Boon knew I was sick and wanted to bring me for some tonic nutrition but they were washing up the stalls (they occupy two!) when we arrived 20 minutes before their closing hours. I guess business was so good that day, they’d sold out!

We walked around Kaki Bukit 511 Market and Food Centre and Boon remembered a friend, who lives in Bedok, saying that the minced pork noodle here was just as good if not better than the famous minced pork noodle soup (Xing Ji Rou Cuo Mian) at Fengshan Market & Food Centre (Blk 85 Bedok). Since most of the stalls were closed for business that night, it was around midnight, we decided to try it as there wasn’t much choice anyway.

This was the second stall I have eaten Bak Chor Mee Soup in my entire life. Big deal! Hahaha…

Tian Nan Xing Minced Pork Noodle

Minced Pork Noodle – S$4 (with dumplings).

We had the S$4 portions as it came with dumplings. The S$3 portion do not.

About a week later, Steven, my macro kaki, met up with Boon and I when we went back to Kaki Bukit Food Centre (FC) for our tonic meal. We discussed about what’s nice to eat in this FC and mentioned Tian Nan Xing Minced Pork Noodle. He felt that S$4 is overpriced for this noodle soup in a heartlander’s estate. While Boon agrees, he also said he’d rather pay a little more since there’s no long wait comparing to Xing Ji Rou Cuo Mian. I did not know the price difference until I got home and dug my old photos. Only then do I realised that Xing Ji’s price starts at S$2.50 with more pork balls and Tian Nan Xing’s starts at S$3. Fifty cents is a lot of difference for the average income earners in Singapore especially when the two food centres are so nearby.

As for me, I do not live in Bedok so to eat Bak Chor Mee at either food centre is a purposeful trip. And if I have to make one, it will be Tian Nan Xing Minced Pork Noodle 添南兴肉脞面. The soup was more tasty and less oily. Tian Nan Xing has chilli padi, yay!!! Both the meaty dumplings and mee kia (egg noodles) had good texture but alas, the meagre amount (total dish portion and number of meatballs and btw, there’s no minced pork) was a tad unreasonable. It would be great if they had included dumplings at S$3 so we could upsize for S$4, lol…

Tian Nan Xing Minced Pork Noodle 添南兴肉脞面
Address: Kaki Bukit 511 Market and Food Centre.
#01-10, 511 Bedok North Street 3.
Singapore 460511.

Happy eating and bonding :)

Click here to see Xing Ji Rou Cuo Mian 兴记肉脞面 post.

And click here to see Bedok 85 Xing Ji Rou Cuo Mian 兴记肉脞面 post.

Seng Kee Black Herbal Chicken Soup 成基黑鸡捕品 stall serves a wide variety of soups ranging from black chicken herbal to ginseng pig brain soups but they are most famous for their kidney mee sua (wheat vermicelli).

Boon and I were at Kaki Bukit Food Centre last week but did not get to eat the Kidney Mee Sua so we came again this week during a more “normal” hour at about 8.30pm. Seng Kee Black Herbal Chicken Soup stall was busy and we had to wait quite a while before our tonic meal arrived.

Seng Kee Black Chicken Herbal Soup Stall.

Seng Kee Herbal Mee Sua.

Boon had the large portion of Kidney Mee Sua (background in the photo above) which had other ingredients like sliced pork and liver. I am not a fan of kidneys. I think they smell of ammonia if not prepared properly. I am still ill and do not have much appetite so I was not going to take the chance and let urine ordor spoil it. I stuck to what is acceptable – sliced pork and livers. Too bad they didn’t have minced pork in this dish. I would have loved some in my standard portion order, well, I would have loved to have a lot of minced pork, actually!

The soup was not visually appealing – dark and slightly murky. It had not too strong herbal aroma in medium bodied broth with a hint of Dang Gui (Chinese Angelica herb). I found the liver slightly overdone as I prefer thicker cuts and 80% cooked but the thinly sliced pork was tender and toothsome. I also liked it that the mee sua had soaked in the flavour from the soup and was soft, almost but not completely mushy. Not much mastication was needed for the wheat noodle making it the ideal meal for a sick person. I enjoyed it very much and wished I had ordered the large portion.

Seng Kee Black Herbal Chicken Soup 成基黑鸡捕品
Address: Kaki Bukit 511 Market and Food Centre.
#01-31/32, 511 Bedok North Street 3.
Singapore 460511.

Happy eating and bonding :)

Click here to see Tian Nan Xing Minced Pork Noodle recommended in this food centre.

Btw, Steven said the BBQ Stingray in the middle row of this food centre is nice. That’ll be for another occasion when I visit again.

P.S. It has been raining heavily lately and rumours had it that cloud seeding was introduced so that on 9th August, it’ll be “rainless” for our National Day Parade! :)

It’s been a while since I had dim sum in a proper restaurant. I say this because one can get dim sum in kopitiams and food courts but the mass produced fare tasted nothing close to those of an established restaurant’s Hong Kong-styled dim sum.

Crystal Jade Kitchen is one of those establishments that is nearly as good as those from Hong Kong. The pricing is also affordable to most folks. Here’s what I had recently… Dim Sum @ Crystal Jade Kitchen (翡翠小厨) Tampines Mall with Jerry. I must admit we had ordered slightly more than we can finish but I was greedy after a long dry spell from proper Chinese fare.

3-Roast Platter.
You can choose from two to three mix and I chose 3 – Pork Belly Char Siu (叉燒), Roast Duck (燒鸭) and Crispy Roast Pork Belly (脆皮燒肉).

The Char Siu we had is from the belly which is not the usual cut used in making char siu. This one had more fat ratio and to me that was yummier.

Chinese Spinach with 3 Assorted Eggs (上汤苋菜三色蛋).

Chee Chap Jook (豬什粥) is pig’s offal (innards) congee.
Again you get to choose the specific pork items/offals you like.
I had the small intestines, liver and pork balls.

Lor Mai Kai (糯米鸡) where lor mai 糯米 = glutinous rice and kai/gai 鸡 = chicken, in Cantonese.
Most, if not all, people speak Cantonese in Hong Kong, therefore, we are accustomed to ordering Hong Kong dim sum in Cantonese.

Chee Cheong Fun (猪肠粉) is loosely translated as Chee Cheong = “Pig’s Intestine” Fun = “Noodle” or simply put, Rice Noodle Roll.
The name comes from its cylindrical shape that looks like pig’s intestine but there’s no intestine in these.
They can be served plain, with vegetables, fish, youtiao, char siu, etc…
We already had a roast platter so this succulent prawn filling seemed ideal.

Siu Mai (烧卖) is pork and shrimp dumplings although there’s more pork than shrimp.
Siu Mai and Har Kow used to be a must-have at every dim sum diners’ table.
These days with more varieties of dim sum and smaller number of diners per table, some of these oldies must-have have to go.
We had to choose between Siu Mai or Har Gow and since we had Chee Cheong Fun with Shrimp, this was the uncontested decision between Jerry and I.

Char Siu Sou (叉燒酥) is one of Jerry’s favourites and is a must-order flaky pastry when eating dim sum with him.

叉燒酥 Char Siu Sou’s filling is of course, char siu!
The filling is savoury sweet BBQ Pork but in some halal establishments, you can get chicken char siu (not in Crystal Jade though).
The light flaky texture of the puff pastry is achieved by folding two types of dough together – the oil dough and the water dough.
The oil used in the past was lard. I often wondered if Chinese pastry chefs, in general, still use lard or have turned to using shortening.
The high heat produced during baking puffed up the layers (same theory as croissant making) thus the flakiness of this very delicious snack.

Bill for two big eaters.
We had DBS card and was entitled to a 10% discount on food.

My family started dining at Crystal Jade in 1991 at the now defunct Cairnhill Hotel. We were regulars eating there about 4 times a week for many years before they became a restaurant-chain. Throughout the 20 odd years, I have always enjoyed my meals at most of Crystal Jade’s outlets except for the Korean food experience at NEX Serangoon. The food was so so but the service at that outlet was terrible! I haven’t been back since. I know better places for Korean BBQ.

Crystal Jade (翡翠) chain of restaurants has made a name for itself with its Cantonese-style dim sum, congee, noodles, rice dishes, Chinese roast delights and other Cantonese “small eats” specialties. It started with traditional Cantonese and Teochew cuisine but has grown and diversified to include many different kinds of dining and culinary concepts i.e. bakeries, casual and fine dining, northern Chinese specialities, Korean food and in recent years, the C-Jade Viet Café IN located in Bugis.

I got this off their website’s promotions announcement tab so do check out the following to see if it is still available:

PIONEER SPECIAL – 50% OFF DIM SUM SET

Enjoy any two selected dim sum with any beverage at 50% off from 3pm to 5pm on weekdays. Available at Crystal Jade Jiang Nan, all Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao and Crystal Jade Kitchen (except Suntec City & Causeway Point).

You can almost always find a Crystal Jade Kitchen in every shopping mall. That’s how popular or aggressive they are, hahaha…

Happy eating and bonding :)

Crystal Jade Kitchen 翡翠小厨
Address: Tampines Mall
4 Tampines Central 5, #B1-11.
Singapore 529510.

Tel: (+65) 6788 0633

See post on the Korean food we had from Crystal Jade:
CRYSTAL JADE KOREAN BBQ BUFFET – BOIL AND BROIL

Ross was telling me that one time, May received a bottle of teelseed oil from her brother for her birthday.

“What the heck is teelseed?”

Well, teelseed is actually the seed of sesame! And in Asia, sesame oil is the queen of oils, full of nutritional and therapeutic benefits. Many consider it as food-medicine and it is the highly recommended oil used for cooking during Chinese mom’s confinement period.

Intrigued, I researched further and found that there are at least 10 evidence-based medicinal properties of this food-medicine and you can read them in details here: http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/open-sesame-10-amazing-health-benefits-super-seed

1) Diabetes.

2) High Blood Pressure.

3) Gingivitis/Dental Plaque.

4) Infant Health/Massage Oil.

5) Multiple Sclerosis (MS).

6) Antibiotic-Induced Kidney Damage.

7) Atherosclerosis.

8) Depression.

9) Radiation-Induced DNA Damage.

10) Cancer: Sesame contains a fat-soluble lignin with phytoestrogenic properties known as sesamin, and which has been studied for inhibiting the proliferation of a wide range of cancer cells, including:
Leukemia
Multiple Myleoma
Colon Cancer
Prostate Cancer
Breast Cancer
Lung Cancer
Pancreatic Cancer
Lung Cancer

May was raving about a particular brand of teelseed oil, Ghee Hiang’s “Baby Brand” (Ghee Hiang is 160 years old) which she said is not available in Singapore so when I found out that Jerry was going to visit an uncle in Penang, I put on my thick skin and ask him to get me 4 bottles of the must-have essential commodity!

Ghee Hiang, Penang’s oldest Tau Sar Pneah maker, opened its shop in 1856 and introduced Baby Brand Pure Sesame Oil in the 1900s, using traditional methods learnt from Fujian, China.
I tried the tau sar pneah and found them so so only. I have yet to try the sesame oil.

Ghee Hiang Manufacturing Co. Sdn Bhd.
Address: 216 Macalister Road, 10400 Penang, Malaysia.
Tel: 604-227 2222.

Last Friday, I met up with Jerry to collect the teelseed oil. It was already too late for lunch so I suggested having tea at Crowne Plaza located at Changi International Airport Terminal 3. I’ve always like the drive to and fro the airport where the expressway is lavishly lined with pink and magenta bougainvillea on both sides.

Lobby Lounge of Crowne Plaza at Changi International Airport T3 where we had high tea.

Since it was high Tea, I had tea instead of coffee (remember I drink 16 cups a day!).
I had Ceylon Silver Tips White Tea on this occasion.
Ceylon Silver Tips White Tea is a rare handmade white tea from the Nuwara Eliya region of Ceylon, grown at 6000 feet elevation. The tender buds of the tea plant are hand-picked at dawn and carefully carried in a silk pouch and are entirely handmade. The pale liquor is surpassingly light and delicate. The beauty of the infused buds adds to the pleasure of this unique brew.

Jerry had coffee and took a sip before I could take a photo thus this cup doesn’t runneth over. Hahaha…

On offer are two sets of high tea – Sweet Selections at S$33++ or Sweet & Savoury at S$38++.
This was the Sweet & Savoury which we had.

Top Tier: Chocolate Manjari Cakes, English Truffles and Fruit Tarts.

Middle Tier: Smoked Salmon & Spinach Quiche, Ham & Cheese Sandwiches and Mushroom & Onion Tarts.

Bottom Tier: Blueberry Scones with Clotted Cream and Lemon Curd.

Jerry started with the warm scones.

I broke my scones into two and smothered some butter and blueberry jam on one half and on the other half, clotted cream and lemon curd.
The chilled lemon curd was very sour but it worked.
By the way, are scones supposed to be crumbly or just dense? Still, these were better than those served in St. Regis!

Smoked Salmon & Spinach Quiche was a tad too dry.

Mushroom & Onion Tart – also dry!

English Truffles with Pistachio and Fruit Tarts with Raspberry Filling.

