The Silver Chef

The Best Singapore Food Blogs - My Favorite Top 3

2013-06-06T22:38:00.001-07:00

After the recent noise over Singapore food bloggers issuing juvenile challengers to celebrity chefs, I thought today might be a good day to list down the really great food blogs and bloggers from this island.

I have previously done a top 5 list or something, but that was when I first started out blogging myself, and had little knowledge of the food community here.

After doing this blogging thingy for nearly 3 years, I have since had a better grasp on what are my own favorite reads when I am not blogging myself, and the inspiration I get from these brilliant bloggers.

I have in fact, met up with 2 of the 3 and have had a wonderful time talking to them about all things food, and would like to highlight their excellent work here.

The Dirty Stall

First up, is the only entry that appeared in my original list and my favorite of that list. Dirty Stall, which is run by the blogger under the handle alkanphel. His blog is filled with his various food trips around the region, and he is short and sharp in his descriptions. He shoots very excellent photos as well.

But the thing I like most are his recipes (which is a common theme here), and he keeps his cooking simple but effective. And I always enjoy his carefully thought out sequence of photos and narrative in describing his recipes as an asset that only the best food bloggers in the world possess.

He may not blog as often, but when he does, it is always something special and is always worth reading. He is one where quality triumphs over quantity. Great job, alkanphel even after so long at this!

Gastronaut

Gastronaut is a more recent blog that is only around the last couple of years, but what a great read during that period! David Yip is not only a professional food writer, but he used to run a prominent HK restaurant a few years back, with great success.

Now back in Singapore (for the most part), his blog not only contains various rare recipes, but his philosophy of authenticity and using fresh ingredients and sauces is a man after my own heart. His dedication to all things food is incredibly admirable.

Beyond cooking recipes, David also occasionally blogs about various food topics and places of interests that are hardly touched on by most food bloggers here. His is a tapestry of all things historical and cultural, and has even started a regular eating event called The Jumping Table. His blog is an essential read for foodies seeking history and authenticity.

The Food Canon

Last, but not least, is Terry Wong's The Food Canon. Terry is one of the most passionate home cooks that I have met, and I even had the honor of cross blogging with him once, which was a treat. His dedication to preserving the traditions of his roots from Malaysia and carrying on the recipes of Aunty Ruby (his mom) is most respectable and highly admirable.

Like all good cooks, Terry is relentless in trying to know more and improve on his never ending list of recipes. And like the other bloggers mentioned here, he seeks authenticity and sometimes blogs about the food adventures that he has been on. And Terry is also one of the nicest persons you can ever get to know in person, and it has been a real privilege.

But mostly, Terry is a gentleman that is ever so generous in sharing his food knowledge with anyone who is keen, and that is the true spirit of food. It is no wonder that so many other bloggers (including myself), has his URL in our blogroll.

So, there you have it. My 3 most favorite food bloggers of Singapore. And although I have never alkanphel in person, I believe all 3 are the consummate cooks in their respective domains. What is utmost in all 3 is their humility in their quest of all things culinary.

It is this spirit of food that enables the continuing journey of gastronomy to flourish and improve over time. And although they may not garner as many hits as some of the more popular blogs, I believe you will find more information and treasure in those 3 sites than the top 10 most popular Singapore food blogs combined.

Enjoy reading.

The Food Canon - http://www.foodcanon.com/
The Dirty Stall - http://dirtystall.wordpress.com/
Gastronaut - http://gastronautdiary.blogspot.sg/

The Gordon Ramsay Hawker Challenge - A Bad Idea, And a Better Way to Engage a Michelin Star Chef

2013-06-05T20:03:00.002-07:00

This is another topic I have been avoiding for a week now, as I originally thought it would just pass by like any other weekly water cooler topic. But, evidently it has not.

I wanted to avoid talking about it as I felt such triviality did not warrant a genuine blog post, but with this latest Gordon Ramsay hawker challenge, I am compelled to put this down.

Just to backtrack a bit, this whole affair started from a HungryGoWhere article, "Are Singapore Hawkers Michelin Worthy?"

At that time, I said to myself, this was just another bait article to glamorize the hawker profession as part of the movement to encourage the younger generation to join the profession.

But I did take issue with the article's somewhat simplistic attempt to align the hawker standard to a Michelin star chef, which can never be a fair comparison. Hawker food was started to provide food for the masses in the heartlands by the heartlanders themselves.

It was and is still the best source of Singaporean comfort food. Simple but heartwarming dishes that speak to everyone of us. A hawker's main objective is to make a living for his family by doing what he or she knows best. Making a good plate of Singaporean street food.

A Michelin star means something else entirely. It is about achieving a standard of culinary excellence not just by a plate of food, but how service is run and how a fine dining restaurant is managed. And therein lies the flaw in HGW's original article.

As Singaporeans, we are proud of our hawker heritage, and we already have a very effective grading system in various publications, the most famous being KF Seetoh's Makansutra guidebook, which cleverly uses the 3 choptsticks system as a homage to the 3 Michelin star grading.

