malay style but I am not complaining. I am not documenting heritage food so there’s no need for authenticity in my food. I am looking for tastes, fusion or otherwise that suited me and this ferocious looking red mound suited me fine! Looking back, that sambal could have irritated my sore throat but I loved it and will definitely go back for more!

Allow me to side track here a bit. We were taking photos and the kopi uncle (we call all the servers/owners of coffee shops kopi uncle or kopi aunty as a sign of respect since we do not know their names) asked if we were going to post on Facebook. He was amused 3 diners shooting with dslr (most uses handphones). Later, he told Alvin the history of the Hainanese Curry Rice stall. We had thought the owner to be away from his stall leaving his foreign-probably-domestic-helper ladies to man the stall. Turns out one of them, the Indonesian lady, is the wife of the late stallholder. He had passed on but she managed to learn from him and kept his standard of cooking! Except for the sambal (which is great btw) you will never guessed they’re not Hainanese-cooked. Is there such a thing that one can taste ethnicity in food? I think so. Because for some, if not all food, you just won’t get it right if you are not immersed in its culture.

The most delicious mess one can eat!
It has been a long time since I have eaten any Hainanese Curry Png with its address worth sharing.

There are no words to describe the above heap of gooey looking meal. That’s because I forgot how it tasted. I only remember how I felt after eating it… *Shiok!

I used to wait every night till the clock strikes 1.30am and drive to Upper Serangoon to eat Hougang Curry Png. The shop opens only at 2am exactly, not a minute earlier (could be some fengshui thingy). That was my nightly supper routine for many years until the old man died. The new owners did not cook well. They even used lousy grade rice as I chewed on sandy grits. I have tried many curry png after that – some were good and others, bleh! Not sure if it was sudden nostalgia or something else. I can’t put my finger on it but this one happened to excite me.

Seafood Horfun – S$15.

Stewed Fish Head – S$10

Quick-fried Pork Liver – S$8.

Total cost S$33.

The infamous Horfun known for its robust breath of wok!
Horfun, in Cantonese, is broad noodles made of rice.
The charred parts of the cooked noodles were obtained through pan-frying, either with some dark soy to “dye” or very high heat to scorch.
Needless to say, it is the latter method which produces “wok hei” that foodies go for!

I am really behind time when it comes to food cost in Singapore. I need to reconcile with current market prices. I’m still calculating in terms before I left Singapore and keep getting alarmed each time I asked for bill breakdowns.  No doubt there was a few sea cucumber (not a normal inclusion in horfun) but they weren’t top grade. My raised brows and opened jaws betrayed me when the lady said the horfun was $15. I felt that price to be a bit extravagant for a cze char noodle dish served in kopitiam but I must admit it was very delicious!

Will I eat this horfun again? Yes! But next time, I will ask for takeaway even when dining at the coffeeshop because it would be wrapped in **Opeh Leaf which will impregnate an awesome fragrance into the rice noodles.

By the way, did you noticed that the Horfun does not have egg ribbons in it? That’s because it is Singapore style! Wak Dan Horfun (滑蛋河粉 -the ones with egg) is said to be Malaysian style. We have it because most of our cze char cooks hail from Malaysia! I do not think Hong Kong Horfun has soft egg in it, too!

The Fish Head dish was not good. I had the last piece as the guys were filled and that piece was not cooked through. Yikes!

The Pork Liver was so so to Alvin. It was good to me as I could taste the “sweetness” of Huatiao (wine) and “powdery” texture of the organ but I would prefer them to be sliced slightly thicker for more hearty mouthfeel.

Western Food 85

Hainanese Curry Png (the one with red banner).

Fei Lao (Mandarin) means Fatty!
In the past, maybe still applicable, the saying goes, “Do not trust a skinny chef!” and most cze char stall cooks are known as “fei lou” (fatty in Cantonese).
As the name suggested, it used to be at Changi Lor 108.