The service and food were ordinary. This is definitely not a high tea place I would highly recommend but if you have a craving for lemon curds and happened to be in Changi Airport…

Crowne Plaza Changi Airport (connected to Changi Airport’s Terminal 3)
Address: 75 Airport Boulevard #01-01,
Singapore 819664.

Tel: (+65) 6823 5300

Happy eating and bonding :)

P.S. We did not have lunch and tea was not too happening, in the end I brought Jerry to 86 Bedok for just one dish!

Fei Lao Horfun.
Jerry was happy with this!

Click here to see other dishes I’ve had at Fei Lao.

Click here to see Grand Astor High Tea in St Regis.

May was transferred to work in another location (away from her head office) which was along Bukit Merah Road. Last week, I followed Ross to fetch her when she had to work late that evening of 17th September. After that, we went to a nearby hawker centre – ABC Brickworks Food Centre (the locals simply call this market, ABC).

When we arrived at ABC, almost all the hawker stalls within sight were bustling except for one. That stall had a very long queue earlier and we wanted to wait out for it to be shorter but by the time Ross went over to place our orders, they just about half-closed their shutters. The lady boss apologised profusely saying that they had already taken their last order for the day and was waiting for the cooks to finish up dishing the last few plates. It was only nearly 8pm! Wow!!! I told May and Ross we must come back for it.

Meanwhile, I scouted around with my eyes. Actually, I’d only turned 180 degrees and saw one of my favourite noodle dish. Needless to say, that would be the next best available option for me. Lor Mee!

I asked this lady what Ma Bo stood for and she replied that the boss was from Muar ( a town in Johor, Malaysia) which is “Ma Bo” in dialect.

“Muar is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Malaysia to be visited and explored for its food, coffee and historical buildings from the pre-war. An alternative name to it is Bandar Maharani. It is declared the Royal City of Johor and is the fourth largest city (after Johor Bahru, Batu Pahat and Kluang) of the state of Johor, Malaysia. It is geopolitically situated in Muar District in the region or area of Muar in northwestern Johor, Malaysia.” – Wikipedia

My Lor Mee up-sized!

“Lor mee (鹵麵) is a Chinese-inspired noodle dish served in a thick starchy gravy and thick flat yellow noodles. The dish is eaten by Hokkiens in Singapore and Malaysia. The thick gravy is made of corn starch, spices and eggs.” – Wikipedia

May had gone to the ATM and upon returning saw me at the stall waiting for my meal. She came over and said that it looked delicious and she would have the same. I told her I had ordered the bigger portion at S$3.50.

May’s order also up-sized.

A good Lor Mee should have al dente flat yellow wheat noodles, rich flavoursome “Lor” which is the braising liquid of pork belly and 5-spice. The broth should be starchy with generous egg ribbons in it. Secondary ingredients vary from hawker to hawker but this stall really scored with crispy golden meaty fish nuggets, pork belly slices, thickly sliced ngoh hiang (meat roll), sliced deep-fried fish cakes and hard-boiled egg steeped in the “Lor”.

I tend to garnish my bowl with lots of cilantro, minced raw garlic, red cut chillies and loads of black vinegar for that acidic sourish punch to ease the heaviness of the meal!
This stall complied with all that makes a good Lor Mee except for the missing egg ribbons.

I was a little shocked when May marvelled (not at the S$2.50 pricing but) at the inclusion of battered fish. She has never had one with them. I told her that there’s a stall in North Bridge Road Market & Food Centre, Zhen Hao Lor Mee, that sells it with an option of a huge piece of “fish & chip sized” fish fillet.

I tried searching for my post on Zhen Hao Lor Mee (珍好卤面) to show May but couldn’t find it. Bad blog housekeeping, Samantha! Note to self, “Tidy up your blog!”

Alright, I side tracked. Did I like this Lor Mee and will I eat them again? The answer is yes to both even though I like the Lor Mee from Tiong Bahru Market and North Bridge Road Food Centre better. I still cannot believe I have not blog about Zhen Hao!

Ross doesn’t eat pork so he ordered the following items which I am posting as token shots to remember what we had eaten. This blog is my personal journal after all. In my opinion, the BBQ Chicken Wings and especially the Otah do not deserve a mention so I am not naming the stalls. These hawkers still need to make a living but if you happened to be in ABC and want these aforementioned items, order with your eyes wide open and follow your olfactory sense! As for the Popiah, they weren’t too bad but my personal preference is for the squishy ones.

Hawker-styled BBQ Chicken Wings.

Otah Otah or Otak Otak is fish paste (this is spicy and there’s the whitish non-spicy version) wrapped in coconut leaves and grilled till cooked.
These were overly dry. I wonder if they were re-grilled from earlier or worse still, the day before’s batches!
Tasted yucky, too!

The Popiah (fresh Spring Rolls) seemed popular but I can do without them.
I prefer the overly moist ones from Newton Circus which never fails to render the crepe soggy.

Ross said as I got out of the car, “We’ll go to ABC again before Wednesday.”

Stay tuned for the meal we originally wanted but missed! :)

Ma Bo (孖宝) Lor Mee 蔴坡卤面
Address: ABC Brickworks Market & Food Centre.
6 Jalan Bukit Merah, Unit #01-139.
Singapore 150006.

Happy eating and bonding :)

Other stalls in ABC Brickworks Food Centre:
ABC 煮炒 GU ZAO REN 古早人煮炒台湾粥 @ ABC MARKET

When we arrived at ABC, almost all the hawker stalls within sight were bustling except for one. That stall had a very long queue earlier and we wanted to wait out for it to be shorter but by the time Ross went over to place our orders, they just about half-closed their shutters. The lady boss apologised profusely saying that they had already taken their last order for the day and was waiting for the cooks to finish up dishing the last few plates. It was only nearly 8pm! Wow!!! I told May and Ross we must come back for it.

Jayden in the middle taking the final orders.

Well, we went back the following ***Monday. Ross and I tried to time our orders so that we could beat the dinner crowd while waiting for May to finish work. She made it in almost good time but I think the half eaten food (Fish & Chips and Chicken Chop with extra Chicken Cheese Sausage) was somewhat cold when May arrived. She didn’t mind at all.

May, “I thought you wanted to buy something?”

Ross, “Wait la… The queue so long.”

After a while, Ross got into the queue again at Wow Wow West to order a Beef Steak.

During dinner, our conversation naturally led to the topic of the relentless crowd queuing for western food at this stall. I wasn’t paying much attention until Ross mention the Yellow Ribbon Project!

After dinner, we saw the petite hawker going towards the carpark. That’s when I told Ross to “ambush” him. We did not properly introduced ourselves but instead told the stallholder that we came specifically for his food this night as we did not get to eat it the last time. I didn’t think he was surprised since he knew how good his business was but he remained humble. We chatted more and found out that Eric Ng has been training his son-in-law Jayden Cheong (who was in the banking line) to cook for about 2 years now. He intended for Jayden to fully take over the operations in the very near future.

Eric, “The youngsters have their ideas and ways of doing business.”

There has been serious enquiries and offers so franchising is going to be available pretty soon. Eric can then be able to spend his time doing more social work and fishing, both of which he is passionate about.

On the topic of social work, Eric recounted, “Once a phone call came while I was manning the stall. A depressed sergeant became suicidal and was at a block just around the vicinity. No one knew which floor exactly the sergeant was contemplating his jump, so I had to rush up the block floor by floor on foot. *By the time I was on the tenth floor, my legs gave way but I wouldn’t give up. A life was at stake!”

I then asked Eric what’s the connection to Yellow Ribbon. Although Wow Wow West is not a social enterprise, Eric hires ex-offenders let’s cut the bullshit and make it clear, shall we? Eric employs people with criminal records, people who has turned over a new leaf and **tattooed skins struggling to get back on track. Fraudsters and victims alike, he helps people in financial woes – gamblers who have gotten into trouble with loan sharks and drug addicts trying to walk the straight and narrow. “Anyone” he emphasised, “who is willing to work, I’ll hire them.”

Although Eric did not say anything else, I researched on him and found out more about his charitable heart:

* “By the time I was on the tenth floor, my legs gave way but I wouldn’t give up. A life was at stake!” We spoke in Hokkien and I thought it was funny at first when Eric said his “legs had gone soft” until I researched and saw the YouTube (Pt. 1 and 2) Postcard From The Heart (Walking With You) which I have posted below. You see, Eric himself was a suicide victim. By God’s grace, he was revived after 4 days.

Walking With You Pt. 1

Walking With You Part 2

According to Eric, “Wow Wow West” was named by a boy from Raffles Institution (an elite school) when he was operating there.

Chicken Chop S$6 not inclusive of the Chicken Cheese Sausage shown here.
I loved the sausage!

Listed on the menu which hang above the display shelf showcasing the cheese sausages, the Chicken Sausage meal is S$4. I don’t know if they come in a pair but I paid a total of S$14 for the Chicken Chop with Chicken Cheese Sausage and the Fish & Chips.

Dory Fish & Chips S$6.
This was also the dish I enjoyed best.

Beef Steak S$8.
When Ross asked me to try some of the beef, I asked, “Got gamey taste?”
These days, I am getting more and more sensitive to red meats.
Turn out pretty good on my end of the steak which was tender.
The other end which Ross ate was a little tough according to him.

Eric has appeared on TV and has unselfishly shared his recipes for Fish & Chips and Chicken Chop!

Eric with his wife Kathy and myself at their stall, Wow Wow West Western Food.

Jayden’s name card read:

Tuesday to Saturday: 11am – 8.30pm
Sunday: Serves The Lord

There is always U turn in Christ!

How’s the food? With Singaporeans’ fussy tastebuds and the long queue serving as testimony, what do you think? Also, there’s franchise talks going on but you can judge for yourself by watching the video above (if you’re overseas) where Eric shared the recipes of food he prepares for his customers. Cook it at home and be wowed!

Wow Wow West Western Food
Address: ABC Brickworks Food Centre.
6 Jalan Bukit Merah. Unit #01-133.

Operating hours: (closed on Sundays and Mondays)
Tuesday – Saturday
Brunch: 10.30am – 2pm
Dinner: 5pm – 8pm

Saturday’s dinner queue is super long so go early or be prepared to wait or be disappointed!

Update: ***An ABC resident was puzzled when I said I visited the stall on a Monday (21st September 2015). Thank you for bringing it up as I had forgotten to mention that it was a special week with the stall’s schedule re-arranged to accommodate Eric’s fishing trip. On hindsight, I was lucky or it would be the second time I miss their food. So please take note of their operating hours listed above or you may check their Facebook page (link below).

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wowwowwestgenuine

Wow Wow West Western Food may be Serving The Lord On Sundays! But Eric is serving the Lord everyday by doing what he does. Amen!

Happy eating, serving and bonding :)

Other food stalls in ABC Brickworks Food Centre:
MA BO LOR MEE 蔴坡卤面 @ ABC BRICKWORKS FOOD CENTRE
ABC 煮炒 GU ZAO REN 古早人煮炒台湾粥 @ ABC MARKET

See other yellow ribbon/social enterprise here:
SOON HUAT BAK KUT TEH 顺发肉骨茶 @ 302 BEDOK ROAD (SIMPANG BEDOK)
ONE MORE CHANCE @ EIGHTEEN CHEFS

**Tattoos that are associated with triads and secret societies.

Rice and Shine!

Sam and Vanessa came back in the wee hours and bought me some food for supper which was perfect as I just woke up after a long slumber at 2.30am! But having rice dishes in the middle of the night, in fact throughout the day, in Asia is not a big deal since rice is a staple here.

Rice dishes we eat like all-day-breakfast items are nasi lemak, lontong, rice porridge and lor mai kai, to name a few.

Nasi lemak is a fragrant rice dish cooked in coconut milk and pandan leaf, with secondary ingredients like fried anchovies and peanuts, a small fish called ikan kuning, omelet or hard-boiled egg, and sambal tumis (sweet chilli sauce) wrapped in banana leaf. It is a very popular breakfast item in Singapore

Lontong can be considered a vegan meal if there’s no dried shrimps used in the rempah or spice base.
It contains compressed rice cakes, like those served as sides in satay meal, covered with curry vegetables.

Rice Porridge with assorted pig’s organ.

Lor Mai Kai – Sticky Rice with Chicken wrapped in Lotus Leaf.

“Rice is the seed of the grass species Oryza sativa (Asian rice) or Oryza glaberrima (African rice). As a cereal grain, it is the most widely consumed staple food for a large part of the world’s human population, especially in Asia. It is the agricultural commodity with the third-highest worldwide production, after sugarcane and maize, according to 2012 FAOSTAT data.

Rice is the most important grain with regard to human nutrition and caloric intake, providing more than one fifth of the calories consumed worldwide by humans.

Chinese legends attribute the domestication of rice to Shennong, the legendary Emperor of China and inventor of Chinese agriculture. Genetic evidence has shown that rice originates from a single domestication 8,200–13,500 years ago in the Pearl River valley region of China.” – Wikipedia

The varieties of rice are typically classified as long-, medium-, and short-grained. Can you guess what grain this picture shows?