Beyond that, TV shows and various other media outlets have their own ways of grading our islandwide hawkers. This should be more than enough to judge our hawkers on our own terms. And even then, everyone of us still has our own favorite hawker stall tucked away in a corner of this island.

Where HGW's article is flawed is the notion that hawker food and Michelin chef can be judged in the same manner and criteria. This itself, is as futile as the acting awards like the Oscars actor categories.

Oscars are never really judged based on the the skill of an actor in a given year, for if there has to be a really fair acting competition, the only way is to get all 5 actors to play the same role in the same year and see who pulls it off the best.

It may not be the best analogy, but my point is simple. Food is already subjective by itself, but to want to compare and compete based on 2 different cooks' background, training and knowledge is foolhardy and redundant. There can be no winner in such a challenge.

Likewise, the only viable challenge between 2 cooks of such diverse cultures may be to give both of them the same set of ingredients and come up with a new dish and judge them on their creativity and execution of this new dish. And even then, the results can be very subjective and non conclusive.

What is more prevalent in food today, is to engage in each others culture and cuisine, and to inculcate into your own tradition, the influences of other cuisines in order to elevate and enhance your own food. This is what western chefs do all the time, traveling all around the world to taste and learn and bringing a bit of the culture back to their own home and cooking.

Even today, some of our Chinese fine dining cuisine has incorporated influences from the West by the introduction of foie gras and truffles into classic Chinese dishes. Personally, I do not see a need to be so defensive of our own street food that we reject trends and influences from the outside world.

So, coming to this Ramsay challenge, I find it totally meaningless other than it is a good publicity stunt for all, including Ramsay himself if he accepts. At the end of the day, if you want Gordon to know more about the hawker heritage of Singapore, by all means invite him here to have a sharing session.

But not to compete and see who is better. The beauty of food is that today, with the resources and platforms available to us, everyone benefits. The end result of such a challenge will not determine if a Singaporean hawker is better than a Michelin star chef. If anything, it may only reveal ourselves to be reluctant to accept outside input to improve our cuisine when it should be the other way round.

If our goal is to elevate our hawker food to a higher standard, then by all means be open to new ideas and to new suggestions, even from Michelin chefs. At the same time, we must also learn from other cuisines and other cultures to bring new dimensions to our own food. In that process, we may even inspire cooks and chefs from other nations to learn from our unique street food culture.

Andrew Wong once asked me what is Singapore cuisine during a lunch session. And I immediately answered street food. But he argued that places like Japan and Thailand have a very clear definition of their own cuisines, so much so that they can export it to other countries very easily and are very identifiable.

But we have yet to do that with our Singapore cuisine. We need to find a way to bottle up our own beautiful food in a way that other nationalities can easily identify as Singaporean cuisine as they would a plate of sushi from Japan or a bowl of Vietnamese beef pho.

Engage Gordon Ramsay if you must (and at the same token, include others like Keller and Heston), but instead of asking him for a challenge to see who can cook a better hawker dish, why not pick his brains instead on how to bring our hawker food to a larger international stage.

If anything, hawker food will benefit immensely from better plating and garnishing techniques that western chefs possess, and that can only help to accelerate our Singapore cuisine into the global arena. Make our food as accessible as a cup of Seattle coffee or Korean kimchi and by then, we will really stand proud of our own Singapore cuisine.

Is this not what all of us bloggers want in our unending quest to write about the hawker scenery, which is global recognition of our hawker fare? If so, look at the end point and not be myopic about a one off challenge that will fade away in most people's memory long after Gordon has left our shores.

But make a step in the right direction and champion our own hawker food to be a definitive form of Singapore cuisine that you can find in every corner of the world. And where every nationality on this planet will enjoy a plate of our very own hawker delicacy with equal aplomb as us Singaporeans do here.

That, I think, will speak better of us as Singaporeans and leave a lasting mark on the culinary stage.

Sergeant Chicken Rice - The Return of Sergeant Kiang in Hougang Kopitiam Food Court

2013-06-04T18:13:00.003-07:00

I have been waiting to write this post for some time now, almost 10 months in fact, and the reason for this is twofold.

For one, I have hardly, if ever reviewed any food from a food court, and the reason is simple. Nothing really special ever comes out from food courts, and most of the time, you are getting overpriced but inferior hawker fare.

The second reason, and more importantly, is I was told to withhold this write up by the man himself, Sergeant Kiang.

You see, ever since Jiang Ji Chicken Rice was reviewed way back in early 2011, the Sergeant had suddenly enjoyed a burst of media attention and had wanted to expand his stall into an eatery. Perhaps rather too hastily on hindsight.

Unfortunately, for various reasons, the expansion did not materialize, and although Sgt Kiang did eventually open another eatery in Jurong Point, that too, was rather short-lived and folded after only a few months.

But as luck would have it, Sgt Kiang met up with the owner of the Kopitiam boss who happens to be an old friend, and last July, Sgt Kiang resurfaced at the Kopitiam outlet at Hougang Point, now renamed as Hougang ONE.