You must wonder why I didn’t review the German Pork Knuckles. I have had it in 2 consecutive days and dabao-ed one for my friends and bought 2 home to cook. What do you think, nice or not? But best to eat there for the shiokadoonz crunch!

If you’re in the neighbourhood, just head up for Shiok Food at Blk 86 Bedok North Street 4!

Changi Lorong 108 Fei Lao Seafood 樟宜108巷肥老煮炒
Address: Blk 86 Bedok North Street 4,
Singapore 460086.

Tel:6346 4116

Operating hours: (Closed on Tuesdays)
Lunch: 11am – 2pm
Dinner: 5pm – 9pm

Western Food 85
Address: Blk 86 Bedok North Street 4.
Singapore 460085.

Tel: +65 90070531

Operating hours: (Closed on 1st & 3rd Wed of Month)
Daily: 12pm – 11pm

Hainanese Curry Rice
Operating hours: 10am – 3pm but I do not know their day of rest.

All the stalls mentioned in this post are located inside the same kopitiam.

Happy eating and bonding :)

Click here for Pork Knuckles Stewed In Assam Pedas Recipe using the pork knuckles I bought from Western Food 85.

“Bedok is a neighbourhood in the eastern part of Singapore. Bedok New Town is the fifth Housing and Development Board (HDB) new town.” – Wikipedia

*Shiok – is it Malay? It is likened to the state of perfect peace that comes when a craving is eliminated.

**Opeh Leaf or ‘upih’ in Malay language is actually the leaf-sheath of the Pinang tree (betel nut palm, the areca catechu). The pale whitish-yellow fibrous sheet was used traditionally as food wrapper before the introduction of plastic and styrofoam carriers in modern Singapore. Its come-back is making umami waves in our street food scene as foodies believed that wok-fried food packed in it is further enhanced with a slightly sour (good sour) and woody aroma.

Example of Opeh Leaf as food wrapper:

The Roti Prata House is always packed during late night and especially the weekends for those craving for *southern Indian street food cuisine. How do I know? That’s because I’ve witnessed it first hand on the few occasions I went there after my macro sessions since it is opened 24 hours during the weekends.

The Roti Prata House.

The Roti Prata House is one of the most famous and popular supper places for pratas of course! They have an extensive menu ranging from all types of crispy bread with various sweet and savouring fillings apart from the standard plain crispy layered dough. Although many deem pratas as unhealthy, I think it is okay to indulge in a couple of pieces once in a blue moon?!

This year’s Blue Moon fell on July 31, 2015. That’s the night Stanley, Steven and I went out for macro before supper. We had originally wanted to go to Casuarina Curry but The Roti Prata House was a safer bet since it was a weekend and they are open throughout the 24 hours.

A blue moon is an additional full moon that appears in a subdivision of a year: either the third of four full moons in a season, or a second full moon in a month of the common calendar.

The phrase has nothing to do with the actual colour of the moon, although a literal “blue moon” (the moon appearing with a tinge of blue) may occur in certain atmospheric conditions: e.g., when there are volcanic eruptions or when exceptionally large fires leave particles in the atmosphere. – Wikipedia

You can find out more info about Blue Moon here: http://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/moon/blue-moon-science.html

The Roti Prata House offers an extensive menu!

This is the order chit for most Indian prata operators.

Our drinks of Teh Tarik (pulled tea with milk), Bandung (rose-flavoured drink with syrup and evaporated milk) and Iced Milo.

I was on my way to the toilet to wash up after macro session and noticed the cook.
He seemed to be very focused and I decided to break his routine!

I asked if it was alright for me to take pictures of him while he performed his duty and he was very friendly and obliging :)
See the video I did on him below.

One is never enough and usually a diner would have two pieces each when ordering the standard (plain) bread.

I had a plain (round) and another one (rectangular) with onions.

The Onion Prata had lots of chunky sliced sweet onions.

Yama had the Cheese Egg and Onion (S$3.30) which he exclaimed, “Damn shiok!”