This is definitely not long-grained but I wouldn’t know it would be classified as medium- or short-grained.

And, of course, I did not eat plain rice. I had it with 돼지불고기 (Dwaeji Bulgogi) which is a spicy Korean BBQ (韓國燒烤) pork belly meal.

Dwaeji Bulgogi 돼지불고기

My supper of Dwaeji Bulgogi set meal of spicy pork belly bbq and rice was bought from Shin Manbok at Neil Road.

Needless to say, this post was inspired by the gratifying supper I had a few hours ago. I think I have annoyed Vanessa by popping my head in and out of her room numerous time, asking where Sam bought the mouthwatering bulgogi.

“Neil Road.”

“You sure? Is it a shophouse? I googled but it says closed.”

“Neil Road, mom!”

If you like to make some Bulgogi, click here for Mark’s recipe (substitute the chicken with beef/pork if you do not like chicken.): BULGOGI SSAM RECIPE A LA MARK ONG

Shin (辛) Manbok 신만복
Address. Address: 116 Neil Road,
Singapore 088853.
Tel: (+65) 6536 3424.

Happy eating and bonding :)

The *annual haze is getting worse and some schools were closed recently due to the PSI rising to toxic levels. So I, too, have been staying put at home, relying on the goodwill of Sam and Vanessa bringing me dinner in the late evenings. By late I mean 10.30pm onwards!

I had Korean meal yesterday and the day before that and I hope tomorrow’s dinner (cos I’m going out for dinner tonight) would not be Korean but I will not turn it down if the kids do Korean take-outs again! That’s just the way it is. Valerie and Vanessa are “seasonal” folks. They watch the same cartoons (video tapes and LDs in the 90s) over and over again everyday for months and they also like to wear the same clothes daily (making sure our domestic help puts the laundry in dryer immediately after washing).

Sorry I side-tracked. Anyway, Vanessa read some raved reviews of Mama’s Galbijjim and wanted some but they did not have it. In the end, she bought Beef Ribs and Kimchi Chige for a total of S$45. The soup was pretty small in portion but the ribs as shown on my plate was one third of the order. I do not have a price breakdown of the two items.

Galbijjim 갈비찜 we had from Gangnam Myun Oak in Seoul (June last year).

Beef Ribs BBQ and Kimchi Chige – S$45.

The condiment with dried salmon flakes and seaweed was not from the restaurant but my pantry, hahaha…

The beef ribs shown here was one third of the portion Vanessa bought.
The rice was home-cooked.

These days, I’m eating blind! Blind as in I do not know which restaurant my food came from. I asked Sam and he said Vanessa bought it. I asked Vanessa and she said Mama Korean. I knew better than to question further therefore I had to google it – The only restaurant that’s anything close to Mama Korean is Bigmama Korean Restaurant and so I have to ask about my dinner here, “Is this yours, Big Mama?”

Now if this meal was from Big Mama, readers here will be delighted to know that Ji-young Nam Gung nicknamed as “Big Mama” do not use MSG in her cooking.

Big Mama Korean Restaurant
Address: 2 Kim Tian Road.
Singapore 169244.

Tel: (+65) 6270 7704

Operating hours: (closed on most Mondays)
Lunch: 11.30am – 2.30pm
Dinner: 5.30pm – 11pm

Happy eating, questioning (at appropriate times, of course!) and bonding! :)

Korean food ecipes you can try at home:
KIMBAB 김밥
BULGOGI SSAM RECIPE A LA MARK ONG
KIMCHI JJIGAE 김치찌개 RECIPE

Korean food in Singapore:
YOU CAN BE MY 슈퍼스타 !
RICE AND SHINE!
BIBIMBAP 비빔밥

Korean food in Melbourne:
KOREAN SPICY BEEF AND OCTOPUS FIREPOT

See Korean food we had in Seoul:
MAKGEOLLI – A TASTE OF THE MOON 月香本色 (월향)
SAY NO TO GANGNAM MYUN OAK’S GALBI JJIM (강남면옥 갈비찜)? NOT IN A MILLION YEARS!
HWAGO JIP 화고집 – BEAUTIFUL KOREAN BARBECUE HOUSE
치맥 – CHIMEG ANYONE?
MODAK MODAK 모닭모닭
NOO NA HOL DAK 누나홀닭 홍대점
SEOUL EATS – POJANGMACHA 포장마차
TOSOKCHON SAMGYETANG (KOREAN GINSENG CHICKEN SOUP) 토속촌 삼계탕 (土俗村参鸡汤)
JJAJANGMYEON 짜장면 AND KOREAN BLACK DAY 블랙데이
PARIS BAGUETTE IS KOREAN? 파리바게트
MYSTERIOUS OZ IN SEOUL KOREA
NORYANGJIN FISHERIES WHOLESALE MARKET 노량진수산시장 PART 1
NORYANGJIN FISHERIES WHOLESALE MARKET 노량진수산시장 PART 2
THE BONDING TOOL @ THE SHILLA SEOUL 서울신라호텔
INCHING OUR WAY OUT!

* Read about the annual haze here:
ALWAYS LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE OF LIFE!
HAZE IN SINGAPORE HITS NEW HIGH!
IT DIDN’T JUST RAIN, IT HAILED!
SMOKING FOUL (HAZE)

It was back in July on Desmond’s off day that we arranged to go shoot SG50 Golden Jubilee Fireworks Rehearsal. By the time we reached our destination, Jubilee Bridge was a sea of people! All the photographer’s sweet spots were already taken by fanatics who’d camp-out as early as before noon so Desmond and I had to make do with standing behind the horde.

Before the fireworks rehearsal began, there was the SG50 National Day Parade (NDP) Aerial Display which I was not shooting since I did not bring any tele-zoom lens, so I made use of this period of time sussing out who I know were in the crowd. I spotted Ben, Calvin and Seow in the middle of the bridge and went over. I told Calvin I was nervous about shooting fireworks as I did not get a single use-able shot last year and he kindly WhatsApp-ed me a list so that I have a record and can review when I get back to my position. That’s how possessed I am of my mental faculties these days!

Fireworks photography:

Quick recap!

1. Tripod.
2. Wide angle lens or fisheye (normal cases).
3. Shuttle release cable.
4. ISO 100-200 (max).
5. Focus at f14 – f16… once focused change to Manual mode to lock focus.
6. Switch to Bulb mode.
7. Wait for FW… Hold 3-5 sec for each burst.

You know what? He forgot to list CAMERA! Yes, lame but I can be an eejit when under stress and needed The Complete Idiot’s Guide To “How To Shoot Fireworks” 101. Hahahaha… Thanks Calvin for the precious tips! It is now safe and forever in print here in my hemisphere blogosphere. :)

Singapore’s SG50 Golden Jubilee Fireworks Rehearsal in late July.

It was not a “lucky” night for us as firstly, we did not get a good spot and secondly, the wind was blowing towards us.

The wind was not cooperative and blew into our direction. Metallic particles in the smoke emitted by fireworks got into my eyes and lens but I think the experience and shots were worth it.

Ben, Seow, Desmond and I gathered together after the fireworks. We were in dire need of water and food. We also have to beat the mad crowd which was starting to disperse.

Roads around the Marina Bay area starting from High Street, Coleman Street, St Andrew’s Road, Connaught Drive, Fullerton Road, Parliament Place, Stamford Road, Beach Road, Esplanade Drive, Marina Boulevard, Bayfront Avenue, Raffles Avenue, Nicoll Highway, Stadium Drive, Stadium Boulevard, Stadium Crescent, Mountbatten Road, all the way to Old Airport Road were closed! The road along Esplanade Bridge was filled with chartered transportation for the NDP participants. The only way out was to walk.

“What’s there to eat at this hour?”

“Somewhere nearby la. We have to walk and we’ve got heavy equipments on us.”

“Gluttons Bay? It’s the nearest.”

“Surely, it will be full house!”

“Lau Pa Sat?”

“Nothing nice to eat there leh.”

I cried out, “Maxwell Food Centre!” It was actually the furthest out of the 3 suggested places, towards Tanjong Pagar Road. And the crazy part was, I wasn’t even sure if any of the food stalls still operates at those hours, but the guys swallowed the bait!

After about 25 minutes’ walk, we were finally inside the food haven (by day) where most stalls were already closed. I had to quickly find a stall that’s still operating or the boys might rebuke me. Alas! I saw a queue at the far end and we proceeded like bees to honey. Singaporeans love to queue. It usually means two things – 1) that the stall is popular or 2) it is the only stall that’s open. At this time of the day, the reason for this small mob is anyone’s guess.

We scattered to buy our own food and by the time I went to place my order, lucky me, it was the last bowl! And only #4 was available. The photos below are from my second visit. I had #1 on the menu. I even had an extra bowl of sotong and pork ball soup this time.

Teochew Hand Made Sotong Balls Pork Balls Mixed Soup.
麥士威83号

There is nothing out of the ordinary when I looked at this bowl of noodle but then when I tasted it…
Wham!
Behind is an extra order of pork and sotong balls.

Take my word for it!
The sotong balls, pork balls with bits of tee po fish.
These are amaze balls!

The portion was rather small. My bowl of QQ mee kia dry came with one dumpling, one fishball, one pork ball, one sotong ball, a couple slices of stewed mushrooms and fish cakes and a small mound of minced pork. You have to ask for more chilli or the dish can dry up rather quickly without enough oil from the sambal, unless you prefer a “cleaner” taste. There will be no overwhelming oomph at first but take a bite into the meat ball and sotong ball and you will experience something divine I promise!

Take my word for it unless our tastes differ. These are amaze balls! I suspect they are hand chopped not blended. Everything is in those balls! And at 80 cents a pop (if you want extra, I can easily devour another 3 pork and sotong balls each), it is definitely not cheap but to me, there is value-for-money because the ingredients were fresh, flavoursome and solid! No frills, no fillers detected! Umami at its highest!

Teochew Hand Made Sotong Balls Pork Balls Mixed Soup
麥士威83号 。潮洲手工苏东丸 。猪肉丸 。什锦汤 。
Address: Maxwell Food Centre.
Stall number 83
1 Kadayanallur Street,
Singapore 069184.

P.S. This was the second time I ate this dish although I visited them 4 times (twice they were closed).

There are 106 stalls in Maxwell Food Centre. It is situated at the corner of Maxwell Road and South Bridge Road and this noodle stall is located nearer the South Bridge Road side, opposite Hoe Kee Porridge and Dim Sum.

Happy shooting, eating and bonding :)

See post on SG50 Golden Jubilee Fireworks here:
CELEBRATING THE GOLDEN JUBILEE WITH A BIG BANG!