You can eat the standard (crispy plain – 90 cents each) roti with sugar if curry is not your thingy.

Or dip a small of the bread daintily into the Dhal (curry made of lentils)…
I have friends who would dip into curry first then sugar.

Or drown the flatbread with curry like me.
No sugar! I don’t like sweet curries :),
Also, I prefer Fish Curry to Dha but on both occasions, they ran out.

Jimmy had the Kway Teow Goreng which looked divine and I shall try it on my next visit I said to myself.

My first visit this year was on 21st February.

I have always equated fat with flavour which my mom and hubby would frown but roti prata is a good source of comfort food at night all day in fact! If it’s any consolation to my mom and hub, these pratas are semi deep-fried in “Vanaspati Butter Flavour Vegetable Oil” which means nothing to them actually, lol… After discovering The Prata House, I remain a fan of their freshly cooked crispy pratas and that of course meant waiting time but it is not long or at least not at the timing I went to (after 2am).

Eating at specialty prata houses are a different experience from those of kopitiams and hawker centres unless they are very popular, most would serve you mass cooked and left on the display cabinet so that their pratas would be cold, no longer fluffy and even soggy with oily mouthfeel with each bite.

During both visits this year, I found the food quality and service to be consistent; good food and efficient service! But be warned that during peak hours, getting a parking lot, a table and even service may be trying.

So I’m back again this Blue Moon, lol…
We had to park some where else as the lots in front of the shophouse were all taken.

I’m getting the feel of how they write the order.
1 NGMM (Nasi Goreng Mutton Masala)
1 KTG (Kway Teow Goreng)
1 Sardine Mur (Sardine Murtabak)
1 Plaster (standard roti prata with a sunny side egg).
We also had Iced Tea, Teh Tarik (pulled tea) and Teh Halia (hot tea with ginger juice).
I don’t know what the s in circle meant, perhaps for small portion?
We were seated at table 41 this time (last time was table 42).

So yup our orders were in order!

The Sardine Murtabak was way thicker and doubled the size of the Onion Prata I had in previous visit.
Unless you are a big eater, murtabaks are usually a shared dish.

See how crispy and fluffy the “pancaked-croissant” is?

There are many different fillings to choose from i.e. cheese with chicken, mutton, sardines and tuna for the savoury flavours and there’s also banana and chocolate, strawberries, etc…

Nasi Goreng Mutton Masala means fried rice with masala-spiced minced mutton.
I had a spoonful of it from Steven and they were quite yummy and heavy with spices so I did not feel too nauseous from the gamey smell (remember I’ve become more sensitive to lamb?)

Kway Teow Goreng – S$3.50.
Something is amiss here from the previous one that Jimmy had.
Can you tell?
Where’s the sweet chilli/tomato sauce on the cucumber?

I loved the texture and ingredients of the rice noodles but the dish was too peppery for my liking.
I was recovering fro flu, sore throat and cough and I did not finish the Kway Teow as I fear the pepper to irritate my cough and trigger another sore throat.

Stanley’s Plaster (S$1.60) which is the round disc of standard plain roti with a sunny side up.

The Sardine Murtabak was shared among the 3 of us but I had the most of it.
I do loved the crispy outside and thouroughly cooked through fluffy dough with generous fillings of sardine and cabbage.
The sardine had the “metal” taste, most probably from canning so I’ll either have chicken or tuna next time.
Murtabaks are also eaten with Dhal which Stanley did not like (I don;t know if he generally doesn’t like dhal or only from this shop) and we asked for fish curry which they ran out like the previous time.

Some standard procedures ALL my good friends know!
Pose for photo when food arrives.
Camera eats first then humans.
Acquire the habit eating cool foods.
Nah! I’m not that bad but they indulge me :)

The previous supper was a treat from Yama so I didn’t have the price but here’s the breakdown of this meal. The Nasi Goreng and Sardine Murtabak is in the S$6 and S$7 range but I am not sure which is which. The rest are for drinks.
Some considered it expensive but given the size portions and generous amount of ingredients plus good taste, I am happy with the bill.

If you are hungry for crispy hot fluffy roti, come to The Prata House!

The Roti Prata House
Address: 246M Upper Thomson Road,
Singapore 574370.

Tel:6459 5260

Operating hours: Daily
Mon – Thurs: 7am – 2am
Fri- Sun: 24 hours

Click here to see The Art of Flipping Parathas and my Dosai Meal.

*southern Indian cuisine have pratas and northern has naan. However, I am not sure if these food items are available in India itself. These are what offered in our Singaporean Indian fare which we considered as street food or comfort food. There are similar offerings in Malaysia, too.

Xing Ji Rou Cuo Mian 兴记肉脞面 is a very famous minced pork noodle (soup only) stall located in Bedok which I had eaten twice last year (last visit was on 16th June 2014) but had no incentive to blog as I did not find it spectacular on both occasions.

Taste is very subjective and a few of my photography friends would only eat Xing Ji’s Rou Cuo Mian whenever we are at this food centre. For me, if they are ordering it, I will tumpang or “ride pillion” my order alongside theirs as the wait is very long!

I am not a fan of fish ball noodle soup or prawn noodle soup. I prefer dry version with good sambal any time so when I first placed my order at Xing Ji, I was taken aback. The stallholder’s assistant immediately became aware that I’m a newbie.

“We only have soup version. Just let me know you want big or small and table number, that’s all.”

Xing Ji Rou Cuo Mian 兴记肉脞面 sells only soup version of Bak Chor Mee.
Seng Hiang, the stall with red signboard, sells both soup and dry.

Minced Pork Noodle Soup – S$2.50 to S$3

Why this bowl of noodle did not wow me? While I’ve always equate fats with flavour, I found the soup too oily for my liking surprisingly. My mouth felt slathered with some greasy lip balm during eating. The meatballs were okay and pretty standard factory produced – I could be wrong. The minced pork lack texture – too soft. And their crime? They did not have chilli padi, only the big red chilli which had no kick to it, I felt like I was eating fruits.

Of course, this Bak Chor Mee (BCM) dish wasn’t all bad. After all, they do have a large fan base as experienced by the long queue/waiting time. But like I said, taste is subjective and having had it twice without oomph, my personal taste is different from Xing Ji’s die-hard fans. Perhaps I’m a die-harder fan of dry version?

You must be wondering what made me dig up this old folder containing Xing Ji Rou Cuo Mian 兴记肉脞面’s photos to blog now. You’ll know in upcoming post (wink wink).

Have a great Thursday!

Xing Ji Rou Cuo Mian 兴记肉脞面
Address: Fengshan Market & Food Centre.
#01-07, 85 Bedok North Street 4.
Singapore 460085.

Tel: +65 98357884

Operating Hours: (Closed on Mondays)
Tuesday – Sunday: 5pm – 1am

Two other BCM stalls in this food centre I have yet to try and I heard it from the grapevine that Ah Poh is quite consistent in producing tasty bowls of this noodle dish!

Seng Hiang Bak Chor Mee 成香肉脞面
Address: Fengshan Market & Food Centre.
#01-08, 85 Bedok North Street 4.
Singapore 460085.

Tel: +65 9018-9846

Operating Hours: (Closed on Mondays)
Tuesday – Sunday: 6pm to 3am

Ah Poh Minced Meat Noodle 亚宝肉脞面
Address: Fengshan Market & Food Centre.
#01-18, 85 Bedok North Street 4.
Singapore 460085.

Operating Hours: (Closed on Mondays)
Tuesday – Sunday: 6pm to 3am

Happy eating and bonding :)

Update: I was wrong about not blogging on Xing Ji Rou Cuo Mian 兴记肉脞面 before. I double-checked and found I did a review on them in June 2014. Click here to my previous review.