Here’s a directory of all the stalls in Maxwell Food Centre with most of them operating in the day time till early evening as this is in the CBD area (near financial hub):
#01-01 – Maxwell Ban Noodle Fish Head Bee Hoon Fried Oyster 麦士威手工板面。鱼头米粉。蚝煎
#01-03 – Mix Vegetable Rice Porridge 肥仔杂菜饭。糜
#01-04 – Nan Sun High Calcium Soya Bean Milk 南山好立克高钙豆奶
#01-05 – Maxwell Fuzhou Oyster Cake 洪家福州蚝饼
#01-06 – Tanglin Crispy Curry Puff 东陵酥皮咖哩角
#01-07 – Ah-Tai Chicken Rice 阿仔海南鸡饭
#01-08 – Fuzhou Fishball Wanton Mee 福记福州鱼丸云吞面
#01-09 – 熟食
#01-10 – Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice 天天海南鸡饭
#01-11 – Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice 天天海南鸡饭
#01-12 – Day & Night Herbal Shop 日夜滋补上汤
#01-13 – 天记粥品
#01-14 – Quan Yuan Fresh Fruit Juice 泉源林记生菓汁
#01-15 – Vegetarian 顺成
#01-17 – Tong Fong Fatt Hainanese Boneless Chicken Rice 东风发
#01-18 – Pra Khun Thai Kitchen
#01-19 – Oriental Stall Duck Noodle Duck Rice 东方鸭肉面鸭肉饭
#01-20 – China Street Hainanese Curry Rice 中国街海南咖哩饭
#01-21 – Eng Hiang Beverages 永香茶室
#01-22 – Ha Ha MeiShi 麦士威哈哈美食
#01-23 – Hock Kee Food Stuff 福记食品 Provision Shop
#01-24 – 赌间口油条
#01-25 – Madam Jan’s Nasi Lemak
#01-26 – Pancake 翁翁椰浆米煎饼
#01-27 – Ho Peng Coffee Stall 和平茶室
#01-28 – Hum Jiu Pang 中国街咸煎饼
#01-29 – Foo Zi Curry Rice 福利咖哩饭
#01-30 – Welcome Food Stuff 侬来小食
#01-31 – China Street Heng Heng 中国街兴兴蕃薯旦。木薯糕
#01-33 – Beach Road Prawn Mee 老地方
#01-34 – Maxwell 麦士威
#01-35 – Marina South Delicious Food 濱海南美食
#01-36 – Joy Feast Beef Noodle 乐餐牛肉面
#01-37 – Wonderful Nasi Lemak 旺得福
#01-38 – Kim Leng Coffee Stall 金龙咖啡
#01-39 – Afternoon Tea
#01-40 – Maxwell Hainanese Chicken Rice 麦士威海南鸡饭
#01-42 – Roasted Duck Roasted Pork Char Siew Wanton Mee 肥仔烧腊云吞面
#01-43 – Kway Chap 友记鸭饭鸭面
#01-44 – Heng Heng Hainanese Chicken Rice 兴兴海南鸡饭
#01-45 – Ho Kee Porridge 和记粥
#01-46 – Ho Kee Pau 和记包
#01-47 – Soon Li Coffee Shop 顺美咖啡室
#01-48 – Hong Kong i Bean 香港冻豆花
#01-49 – 炎记
#01-50 – 福海（芳林）咖喱鸡米粉面
#01-51 – Swee Ting 瑞珍福建
#01-52 – Hong Xiang Hainanese Chicken Rice 宏香鸡饭
#01-53 – Fried Kway Teow Prawn Mee Friend Oysters Carrot Cake 炒粿条。炒虾面。蚝煎。菜头粿
#01-54 – Zhen Zhen Porridge 真真粥品
#01-55 – Rixin Snacks Delights 日新糕粿美食
#01-56 – Rojak Popiah Cockles 啰惹。薄饼。鲜蛤
#01-57 – China Street Peanuts Soup 中国街花生汤
#01-58 – Soon Heng (Drinks) 顺兴饮品
#01-59 – Peanut Ice Kachang 花生红豆冰
#01-60 – Somerset Delicacies 美味佳肴
#01-61 – Lim Kee (Orchard) Banana Fritters 林记油炸芎蕉
#01-62 – Zhong Xing Fu Zhou Fishball & Lor Mee 中国街中兴自制福州鱼圆面卤面
#01-63 – Aspirasi Food Galore
#01-64 – China Street Fritters 中国街五香贯肠
#01-65 – Fresh Fruit Juice 65新鲜果汁
#01-66 – 一家潮洲鱼粥鱼汤
#01-68 – Hainan Curry Rice 中国街咖哩饭
#01-69 – 69号茶室
#01-70 – Lei Cha 擂茶
#01-71 – 福顺锦记烧腊面家
#01-72 – Heng Heng Porridge & Rice 中国街兴兴糜。饭
#01-73 – Auntie Carrot Cake 安第菜头粿
#01-74 – Fishball Noodle 中国街瑞娥鱼圆面
#01-75 – Hu Ru Beverages 日新香记
#01-76 – Fried Sweet Potato Dumpling 日新香记
#01-77 – Fishhead Bee Hoon Sliced Bee Hoon 金华鱼头米粉。鱼片米粉
#01-78 – Drinks & Dessert Corner
#01-79 – Ho Kee Porridge & Dim Sum 和记包
#01-80 – Ho Kee Porridge & Dim Sum 和记包
#01-81 – Sunto Gyoza 三多饺子
#01-82 – Meal Nasi Lemak Set Bee Hoon Set 椰浆饭套餐。 米粉套餐
#01-83 – Teochew Handmade Sotong Ball. Pork Ball. Mixed Soup 潮洲手工苏东丸。猪肉丸。什锦汤
#01-84 – 848 Sugar Cane Fruit Juice
#01-85 – Sisaket Thai Food
#01-86 – Bean 豆
#01-87 – Rickshaw Noodle 中国街熟食拉车面
#01-88 – Beng Seng (Maxwell) 明成饮品
#01-89 – 南京街肉骨茶
#01-90 – 金成号饮品冰室
#01-91 – Lao Ban Soya Beancurd 老伴豆花
#01-93 – Bento King 便当王
#01-95 – Lian Cheng Coffee Stall 联成咖啡
#01-96 – vacant
#01-97 – 中国街合记五香贯肠
#01-98 – Teochew Rice & Porridge 新加坡河畔潮洲饭。粥
#01-99 – 唐人拉面
#01-100 – The Grean Lea Authentic Nasi Lemak & Chili Sambal
#01-102 – S.M.H. Hot & Cold Drinks
#01-103 – Hajimeer Kwaja Muslim
#01-104 – K3 Coffee
#01-105 – Ice Kiss
#01-106 – Bubble Tea

I was invited for a media food tasting event held at Sunrise Bistro & Bar.

Helmed by 41 year-old Executive Chef & Owner Vincent Teng with an impressive 22-year culinary experience, Sunrise Bistro & Bar specialises in serving casual French fare cooked with a contemporary twist and a fine blend of creativity peppered with Asian inspired flavours – the Sous Vide way.

Chef Vincent highlights, “I wish to present casual French fare at a more affordable price in a comfortable and casual ambience. Therefore, the quality of food you will find in Sunrise is as good as what you will experience in fine dining, but at a much more affordable price in a less intimidating environment.” – Website of Sunrise Bistro & Bar

From left to right: Johor Kaki, VCLUXE and Makoeats at Sunrise Bistro & Bar.

Last Wednesday, MAKOEATS, JOHORKAKI and VCLUXE joined me at the table.

VINCENT TENG, Chef Owner With 20 years of culinary experience under his belt, Chef Vincent was the Chef de Cuisine and owner of the award-winning restaurant, My Dining Room. He later moved on to become the Executive Chef of The Scarlet Hotel. In 2009, he opened Table 66 and subsequently Skyve Elementary Bistro & Bar in late 2011. Chef Vincent focuses on modern European cuisine and he is best known for his sous vide cooking, which he has been practising for more than 10 years.” – Info credit: http://www.slideshare.net/patlaw/uob-young-chefs-creation

Chef Vincent is very passionate about sous-vide cooking technique.
He is hopeful that busy Singaporeans will embrace sous-vide since food can be prepared in advance, kept in food grade plastics and chilled/frozen until the meal is required.
The vacuumed packages also do not take a lot of space in the fridge/freezer.
With sous-vide, everyone can have a wholesome meal without much fuss.

So what is sous-vide?

“Sous-vide (/suːˈviːd/; French for “under vacuum”) is a method of cooking in which food is sealed in airtight plastic bags then placed in a water bath or in a temperature-controlled steam environment for longer than normal cooking times—96 hours or more, in some cases—at an accurately regulated temperature much lower than normally used for cooking, typically around 55 °C (131 °F) to 60 °C (140 °F) for meat and higher for vegetables. The intent is to cook the item evenly, ensuring that the inside is properly cooked without overcooking the outside, and retain moisture.

The method was first described by Sir Benjamin Thompson (Count Rumford) in 1799 (although he used air as the heat transfer medium). It was re-discovered by American and French engineers in the mid-1960s and developed into an industrial food preservation method. The method was adopted by Georges Pralus in 1974 for the Restaurant Troisgros (of Pierre and Michel Troisgros) in Roanne, France. He discovered that when foie gras was cooked in this manner it kept its original appearance, did not lose excess amounts of fat and had better texture. Another pioneer in sous-vide is Bruno Goussault, who further researched the effects of temperature on various foods and became well known for training top chefs in the method. As chief scientist of Alexandria, Virginia-based food manufacturer Cuisine Solutions, Goussault developed the parameters of cooking times and temperatures for various foods.” – Wikipedia

Chef Teng showing us the restaurant’s food being kept at the optimum temperature in the sous-vide machine to prevent bacteria growth.

The sous-vide method is employed in many high end gourmet restaurants by chefs since its technique ensured that there wouldn’t be dry edges nor rare centers in the food. Chef Vincent said that because the juices and flavours do not escape, the cooked food naturally comes out flawlessly tender, moist and aromatic. Depending on the type of dishes served, Chef Vincent takes the necessary steps such as broiling, grilling or searing may be needed to give the food a crispy outer layer and a nice finishing look.

Orders started trickling in and Chef Vincent was kept busy so we turned our attention towards the bar which boasts a good collection of international cocktails and mocktails as well as Sunrise’s very own signatures.

Operations Manager Andy Aziz also holds the helm at the bar because of his extensive knowledge in the alcoholic beverages.
He can even customise your cocktails.
Tell him what you like, sweet, spicy, sour, mild, or even request a man’s drink!
He’s able to shake it up for you!

Tony had asked for something light and refreshing and was recommended this cocktail.
Martin The Martian – S$18.
sous vide infusion gin | apple liqueur | cucumber syrup | basil syrup | lime juice

Gotcha!
The photo above was just prep work, filled with ice to chill the cocktail glass.
Here comes Martin The Martian :)

Our cocktails were about to be served.
The tall hour glass drink in the middle was my cocktail.
Asian’s Slinger – S$20.
rum | triple sec | raspberry liqueur | d.o.m. | lime juice | pineapple juice | bitters | spicy mango syrup

Three Cocktails and one Mocktail for our party of 4.

Vanessa’s mocktail came in a jar!
Tropical Thunder – S$11.
pineapple juice | orange juice | fresh lime | guava syrup | mint leaves | basil leaves | soda

Mark wanted something strong and manly, hahaha… Andy had just the drink for him!
Gentleman’s Club – S$18.
whisky | rosso | salted caramel | coffee liqueur | cloves cinnamon | orange zest | soda | angostura bitters

A copious amount of thinly shaved luncheon meat crisps accompanied our pre-dinner drinks.
What a thoughtful host!
This will definitely go well with ice cold beer.
I think it should be one of the most sellable snacks for their al fresco sports bar.

Chef Vincent preparing our first course and you might already guess it – Soup!

Seafood Chowder Soup – S$12.
Creamy seafood soup with seasonal fresh seafood, and on this night, the fresh seafood we had in our soup bowl were squid, fish, prawn and mussel, topped with double cream and extra virgin olive oil.
The twist in this chowder was the tomato-base instead of the heavier milk/cream and flour based soup.
It was definitely lighter than a standard chowder. The subtle tang from the pomodoro was both refreshing and appetite-bossting.
I think it is safe for me to speak for all at the table that we were happy with this starter.

Seared Foie Gras – S$19.
Seared goose liver on brioche bread layered with mango, citrus jam and berry compote.

I had not read the menu and while Chef Vincent was explaining to us that foie gras cook sous-vide way retained better shape, texture and flavour, I was insolently eager to question if the foie gras was duck or goose liver but Chef Vincent beat me to it by answering before I asked. I’m ecstatic that Chef Teng is using goose liver even though it is costlier than duck. What’s the difference you ask? It’s ineffable! You have to taste it to understand the refined subtlety of this luxurious delicacy!

Sunrise “Fish & Chips” – S$26.
Crispy fried Red Snapper with lemon myrtle pepper served with mango salsa, tartare sauce and french fries.
While the presentation and portion were impressive, the fish was a letdown because we felt that the skin was not crunchy crisp enough.
There was some struggling when cutting from the skin side first.
Inside, the flesh was flaky and moist but it tasted a little bland for our palate.
Perhaps the light seasoning was intentional since there’s the salsa and tartare but I am not a fan of tartare and mango (you may already know from my previous posts, nada to mango and durian).

Cereal Crusted Cod Fish – S$28.
Baked Cod fish with cereal crust served with seasonal vegetables braised in sesame oil and ginger shoyu broth.

If the Fish & Chip we had earlier was a letdown, this main course quickly redeemed the fish dish.
The visual was appealing and the taste, superbly contrasting!
Crunchy crust with tender rich morsels of the cod’s flesh.
The sauce had a slight tart and sour which I believe was from the Japanese ponzu, a citrus based sauce.
There were a myriad of complimenting sauces yet within its textural complexity lies a refreshingly simple and clean tasting dish.

Asian Five Spice Duck Leg Confit – S$28.
Sous-vide 8 hours Duck Leg infused with 5 spice served with citrus salad and passionfruit sauce.
The skin was really crispy and the duck meat was moist. The hints of 5 spice was a subliminal after-taste and not in-your-face kind of overpowering marination which I appreciate.
This dish was a winner to Vanessa in terms of taste and portion.
“Two legs for S$28?!” Value for money, indeed!

Chef Vincent enjoyed preparing duck confit the sous vide way because it is healthier than the traditional way of cooking, covering the legs with gallons of duck fats. Okay, I exaggerated!

Marmite Canadian Pork Shoulder – S$26.
Sous-vide and grilled Pork Shoulder with Marmite marinade served with seasonal vegetables.

With the exception of beef, I like all my meats including fowls, to be cooked till its centres are opaque. In fact, I especially like my pork dishes to be thoroughly cooked and re-cooked if possible. Ya, kill the hog a 100 times over and I’m not joking! You can say I am “kiasu” but being an ex-OCD (okay, I still am with certain issues), I am very afraid of contracting trichiniasis, also called trichinellosis or trichinosis, which is a disease that people can get by eating raw or undercooked meat from animals infected with the microscopic parasite, Trichinella. Pork is particularly susceptible to hookworm (roundworm) infection. Ironically, pork is my favourite meat! I guess it is the forbidden fruit theory :-)

Chef Vincent assured me that his pork is 100% cooked even though it looked pink.
I could tell it was because we could actually cut the meat with the fork.
The inside did looked a tad parched, which I gladly accept as the consequence of a thoroughly cooked dish. Although the meat was on the dry side, it was satirically tender and not stringy at all.
In retrospect, that anhydrous-looking piece of meat IS the natural outcome of any pork dishes I have made or tasted.
I wish there were more sauce on the plate (or side) to help moisturise the meat and give a better over all mouthfeel. But then again, I’m a Bovril not Marmite girl. Can I have a different sauce?

BBQ Short Ribs – S$32.
24 hour sous vide till tender and roast with homemade BBQ sauce and serve with seasonal vegetables.

This was an amazing piece of rib I have had.
Don’t be fooled by the “raw” colour of the meat. Judge cooked meats by its fats’ colour. Cloudy white means thoroughly cooked.
The fat marbling was simply gorgeous! Every mastication of the succulent morsel was oozing with subtle butter/ghee aroma yet there was no oily mouthfeel.

Chef Vincent said this piece of short rib was thoroughly cooked through. “Cut it and let it settle for a minute or two”, he advised. The colour of the meat will turn from dull to bright as if they were prepared medium-rare doneness. That’s the magic of sous-vide!

Mark recounted on his Facebook wall the next day:

Had a nice time catching up with some friends last night. There are hits and misses from some of the dishes I had tried and my favourite would be the 24 hour Sous Vide BBQ Beef Short Ribs. It has an amazing texture and taste. I would go back again for this dish. Yum!

Tiramisu Semi Freddo – S$12.
This special preparation by Chef Vincent Teng is composed of semi frozen mascarpone cheese on a layer of jelly sponge (crumbled ladies fingers soaked in coffee liqueur and bound by gelatine) served with Milo crunch and tuile biscuit. The thin layer on top of the frozen cheese is sugar wafer.

Salted Egg Yolk Custard Molten Chocolate Cake – S$14.
Warm chocolate cake with melting salted egg yolk custard in the centre served with vanilla ice cream.

Doesn’t the melting Salted Egg Yolk Custard look like glowing lava of an erupting volcano?

Charlie Brown – S$18.
vodka | bailey’s | hazelnut liqueur | peanut butter | fresh cream | honey

The Tiramisu Semi Freddo was a creative modification. The frozen mascarpone worked and was readily accepted with open arms but I did not like the jellied sponge. I preferred to have a cake cake so that I could indulge in the coffee liqueur more inimitably but that’s just me.

I love Chocolate Cake and Salted Egg Yolk but not necessarily together. Don’t get me wrong. Sunrise Bistro & Bar’s moderately dense chocolate cake had strong, deep bittersweet chocolatey flavour. I liked it very much. The salted egg yolk custard instantly reminded me of *Liu Sar Bao’s (流沙包) filling. The taste of the custard was delectably savoury. I experienced two texture in this filling 1) silky smoothness from the custard and 2) natural grittiness from the mashed salted egg yolk. The amount of sweet/savoury ratio was perfect, too! However, I am not totally convinced that Mr. Molten should marry Miss Liu. Perhaps, some persuasion might work the next time round. I know there’s lots of rave reviews on this dessert and I agree that it is – separately. Right now, the Salted Egg Yolk Custard Molten Chocolate Cake is “an acquired taste” option for me. I would like to try it again to understand why I oppose to the marriage of these two food items which I love. Perhaps, both of them have strong characteristics so much so that they clash. “一山不容二虎” meaning “one mountain cannot have two tigers”, you know?

Charlie Brown was a dessert cocktail served at the end of our meal. It was so named because it has “Peanuts” in it. Speaking of which a computer-animated feature film based on the strip, The Peanuts Movie, will be released on November 6, 2015 (USA). You bet I will be watching when it comes to Singapore. For now, I shall stick with after dinner macchiato, and a port or sherry would be lovely to end the night.

The food I relished the most during this tasting were the seafood chowder soup, the seared foie gras, the cereal crusted cod fish, the Asian 5-spice duck confit and last but absolutely not least, the 24 hrs sous-vide short ribs!

Would I go back as a paying customer? Yes! And for many good reasons listed below not in order of preference:
Attentive and courteous service.
Casual smart ambience and it is located by the sea (air-conditioned and al fresco dining).
Good selections of booze.
Quality food at affordable prices.
The Operations Manager is charismatically engaging and accepts constructive feedback. That is very important for me since he fronts and acts as the restaurant’s ambassador.
The Owner Chef is very genial and passionate about his craft. That is also very important for me because I know I would be well fed not just by good food but with good intentions. Food for the mind, the body and perhaps, the soul, too!

Popular dishes from online reviews are: Duck Leg Confit, Prawn Aglio Olio, Thai Style Prawn Salad, Korean Chicken Wings and Salted Egg Yolk Custard Molten Chocolate Cake.

Sunrise Bistro & Bar
Address: 902 East Coast Park.
Block B, Unit #01-05,
Singapore 449874.

It is located in the Big Splash vicinity.

Tel: (+65) 6440 9090.

Operating hours:
Mon – Thu: 11.30am – 1am
Fri: 11.30am – 2am
Sat & Eve of Public Holiday: 9am – 2am
Sun & Public Holiday: 9am – 1am

Special Promotions:
Set Lunch @ $15++ or $21++
Weekdays only from 11.30am – 3pm

Happy Hour 1 for 1 from 4pm – 8pm

View Sunrise Bistro & Bar Menu here: http://sunrisebistrobar.com/#menu

View more food, lifestyle and fashion photos on Instagram by clicking on the respective names:
SUNRISEBISTROBAR
MAKOEATS
JOHORKAKI
VCLUXE

See what Liu Sar Bao’s filling look like here:
TASTE PARADISE 味之楼 @ ION
VICTOR’S KITCHEN – GOLDEN EGG YOLK LAVA BUN 黄金流沙包
LIU SAR BUN @ BARCOOK BAKERY

Vanessa is off to Japan this morning for a fashion shoot and before she left, we had to fill her with some good old cze char for a couple of days!

She googled and saw a post on zi char at 446 F&B 海鮮小廚. The blogger had convinced her we should give this stall a try. By the time we reached Pasir Ris Drive 6, the stall helpers were already doing closing but the lady was kind enough not to turn us away.

We ordered two dishes but found our choices dry so after the Marmite Pork Ribs and Omelet came, we placed another order for Hotplate Tofu.

Marmite Pork Rib King – S$12.
The coating sauce of the marmite pork ribs had an amount of sweetness which was dangerously leaning towards cloying on my palate.
We both liked the crispy external texture and although the deep-fried meat was not tough, they were on the dry side and that caused some discomfort to Vanessa after chewing a couple pieces.

Chye Poh Omelet (with preserved radish) – S$8.
Had decent wok hei and the saltiness was just right but a tad oily which is expected of this dish any where you go.

Hotplate Tofu – S$10.
The hotplate tofu had some gravy so that provided moisture to our otherwise dry meal. That said, I prefer the egg to be less set – a personal preference. Now that I know how they prepare this dish, I will indicate that I want runnier egg on my future trips.

3 dishes and 2 rice – S$31

To sum it up,  the Cze Char @ 446 F&B 海鮮小廚 is generally above average in comparison to other cze char stalls I have tried in Pasir Ris town. While the food was enjoyable, it did not possess any phenomenal wow factor we had been expecting. We’ve been too hyped up by the review “Best in the *East”, so that could have dampened our excitement and also my opinion of the overall meal.

Back track… Before, we placed our order, I saw a huge plate of fried rice (presumably for the staff) topped with crispy silver baits. I wonder if that was on their menu. I would like to go back again to try this fried rice and their other cze char dishes. Hopefully, our next meal there will be more tantalising!

446 F&B 海鮮小廚
Address: Block 446, #01-128.
Pasir Ris Drive 6.
Singapore 510446.

* If “East” means Pasir Ris and Changi Village only, then I agree this could be the best (keeping in mind I haven’t try a lot of dishes yet but a seasoned gourmand can guesstimate whether the cooks can make it or not). But! And a big but, I do not agree if the reviewer’s “East” included Bedok, Changi (not the village area), East Coast, Katong, Siglap, etc… etc…

Happy eating and bonding :)

I woke up after more than 12 hours of sleep. I guess the two sequential macro outings on Thursday and Friday had tire me out. On hindsight, I am glad I purchased Kelly’s luncheon ham on Thursday night from Sheng Siong (the third largest chain of supermarkets in Singapore). Last night, I made some luncheon and saltine crackers to satisfy my hunger since there’s nothing else to eat except for instant noodles but I was too lazy to even cook that.

Kelly’s Luncheon Meat & Meiji Saltine Crackers

My midnight snack.

Luncheon meat is finely minced cooked pork (mixed with cereal or modified potato starch), sold in a tin and typically eaten at room temperature or panfried for crispy texture.

I had mine straight out of its packaging, sliced and laid on top of a small dollop of Japanese Mayo on Meiji’s saltine crackers.
Can you see the gelatine on the bottom cracker?

There are several flavours to choose from Kelly’s: Bacon Bits Luncheon Ham, Beef Pastrami, Chicken Lyoner and Picante Pork Luncheon Ham. I deliberated before picking out Bacon Bits for various reasons. As I mentioned before, I am more sensitive to red meats these days and canned beef is very likely to have stronger taste. I could be wrong but I am not taking any chances since canned food is usually an emergency item in my household (as with any, I’m sure) and I do not want to risk my only meal to be “hazardous” on my palate! Also, I am more a fan of pork than chicken. Since I do not comprehend picante, I chose what I did, Bacon!

I did not realise that Kelly’s a product of Singapore until I was peeling off the aluminium foil lid on the minced ham. I wondered if Kelly’s from the same manufacturer of the Singapore produced luncheon meat Golden Bridge which I bought some time ago. I had like that. It was a delicious and more importantly, a *safer alternative to the Chinese brand of luncheon meat which I grew up with.

Many of the Chinese luncheon meat lovers switched to Hormel’s Spam after the *Chinese Luncheon Meat Scare but there’s a difference in taste. Spam is **ironically more “atas” (high class) – made of pork shoulder with ham meat added, its meaty texture surpass the mushy luncheon meat we are accustomed to. Although this **wartime delicacy has better taste and quality; and quality comes with a price, which made Spam less popular with our average working class consumers.

Kelly’s taste is very similar to the luncheon meat I grew up with. The negligible bacon bits did nothing to add flavour or saltiness to the meat. The Japanese mayo did the trick to make up for my penchant for stronger seasoning. Still, it is as good as it gets with Spam considering the clean taste, snack size packaging of 100g and cheaper price tag. I would buy them again!

As for the Meiji crackers, I love them! There’s nothing to fault when it comes to Japanese foods and that of course, is my personal taste and opinion!

Happy eating and bonding :)

*Singapore has strict food hygiene in their f&b manufacturing practices and processes compared to China. I wouldn’t say that is a given but I have more confidence in our merchants. Read why I choose Singapore produced luncheon meat over the brand I grew up with here: http://www.mysinchew.com/node/4269

Truffle Pizza, anyone?

When it comes to pizza, what intrigues you? Is it the succulent meats or fresh seafood? The zesty capsicums or sweet onions? The aromatic basil or pungent garlic? The tart flavours of the tomatoes or the salty gooey cheese?

To me, a good pizza has 3 components: the dough, the base sauce, and a wide variety of toppings to choose from with lots of gooey cheeses that melts in my mouth. And oh yes, the red pepper flavour especially when I have pepperoni on it.

Did I mention about the creamy truffle base, mozzarella cheese, scameza cheese, porchini mushrooms, truffle oil and parmesan cheese?

I also love “zen” pieces – it can be as simple as just rockets and prosciutto drizzled with some truffle oil. One of my favourite is 4 cheeses, anchovies and red-cut chillies, and a sprinkling of evoo. Yumz!

For me, a pizza is only as good as its crust!

For me, a pizza is only as good as its crust! I am no longer infatuated with the thick-crust or deep-dish pizza derived from the Sicilian Sfincione and my tastebuds have outgrown the thin and crispy. My latest crave is an in-between of the two! Pizza crust that contains semolina is best for me! It lends a crispy bottom, gives a slightly chewy, moderately dense yet fluffy texture. Semolina has a very high percentage of gluten-developing proteins, which is what gives the dough its stretch and elasticity, so it is definitely strong enough to carry the weight of ALL my favourite toppings without deflating the crust. I also love the leftover gritty peel dust on the pizza board as I pull them apart.

Zzapi managed to serve me one of the most delicious mix on the approved pizza crust – Truffle cream base, mozzarella cheese, scameza cheese, porchini mushrooms, truffle oil and parmesan cheese!

Don’t you just love cheesy stuff??? :)

Besides pizza, I also had Linguine Voongole.
Zzapi’s preparation had a very simple yet refreshing taste with sweet tangy cherry tomatoes.

Zzapi Pizza Bar
Address: 271 Bukit Timah Road,
#01-01 Balmoral Plaza.
Singapore 259708.

Tel: (+65) 6737 3718.
Operating hours: Daily
Lunch: 11am – 2.30pm
Dinner: 5pm – 10.30pm

Happy eating and bonding :)

Some eat to live but I live love to eat ;-)

Our transcultural * greetings of “Jiak ba buay?”, “Sik bao mei?”, “Sudah makan?” or “吃包沒?” meaning “Have you eaten?” takes the place of the conventional “How are you?” That’s says quite a lot about us, doesn’t it?

“Dining out in Singapore is more than just a social activity — it’s an integral part of the national identity. To Singaporeans, eating is often described as the national pastime and food, a national obsession. Even the Singapore Tourism Board promotes the local dining culture as a tourist attraction!

The Singapore diner is more than willing to travel all over the island to hunt down a certain restaurant or food stall that someone recommended. In Singapore, long queues outside restaurants and food stalls are a common sight as people come from far and wide to look for good food.” – excerpt from An Insight Into Dining in Singapore

The hectic lifestyle in Singapore made dining out convenient for the locals. It is a huge and dare I say, permanent trend. The market share is so big that the performance of F&B (food and beverage) industry is closely tied to Singapore’s consumer confidence index.

By domestic demand, we have lots of 24hrs eateries scattered around the island. Thus without a doubt, someone somewhere is currently eating and/or talking about food! The F&B scene in Singapore is very vibrant 24/7 and very very competitive, indeed!

How will Gin Khao, a new player, compete and what will be their strategy?

“Wanting to embrace on the wide acceptance of Thai Cuisine and not willing to conform to be a typical Thai restaurant, which is a dime a dozen in Singapore, our panel of highly qualified chefs decided to bring Thai Cuisine to the “next” level. Using traditional recipes from Thailand as the source, our chefs experimented with conventional and non-conventional herbs and ingredients to present a spectrum of contrasting flavors – sweet, sour and spiciness of varied degrees to YOU, our valued customers. The taste of our food offerings are specially tailored to suit the palates of the Local community.

The mission is simple: serve delicious, affordable food that guests will want to return week after week.” – excerpts from Gin Khao & Bistro website

The recent media food tasting event I attended was somewhat intriguing and mind taste boggling at the same time. No, don’t get me wrong. The food was not shabby. In fact, the dishes were pretty good! My personal favourite is the stir-fried squid with runny salted egg and tomyum marinated chicken wings but I felt the restaurant was bordering on losing Thai food ethnicity, if there’s such a thing. Going out to a Thai restaurant, especially one that is quite out of the way for me, means I do want Thai food specifically. It does not have to be authentic, I am not that rigid and I won’t be able to tell the difference, but there are certain criteria to be fulfilled. That said, let’s take a look at my lunch…

Gin Khao literally means Eat Rice.

From left to right:
1) THAI ICE ROSE MILK TEA, S$4.80 – Traditional Cha Yen with the addition of Rose Syrup.
2) PERRIER WITH HONEY AND LIME, S$6.80  – The name says it all.
3) COCONUT MOJITO – Coconut Water, Mint Leaves and Lime (non-alcoholic).

The starters from Gin Khao had our thumbs up.
From left to right: LARD MOO, GAI TOD TOM YUM and PRAWN AND GREEN MANGO RELISH.

PRAWN AND GREEN MANGO RELISH – S$7.80

Chilled crisp mango and juicy prawn cubes served on mini crispy rice crackers with savoury sweet sauce meant sticky fingers as the sauce dripped but I have no doubt this appetiser will win the hearts of the young and old. It was, well, finger licking good!

GAI TOD TOM YUM.
Spicy marinated tomyum chicken wings deep-fried to a golden perfection.
Cleanse your palate with whatever drinks you have on hand, better still if it is plain water as you need to really appreciate these wings on first bite – that’s when the tom yum spices permeates! Afterwards, your tastebuds may become may acclimatised.

LARD MOO – S$7.80.
Of all the Thai street’s delights, Alvin said Lard Moo – a warm minced pork salad with mint is something he must try when visiting new Thai restaurant/eateries.
I wonder what’s his rating for this dish…
As for me, this was my first go at Lard Moo and I like it.
Gin Khao’s version had minced pork that was fabulously seasoned with fish sauce, chili flakes, lime juice, toasted sticky rice which rendered crunchy and chewy texture, and its assortment of fresh herbs brought it all together, wonderfully.
I hope the lard moo here is a good yardstick for it will set the benchmark for my subsequent tastings at other places.

TOM YUM TALAY – S$12.80.
There ws no doubt that Gin Khao employs fresh ingredients and the soup was tasty. But it was a tiny tad too sweet for me.
However, this is my personal taste that I like it a bit more citrusy sour from the fresh limes and more heat.
I am sure you can always request that the chef head northwards with the spicy level to your liking.

KHAO PHAT DTAENG MOE – S$11.80.
There’s no denying that the fried rice has a unique presentation but I was utterly confused.
My tongue has its own mind, so forgive me if I’m lengthy here but fyi, this was how my tongue’s mind mapped on this staple dish:
1) squid and prawns = seafood fried rice.
2) deep-fried beanskin = vegetarian goose = vegetarian beehoon (not even rice).
3) cashews = pilaf.
4) pork floss = Thai pineapple rice.
5) watermelon = ??? Got me there!
Watermelon Fried Rice (first of its kind in Singapore) provides another option to the Thai staple on Gin Khao’s menu and is a refreshing change from the more intense fruity Pineapple Fried Rice.
If you must know, my preference is for the latter. It does not have an “All-time favourite” for nothing!

STIR-FRIED SQUID WITH RUNNY SALTED EGG – S$14.80
This is a standard portion and I love the taste and pricing!
I do highly recommend this dish as it certainly has value-for-money but is this Thai cuisine or Malaysian-style cze char?

KANG OB WOON SEN – S$16.80

BTS is the acronym we use for “Behind The Scene”. Here’s how we achieve some shots on location without any professional assistance or food stylists.

Kang Ob Woon Sen is a popular Thai restaurant dish.
They are usually cooked with prawns, crayfish and sometimes crab. There’s a staple of slippery, chewy glass noodles as base with herbs such as coriander roots, garlic cloves with skin on, ginger and galangal slices, cracked peppercorns and some pork belly fats or smoky bacon to give the dish an extra oomph!
Sadly, some of these ingredients were missing in the pot. I felt that the fresh crayfish was a bit under-seasoned and the tanghoon (glass noodles) over-salty.
There was none of the Thai aromatics I was expecting.

MANGO WITH BLACK STICKY RICE.

Sticky Rice had chewy bites and Mango was sweet!
My personal taste is for the rice to have some (if they didn’t add any or if they did, then a bit more) sugar as black sticky rice is not as sweet as the white sticky rice.
I also like a little salt to the coconut cream to bring out the contrasty sweet and savouriness of this rice dessert.

MAN CHEUAM.
A typical Thai-style steamed tapioca (cassava) dessert that comes with Coconut Cream.
I can tell this was heated on demand as it came piping hot and there was a shallow pool of trapped hot steam in the plate.
Piped generously with coconut cream, the translucent tuberous roots were cooked just right.

Thanks to Alvin for this BTS shot.

GELATO.
These gelati are customised flavours for Gin Khao.
When it comes to gelato, what’s your flavour? Gin Khao’s signature gelati are the most unique tastes I have come across so far.
There are ice cream flavours that are reminiscence of one’s childhood (Asian) like ice kacang, cendol, gula melaka, nasi lemak (yes, nasi lemak! the coconut rice with spicy sambal) but today, I had bravely tested Tomyum and Green Curry Gelato!!!
Being interesting and creative may be distinctive but do not necessarily become synonymous with delicious. These congelato desserts are definitely an acquired taste for me.
I tried to be open-minded and had a few more scoops than I should venture but still not deep enough to uncover what the “corn-looking” stuff is, below the green curry gelato.

Mark and Alvin, my lunch kakis on that day.

Situated near the sea in East Coast Park, this spacious restaurant has plenty of room for large scale parties and corporate functions. I had little interaction with the staff as Ann Marie took care of our needs but recalling their service, I must state that the wait staff were very attentive and efficient. And I guess it is safe for me to say that Gin Khao is both family and wallet friendly. Gin Khao has many one-dish meals on their Noodles and Rice section of the menu. I am sure youngsters will find the surrounding environment an invigorating change from the city malls, what’s more with cycling, rollerblading, prawning and beach activities within a stone’s throw away after eating at Gin Khao!

Thank you Gin Khao and especially Ann Marie for being so patient when hosting us. Thank you Mark and Alvin for sharing table with me.

See their full menu here: http://www.ginkhao.com.sg/menu

Gin Khao
Address: 1020 East Coast Parkway.
#01-01 Singapore 449787.

Tel: 6604 8996

Opening hours: Daily
Mondays – Thursdays
Lunch: 1.30 am – 3pm
Dinner: 5.50pm – 10.30pm
Friday – Sundays: 11.30am – 10.30pm

If you want to try cooking KANG OB WOON SEN at home, here’s a recipe from my friend, Alvin, who uses prawns instead: http://chefandsommelier.blogspot.sg/2012/04/prawn-vermicelli.html

* This form of greeting was passed on by our ancestors during the Great Famine Of China in the 1870s. “吃包沒?” in any dialect was started with the people showing concern for their village folks by asking if they had taken their meal.

Established in Singapore since 1974, Meiji is one of my favourite snack food brands. For 41 years, Meiji has been supplying Singaporeans with cute tidbits and tasty dairy products, and from Singapore to over 50 countries around the world. I remember Yan Yan and Hello Panda as some of my children’s favourite treats although they do not get to eat much confection.

Meiji Low Fat Milk and Meiji’s Plain Crackers.
When we were living in Melbourne, my children made a remark which took me by surprise. “Australia has more cattle than human population but their fresh milk is not as full flavoured as Meiji’s”.

I love Meiji because they have been consistent in delivering quality products. I especially favour Meiji’s Plain Crackers (have yet to try the ones with oats) for its crunch and serving size. The crackers are also trans fat and sugar free, which means I can indulge with toppings!

Sardines in Olive Oil.

Fruit Jams.

Peanut Butter and Manuka Honey.

The bite-size crackers make for wonderful party canapé or simple snack at home.

Here’s some luxurious canapé topping suggestions you can serve with these crackers:

Soft Goat Cheese or Cream Cheese
Cooked or canned Beetroot
Orange Zest sliced thinly (garnish)
fresh Thyme (garnish)

———-

Smoked Salmon
Cream Cheese
Capers, chopped
fresh Dill (garnish)

———-

Cooked Shrimps or fresh Crabmeat
Guacamole
fresh Pea Shoots (garnish)

———-

Sour Cream Or Greek Yoghurt (or any thick yoghurt)
To be sautéed (below):
40g Butter
250g Button Mushrooms, sliced
3 Garlic cloves, minced
Melt butter in a large frying pan, add mushrooms and garlic and fry until deep golden.
Put some sour cream, yoghurt on crackers, top with mushrooms.

———-

Good friends sometimes come over unannounced!
Easy to assemble for unexpected guests and you require some quick-fix to go with that bottle of wine.

Meiji Crackers with Oat I have yet to try.

Meiji Crackers Plain
7 pieces in each packet of 40 packs for only S$6.95 (U.P. S$7.85) from 1 Nov till end December 2015.

Too bad their Annual Meiji Warehouse SALE 27 ~ 28 Nov 2015 just ended and I am not sure if they still hold their weekly Friday discounted sales at their factory outlet but you can call to ask. :)

Meiji Seika (Singapore) Pte Ltd
(Biscuit – Wholesale & Manufacturing)
Address: 36 Quality Road,
Singapore 618806.

Tel: 6265 2411

Happy eating and bonding :)

Happy New Year Everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful festive season. I have been taking a break from blogging and now it’s time to get back on track!

My first meals in 2016 were coincidentally modern Thai cuisine! The first day of new year was suggested by Vanessa and the second day was a dinner hosted by Taejin’s great grand aunt! If anyone asked me, “How’s 2016 going so far?” I would tell them I was Thai-ed up! Hehehe… Yea, yea, my kids think another one of nana’s lame jokes only TJ can appreciate these days ;-)

Thai Pavilion was an impromptu lunch venue. Sam P., Vanessa and I woke up late and this eatery is opened daily and throughout without observing restaurant hours (which is a couple or three hours of break in between lunch and dinner).

Luncheon Meat Fries.
Nicely crisp but on the salty side.

A lot of places are offering luncheon meat (spam) chips these days as bar snacks but I do like them in this “fries” form as they possessed more bite.

Cha Yen.

The colour of this drink was not as orange as those sold in the streets of Bangkok and perhaps different tea leaves were used? I understand that the signature orange colour of cha yen comes from the C Yellow Number 6 (which is apparently the same food dye that was in Kraft’s Macaroni and Cheese, before it got outlawed). So those with food colouring allergy please take note!

Tom Yum Talay Clear Soup.

We opted for clear broth which means no addition of coconut cream. My family has always preferred tom yum that way. The tom yum was better than most mid-price eateries but in my humble opinion, it could do better. The prawns were “powdery” but the squid and fish were very fresh. The broth was tasty but not spicy enough for my taste (that’s a personal take). I felt it could have more citrusy punch and stinging kick to it. Vanessa reminded me that my heat threshold is higher than normal diners, so… Also, if they were to serve the soup in this steamboat, they should at least light it up to keep warm or at least for visual impact. Otherwise, they could have serve the soup in a huge bowl which makes it a lot easier for scooping.

Thai Green Curry Chicken.

I am not a fan of green curries but my children seem to like it. Valerie cooks a mean one as she does a fiery pad krapow. Okay, sorry I deviated. Anyway, this green curry was normal to me, which is good because although there weren’t anything spectacular to shout about, there was nothing to fault as well!

Thai Yellow Curry Squid.

I am a fan of sotong (squid) and Thai yellow curry and this stimulating combination had me at hello! Although I find the gravy a tad thinner than I preferred initially, I began to appreciate its viscosity as lunch progressed and I was beginning to feel a little “jelak”. This was after all my breakfast, lol…

*Jelak is a Malay/Indonesian adjective and it means “satiated by a food, particularly a food that is too rich, to the point that one feels repulsed by it”.

Deep-fried Whole Sea Bass.

Sweet & Sour Sea Bass.

The Sweet & Sour Sea Bass had a clean crunchy bite with moist flakey flesh. Vanessa liked it that she didn’t have to fight with tough soggy fish skin. The sea bass was not fishy (fishy here means gamey in a bad way), so it was delectably fresh. The sauce was piquant although I find it sweet; if they can tone down the sugar, it would be perfect – again this is my personal taste preference.

Fluffy Minced Pork Omelet.

We loved the minced pork omelet. Usually, very fluffy omelet sits in residual oil oozing out on the plate but this one was not too bad. I thought Vanessa was done eating when I saw a small piece on her side plate and “stole” it. She uttered “thief”, lol…

Seeing some plants being delivered and fussed over where to place them,  we asked the waitress how long the restaurant has been in operation. She told us that the restaurant has been around but had just changed boss. The old staff and chef stayed on. The chef has 10 years of experience and is also winner of the Epicurean Star Award. They were celebrating their first (or was it second?) day of operation and we were entitled to a 20% discount. Yippee! A great start to 2016 :)

We did enjoy our lunch and I would like to go back to try their Mookata and Red Ruby dessert, soon!

And oh yes before I forget! You can order online for home delivery with FoodPanda!

Thai Pavilion Restaurant
Address: 283 Changi Road,
Singapore 419762.

Tel: (+65) 6842 3090

Operating hours: Daily
11am – 11pm

Happy eating and bonding :)

Braising is often used extensively in the cuisines of Asia, particularly Chinese cuisine, where dark and light soy sauce  are the primary seasoning in the rich brown braising liquid. 5-spice and sometimes Chinese herbs may be used. Braised foods are usually meat/poultry based. Dried seafood and dried shitake mushrooms are also common main ingredients for braising. We usually eat braised foods with fluffy steamed rice because the delicious thick gravy goes very well with it. For my lunch yesterday, the delectable sauce was incorporated into the water for cooking rice to enhance flavour and aroma of the long-grained rice – hence the rice (in background of the photo below) is brown in colour.

The above photo is an ala carte set of braised meats – pork belly and duck with duck gizzards and liver.

I was undecided if I should have braised rice rice or kway chap but when the hawker told me that the big intestines were sold out, I dismissed kway chap and had the duck rice.

“While there are many variants, a common 5-spice mix are:
Star anise (bajiao, 八角)
Cloves (dingxiang, 丁香)
Chinese Cinnamon (rougui, 肉桂)
Sichuan pepper (huajiao, 花椒)
Fennel seeds (xiaohuixiang, 小茴香)

Other recipes may contain anise seed or ginger root, nutmeg, turmeric, Amomum villosum pods (砂仁), Amomum cardamomum pods (白豆蔻), licorice, Mandarin orange peel or galangal. In South China Cinnamomum loureiroi and Mandarin orange peel is commonly used as a substitute for Cinnamomum cassia and cloves, respectively, producing a different flavour for southern five-spice powders.

Five-spice may be used with fatty meats such as pork, duck or goose. It is used as a spice rub for chicken, duck, pork and seafood, in red cooking recipes, or added to the breading for fried foods. Five-spice is used in recipes for Cantonese roasted duck, as well as beef stew. The five-spice powder mixture has followed the Chinese diaspora and has been incorporated into other national cuisines throughout Asia.

Although this mixture is used in restaurant cooking, many Chinese households do not use it in day-to-day cooking.” – Wikipedia

An Kee Braised Duck Rice & Kway Chap.
Lunch for 2 persons – braised pork belly, braised duck and sides of duck gizzards and duck liver.

I was pleasantly surprised that we were given broth to go with our lunch. Hawkers seldom go through the extra mile these days. The soup was a little “bitter”, not entirely, but herbal kind of “kum kum” (tart) taste. The braising sauce was not overpowering which is good as I’ve said I’m sensitive to strong smell and taste and this fowl can be foul if not treated properly during the cleaning and cooking process. My friend Rick cn attest to that “no bad smell” because after we’ve eaten, he went to order a piece of nose! You know, bishop’s nose like the term for chicken’s backside! What do we call it for ducks? He said there’s absolutely no shitty aftertaste, but I abstained, lol…

The duck meat had good bite and bounce, same goes for the gizzard and liver. In the platter, I liked the braised pork belly best! The skin was rid thoroughly of any porky hair and the fat content ratio to meat was pretty “healthy”. I’ll go for a plate of braised pork belly and big intestines with plain rice or porridge on my future visits. And oh yes, I mixed the two chilli dips together and result was yumz!

An Kee Braised Duck Rice
Hong Lim Food Centre
531A Upper Cross Street, #02-18,
Singapore 051531.

Happy eating and bonding :)

In the background is “Harvest” by Han Sai Por – a visual art commissioned by Esplanade for the occasion of Singapore’s 50th Anniversary.

Contrary to what most would think, Harvest is named not because Miss Han wanted to epitomise our nation’s “yield” but to celebrate nature’s bounty and the natural environment even in an urbanised Singapore.

“Han Sai Por is a leading Asian sculptor and Singapore Cultural Medallion recipient. Celebrated for her works in stone, her accolades include the Grand Prize at the Triennale-India 2005 and Outstanding Sculpture Award, China in 2006.” – http://www.stpi.com.sg/artist_hansaipor.htm

Han Sai Por with great grand nephew 태진.

“Harvest
Han Sai Por

Like one who sows and nurtures seeds with love and care, Han has pursued her art-making with perseverance and dedication.

Han’s signature stone sculptures always exude an intense, quiet determination beneath the solidity of the material; a sense of undying love for and obligation to the natural environment is apparent and the hard rocks are softened by their forms through her delicate hands. Her work has always centred on man’s rapid destruction of the natural, native environments in harsh, urban landscapes.

Approached to work with Esplanade once again for the occasion of Singapore’s jubilee year, Han has adopted a lighter and more celebratory note, gathering a fruitful Harvest to mark Singapore’s golden 50th anniversary and the new beginning of the next 50 years to come.” – Esplanade website

See more here:
https://www.esplanade.com/festivals-and-series/visual-arts/2015/harvest
and here: http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_467_2004-12-23.html
You can even find her on Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Han_Sai_Por

In between a personal tour of her art work both at the concourse of Esplanade and outside at the surrounding public areas and parks, my aunt gave us a dinner treat at Thai Express @ Esplanade.

I have never been a fan of Thai Express but this branch seemed to suit my taste. Was it the chefs or was it the gathering of 4 generations that has whetted my appetite?

Let’s see what we had…

Poo Tod Kratiem Phrik Thai.
Soft Shell Crab with their chef’s secret batter.

Tom Yum Talay.
Tom Yum Seafood Soup in clear broth.

Yum Yai described as the Famous King Rama II of Thailand’s salad.

Kaeng Khiew Wan Gai.
Tender juicy chicken in jade green curry

Phat Thai Talay.
Phat Thai (thin rice noodles – kway teow) with seafood.

Khao Gai Phat Krapow.
Rice with stir-fried spicy minced chicken with Thai basil.

Phat Pak Bung Fai Daeng.
Thai style stir-fried Kangkong (morning glory) with fermented beans and chilli padi.

Tau Hoo Si Ew Dam.
Dark Soya Tofu.

Massaman Beef Curry with Thai-style pancake.
The pancakes were very similar if not the same as roti paratha (roti canai).

While Thai Express may not be a mind blowing place to go for “authentic” Thai street cuisine, it certainly is one of the more successful chain restaurants with 24 branches islandwide.

I am only speaking for myself about not being a fan of Thai Express. My children do patronise the chain every now and then. A couple of non-exciting meals I had at their Holland Village branch had failed to “electrify” my tongue.

This time, however, at the Esplanade branch, I told my children during dinner that I was actually pleasantly surprised to find certain dishes delectable. Of course, there were hits and misses at the table! Even this branch is not going to miraculously convert me but I did enjoy the Soft Shell Crab, Tom Yum Soup, Phat Thai and Massaman Beef. The dish that least impressed me was the one recommended by the order-taker, it was supposedly the more popular soya beancake item, Tau Hoo Si Ew Dam. I find it dense and dry, and the black soya sauce did not help with flavour either. In fact, I find the sauce to leave a little bitter aftertaste. The rest of the dishes weren’t overly exciting as well, just standard fare – if only I wasn’t such a Thai street food snob!

Happy eating and bonding :)

Thai foods I’ve blogged:
Recipe:
PAD KRA POW – ผัดกะเพรา RECIPE
MAN CHEUAM (THAI-STYLE STEAMED CASSAVA) RECIPE

Singapore:
NAM NGEW CHIANGRAI – THE HIDDEN GEM
NA NA THAI FOOD
THAI NOODLE HOUSE @ CORONATION ARCADE
SPICY THAI THAI CAFE
THE FORGOTTEN BACKYARD FOUND @ SPICY THAI – THAI CAFE!
IGNITING A PASSION @ A-ROY THAI
MA-KAB-CHAN RESTAURANT THAI VILLAGE 泰国村酒楼
CHANG THAI @ 151
TAMARIND HILL RESTAURANT SINGAPORE
GIN KHAO – THAI STREET DELIGHTS AND MORE!
THAI PAVILION RESTAURANT

Thailand:
Bangkok:
PULSATING IN THE HEART OF SIAM
FIRST NIGHT IN BANGKOK MADE A FOOD SNOB HUMBLE
BOUNDING PULSE – BANGKOK
T&K SEAFOOD ต๋อย&คิด – BANGKOK
THERE IS ORDER IN CHAOS
TUG OF WAR

Phuket:
BANGMUD (FLOATING) SEAFOOD RESTAURANT @ PHUKET, THAILAND
THE VILLAGE SPA AT COCONUT ISLAND – PHUKET TRIP DAY 1
BREAKFAST @ THE TAMARIND RESTAURANT, THE VILLAGE, COCONUT ISLAND – PHUKET TRIP DAY 2
LUNCH @ THE TAMARIND RESTAURANT, THE VILLAGE, COCONUT ISLAND – PHUKET TRIP DAY 2
PHONG PHRANG SEAFOOD RESTAURANT & APHRODITE CABARET SHOW – PHUKET TRIP DAY 2
RANG YAI ISLAND – PHUKET TRIP DAY 3
RAYA THAI CUISINE RESTAURANT @ MUANG – PHUKET TRIP DAY 1
RAYA THAI CUISINE @ PHUKET TRIP DAY 3

Macau:
NAAM THAI RESTAURANT GRAND LAPA RESORT MACAU 灆泰國菜餐廳

Melbourne:
YING THAI 2

I was pretty excited about the media invite on 7th January 2016 to taste Chef Julian Tam’s Chinese New Year offerings. I have seen some promotions of Wo Peng on Groupon deals and they were always sold out. This was a great chance for me to get acquainted with some of Chef Tam’s signature dishes as well as some bloggers and foodie instagrammers.

Wo Peng Cuisine @ Furama City Centre.
Helmed by Platinum Award-winning Chef Julian Tam Kwok Fai from Hong Kong.

We were served the standard Chinese Tea but when May offered us Snow Chrysanthemum, Mark and I chorused, “Got special tea, of course we drink that lor!” Giggles…

According to the Teasenz, this is not only a tasty beverage, but a healthy one too:

A ‘heavenly’ rare flower tea that is grown only in the Kunlun mountains, where slow flower growth results in a delicious flower taste with notes of caramel and dark red tea liquor. Snow Chrysanthemum flower tea contains high amounts of amino acids and proteins, which are beneficial to your health by lowering blood sugar, reducing high cholesterol, and preventing heart diseases.

In 2011, Snow Chrysanthemum flower tea prices suddenly increased to over 3000 USD per KG due to high demand while supply fell short.

Snow Chrysanthemum Tea Origin
Snow daisy is produced in the alpine region of the Kunlun Mountains in Xinjiang. This flower tea mainly grows at high altitudes on the cliffs and only blooms once a year in August. Snow chrysanthemum tea is rare because it only has a very short blooming season and a very small yield. It’s the only wild Chrysanthemum in the world that grows at high altitudes. This makes this tea really hard to pick, because farmers have to go up the mountains during the harvest season. Thus, it’s pricey but definitely worth all the health benefits that you can enjoy while sipping a cup of this flower.

Health Benefits of the Snow Chrysanthemum Flower
Due to 18 kinds amino acids (and 15 kinds of trace elements), researchers claim that it can prevent high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high blood sugar, coronary heart diseases, inflammation, colds, and insomnia when consumed in form of tea. Wild Kunlun snow daisy has been passed down from generation to generation as a Uighur medicinal herbal flower tea.

How to Brew Xue Ju Hua Cha
Use water with low hardness and steep this flower tea at boiling temperature. A transparent glass or teapot would be the best to observe the flowers and tea liquor. The tea is ready when the liquor color turns slightly red (I think *deep orange or saffron is a accurate description). Compared to most flower teas, this Snow Chrysanthemum tea can be steeped for many brews, while maintaining its intense mellow sweet taste. To preserve the taste and aroma, store it in a dry and clean place.

Snow Chrysanthemum, known in Chinese as 雪菊, 蛇目菊 or 昆仑雪菊 among other names, is the Sanvitalia procumbens plant.
The Snow Chrysanthemum Flower Tea has no caffeine and the properties within the flowers are said to have calming effect and aid sleep.
In the Traditional Chinese Materia Medica Snow Chrysanthemum is described as aiding respiratory fitness, regulating blood pressure and preventing cancer.
Regardless of any health claims which I didn’t know until researching for this post, I did enjoy the “honeysuckle” aroma and soothing mellow taste.

*I think rich saffron colour is a more accurate description for this flower tea’s colour. The red colour tea behind is a “standard” Chinese tea.
The two pairs of chopsticks are not due to Michelin Star rating but one pair is for… Yu Sheng!

Since we are tasting Wo Peng’s CNY offerings, the first dish that was served was of course, their Fa Cai Yu Sheng!

While these Flour Crackers are quite the norm that goes into the Yu Sheng as one of the secondary ingredients before the great toss…

Crispy deep-fried Fish Skins are fast catching up during the last few years!

There has been recent scare of raw fish poisoning and some of the bloggers were talking about it.
May overheard and let us on that these are not real salmon.
She further informed that these Mock Salmon fillet were product made specially for the Japanese vegetarian community.
Mark ate and exclaimed, “Wow! These are scarily real in texture and taste!”

Together with the sweet Plum Sauce (on left next to the mock salmon), our Lo Hei began!

Lo Hei (撈起) is a term for eating Yu Sheng.

This auspicious plate of rainbow coloured Yu Sheng 七彩魚生 looked good and tasted even better after we have tossed it enthusiastically to good heights.

Double-boiled Superior Chicken Soup with Almond Juice; dried scallops, bamboo pith, gingko nuts, goji berries.
If you are familiar with the components of traditional Chinese cooking, you will notice the nutritious and hearty elements this concoction holds!

Sautéed “Peach Resin” with Egg White and Green Vegetables.

I did a double take when reading “Peach Resin”. Mark asked, “Isn’t resin a kind of plastic material or sap of tree???”

Peach resin also known as “peach blossom tears” is peach tree’s secretion of resin or amber-coloured gum. Apparently, it is a common Chinese “medicinal” ingredient said to be rich in amino acids, collagen, galactose, rhamnose,  etc… etc… The Chinese believes that peach resin has blood lipid, and thus consuming it can relieve stress. I don’t know how long this peach resin has been used in Cantonese or for that matter Chinese cuisine, but this is the first time I have heard and tasted it so to me, at least, herein lies the modernity Chef Julian is incorporating something “new” in his traditional menu!

Steamed Wild Cod Fish Fillet accompanied with deep-fried cod fish head and fish tail with superior soya sauce in Hong Kong style 鸳鸯蒸鳕鱼.

Did the menu say cod fish? I have never seen a whole cod fish served. We usually have fillet or steaks since the cod (银鳕鱼) is huge! The texture of this wild cod was firmer than expected without the silky smooth bias similar to that of a gindara I had foolishly assumed. The flesh tasted very much like that of a big garoupa’s (斑鱼), firm and slightly coarse, but not in an unpleasant way. You may not be familiar but an “authentic” Chinese diner would know that a whole fish must be served with together with its head and tail intact! The person who eats the head will also eat the tail so that everything s/he does has head and tail (有头有尾), a Chinese idiom meaning “I started, so I’ll finish; to carry something through to the end; no loose ends, has conclusion.”

Le Master Chef and I playing “shoot out” while we were waiting to be served his specialty – Poon Choi!
After taking a few shots at each other, he graciously allowed me to win, saying, “Okay, okay, I give up!”

Another must-have Chinese New Year dish is the Poon Choi 盆菜, literally basin cuisine.
That’s May portioning out the premium ingredients from Chef Jullian’s signature dish Poon Choi.

What’s in this bowl?
Starting clockwise at 12 o’clock: Abalone, Prawn, Mushroom, Pork and Black Moss Seaweed (Fatt Choy), Fish Maw, Broccoli, Sea Cucumber, Dried Oyster and Dried Scallop was under the fish maw.

The first helping of Poon Choi consisted the top layers of prized ingredients as shown in the photo above. After eating those, we probed the pot and discovered roasted pork, pig’s skin, daikon, nappa cabbage, dried shrimps, etc… etc… which, although are pedestrian ingredients, they played a crucial role in overall flavour enhancement, sealing the basin cuisine with a crescendo of umami notes. By then, I was yearning for steamed rice to slurp up the delectable gravy.

This is the real McCoy of a Poon Choi dish if you know what I mean!
Some impatient diners will use their chopsticks to plough into the base for the daikon instead of waiting for the layers to be eaten.

Smoke Roasted Duck with Rice, Tea Leaves and Camphor Wood 樟茶熏烤鸭.

The duck’s delicate crisp skin with tender juicy morsels made me forget to dip it in plum or hoisin sauce… Were there any in the first place?

Wok-fried Glutinous Rice with Assorted Chinese Waxed Meats 糯米饭.
Glutinous rice is also known as sticky rice but a good wok-fried sticky rice shouldn’t stick to your teeth or worse still, grandma’s dentures! Lol… ;-)
The grains were well lubricated making it “liap liap” or fluffy in dialect, retaining soft yet chewy texture.
This rice dish boasted of wok hei combined with the smoky savouriness of preserved meats.

Steamed Salted Egg Yolk Custard Buns aka Liu Sar Bao.

Liu Sar Bao is the new chocolate molten lava cake!
How not too get fat???

Before this shot, we were fighting who would stand in front when I told him I was hiding my fat tummy after this feast behind his svelte frame, Chef Tam burst into laughter.

Master Chef Julian Tam is a culinary master in Hong Kong-style cuisine. He began his career at the tender of of 17 which he later embark on a 9-year apprenticeship programme in a renowned culinary school in Canada. He has worked at Hong Kong’s esteemed Kowloon Club and illustrious Yung Kee Restaurant during the 80’s and moved back to Canada in 1989. He is currently based in Singapore running two restaurants Wo Peng Cuisine Furama and Wo Peng Cantonese @ myVillage.

“At Wo Peng, our philosophy is simple. We cook with love, joy and harmony.”

Chef Tam is the man behind Wo Peng Cuisine. He is also the first to introduce the famous traditional festivity “Hong Kong Wei Cun Poon Choy” dish into Singapore’s food scene as well as making it available daily his restaurants’ menu. The Poon Choi was definitely a crowd pleaser and if you aren’t planning on cooking during this CNY, you might just want to check out Wo Peng’s value-for-money CNY take-outs!

CNY Set Menu for Take Out:
$298 for 5 pax or $528 for 10 pax includes four dishes:
Wo Peng Poon Choy Braised Australian Abalone w/ Dried Assorted Seafood in Casserole
Prosperity Crispy Fish Skin, Vegetarian Salmon Yu Sheng
Wok-Fried Glutinous Rice w/ Assorted Chinese Sausages
Deep-Fried Red Bean Pan Cake

Poon Choy for Take Out (FREE STAINLESS STEEL TREASURE POT!)
$228 for 5 pax (Usual Price $298)
OR
$428 for 10 pax (Usual Price $568)

What I liked best from this tasting were the Yu Sheng sans the mock salmon. I’ll definitely use sashimi grade fish or canned abalone to top up to their freshly prepared crisp rainbow salad. The next dish, which is also what everyone at the table agree, was the Poon Choi – strip-teasing our tongues. The next dish I enjoyed was the Superior Chicken Soup with Almond, simple yet steeped in robust flavours! The least favourite of the banquet was the Liu Sar Bao – I don’t know if our photography had taken too much time, the luke warm baozi had become a little harden and the salted egg yolk custard didn’t quite match up to those I have had in other establishments. That said, the amicable Chef Julian, the impeccable wait staff and May, the trendy bloggers at my table together with reliable Mark, my makan partner for the night, were such good spots I had a Whopping Good Time At Wo Peng Cantonese Cuisine 和平宴! Thanks to Hazel Hearts for the invite!

Wo Peng Cuisine @ Furama City Centre
Address: 60 Eu Tong Sen St,
Singapore 059804.

Tel: (+65) 6534 2282

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

Wo Peng Cantonese @ My Village At Serangoon Garden
Address: #02-01, 1 Maju Avenue,
Singapore 556679.

Tel: (+65) 6634 7666

Operating hours: Daily
Lunch: 11am – 2.30pm
Dinner: 6pm – 10.30pm

Happy eating and bonding :)

Info credit for Snow Chrysanthmum Flower Tea, Teasenz:
http://www.teasenz.com/snow-chrysanthemum-flower-tea#.Vpm2e1N96gR

I have been to the Republic Of Singapore Yacht Club several times for karaoke and drinks but it was usually late at night, after The Bridge Bistro & Beacon Bar were closed for business. Last November, I had the chance to savour, no, devour is more likely, their substantial fare.

Republic Of Singapore Yacht Club (RSYC).
View from where I was sitting at The Bridge Bistro & Beacon Bar (2nd level) @ RSYC.

Mushroom Soup

Avocado Salad

Chicken & Mango Salad

Spaghetti Carbonara

Spaghetti Carbonara

Spaghetti Carbonara

Prawn Aglio Olio

Traditional Beer Battered Fish & Chips – SG$16.80

The river cobbler (or bassa to us, in Melbourne) was not seasoned at all. The fillet was dipped into the restaurant-made beer batter recipe and deep-fried till golden. The crunchy outside and tender soft inside was well maintained throughout the meal. Steven can’t believe that an unseasoned fish in light craft beer batter can taste very yummy with just a squirt of lemon juice when I suggested that but I think he enjoyed malt vinegar mixed into tartar sauce better.

Chef Patrick Tan

A few drops of lemon juice and Malt Vinegar mixed into the Tartare Sauce.

Blackened Salmon

Slow-cooked Lamb Shank

Steven showing off the Farmer’s Pizza

Farmer’s Pizza

Farmer’s Pizza

Bread & Butter Pudding

Tiramisu No alcohol content

With a commanding view of the marina, the alfresco Beacon Bar offers members of the yacht club and guests (open to public) the perfect venue to unwind after a hard day’s work.

Verdict time!!!

I have often quoted “Life is short, eat dessert first” but for my future visits here, I skip the frills and get right down to the business. You can indulge all you want with the mains because you won’t be needing much sweets afterwards. The desserts were pretty standard, nothing to shout about in my humble book, same goes for the soup and avocado salad.

The Chicken with Mango Salad, however, is a different story. Lean white protein and citrusy salad with fresh mango (everybody loves mango, except me, hehehe…) is the formula to a healthy diner’s wallet and this dish, not surprisingly, is a big hit with the white collar ladies during lunch hour on weekdays!

While the Prawn Aglio Olio was good, I felt that the Spaghetti Carbonara was way ahead of its peer! The rich velvety smoothness of the creamy sauce with smoky bacon, albeit a little on the salty side, was divine. I told Steven I had not touch carbonara for the longest time and this plate justified my falling off the wagon! When the waiter wanted to clear the pasta to make way for other dishes, I slapped his hand.

I was between the devil and the deep blue sea when it came to the fish items. Both were exquisite. Nonetheless, the contrasting preparation style mae it difficult to choose one over the other. The choice really would boil down to one’s personal preference of white/non-white fish, fried/grilled, fries/mash, salad or grilled vegetables.

Steven loved lamb and I think this one was good enough as he cooed over and again how tender the shank was. If you remember, I am sensitive to lamb so I skipped.

Farmer’s Pizza is definitely the one to go for guys! Chow down the thin crusts with succulent meaty country sausages with  crisp ice cold beer on a hot summer’s day and in Singapore, it is everyday! Ladies, don’t shun away from this non skinny pizza – leave your calorie counting diet for another occasion. Take it from the my grapevine, all you need is a Farmer’s and a bottle of Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc. This was finger licking good!!!

The Bridge Bistro & Beacon Bar @ RSYC offers modern European cuisines with an Asian twist where diners can be impressed with its unique gastronomic experience from their ala carte and seasonal menus, daily and weekly specials along with popular pub grub and beverage promotions.

The Bridge Bistro & Beacon Bar @ RSYC
Address: 52 West Coast Ferry Road,
Singapore 126887.

Tel: (+65) 6768 9443

Operating hours: Daily
12noon to 10pm (Last order at 10pm)