And that was where I met him since my last encounter at Jiang Ji. We sat down and had a long chat where he related to me what had transpired and what his plans were, and it was then that he requested that I withhold from writing about his new venture at Kopitiam until a more suitable time.

It was evident that he wanted to be more settled before letting the general public know that he is back, and I could understand where he was coming from. After all, the last 2 years prior must have not been easy on him.

The Man Himself

And over the last 10 months, I had been visiting him on a rather regular basis, and most time, he was most obliging to having very long chats with me. I even brought a number of friends and fans of his down to meet him, many eager not just to eat his chicken rice, but just to meet him and talk with him.

Even Masterchef Peter had a very good chat with him when Peter had opened his own restaurant for only a few months, and in fact, is just a stone's throw away from Sgt Kiang.

Sgt Kiang, himself also underwent some changes as I realized over the months. At Kopitiam, he is no longer working with his family, but rather with a group of staffers that he is passing down his valued culinary skills down to.

Usually, I am quite skeptical of outsiders taking over his cooking, especially PRC cooks, but Sgt Kiang assures me that the team he is overseeing has the dedication and willingness to learn, which is promising. In the early days, I used to remember him complaining that he had to mull over every detail and was always on the backs of the cooks.

These days, it seems, he sounds far more relaxed and now that his Hougang chicken rice outlet has stabilized, he is now intent on growing other Kopitiam outlets to implement his Sergeant Chicken Rice.

As such, he hardly stays at one place, but has to move around the various food courts to ensure that the quality is met. And you may be wondering, how good is it now that he does not cook himself?

Well, the honest truth is, it may not be 100 percent the same chicken rice when he does the cooking and chopping himself. But it is about 95 percent there I reckon, and that to me, is good enough. As I first mentioned in this post, I have never given regard to food court and has refrained from posting food court food.

But Sgt Kiang is an exception, he has elevated Kopitiam to something higher than other food courts simply because of his chicken rice. The steamed chicken, is as how I remember it, super slippery smooth on the skin side, and moist tender meat on the inside.

His chicken is lightly seasoned and lets you savor the chicken flavors without overpowering the seasoning, unlike Tian Tian and Boon Tong Kee, which I religiously avoid nowadays. The rice is still fragrant, and though not the best chicken rice, is still one of the better ones with its lack of fat and balances the chicken nicely.

And the condiments are still freshly made, with the ginger and chilli as perfectly balanced as I remembered it from Jiang Ji. And strangely enough, chicken rice is one of those dishes that do not suffer in an air conditioned environment, so thankfully, even in a food court, it survives well.

As for Sgt Kiang, I am delighted to have so many wonderful chats over the last year or so. Away from the controversies, the sergeant is simply a man very dedicated to food and very particular on standards and even somewhat health conscious.

But unlike the sergeant from 2011, Sgt Kiang is somewhat more open these days, and he has been more than willing to share his chicken rice secrets and tips during our long chats, none of which I will reveal here. You just have to take the time to know him to let him tell you himself.

Personally, seeing him back in action and in full flow, brings a smile to my face. As I talk with foodies about Jiang Ji, I still have a sense that certain perceptions of Jiang Ji and of Sgt Kiang are unfounded, but the simple fact of the matter is that he is doing well today should be good news to fans of his.

After all, I am mostly thankful that Sgt Kiang has now found a way to continue his legacy, and though it may mean going outside of family, at least there are now more ways to savor his unique chicken rice dish than before.

And in a way, he has also come full circle in the last decade or so. From starting Food Republic's chicken rice stalls (which has been changed from his original recipe, and is inferior), to starting his own place, and now returning to Kopitiam, Sergeant Kiang is a true journeyman of Singapore food.

Only time will tell if this will succeed on a higher level, but from the crowd that patronize his Hougang place, it is evident that the chicken rice there is doing more than brisk business. It is even ironic that the young kids and teenagers who come by may have no idea that he is a legend in the chicken rice world.

Well, here's to more good years from the legend.

Sergeant Chicken Rice
Kopitiam Hougang ONE
1 Hougang Street 91
#01-19

iPad Menu Food Ordering - Dehumanizing The Dining Experience

2013-05-29T21:37:00.001-07:00

As more and more F&B eateries in Singapore are faced with rising operating costs, certain eateries are turning to technology and gadgets to replace the human element.

One of the current trends is to take away the waiter and replace he or she with an iPad as an ordering alternative. This will inevitable reduce headcount and save costs in the long run.

Obviously, there will be an initial investment in the technology like iPads, but a lot of food owners are willing to do so in order to offset the labor overheads.

Personally, I think this is wrong and should not be taken as a convention in the near future. Whether it is a small cafe or bistro, or a fine dining experience, part of the joy of dining out is to have that human interaction that defines how good a service rating is garnered from each establishment.

Taking away that human interaction and reduce the ordering process to looking at a screen to decide what goes into your stomach is in a word, cold. Sure, it may be faster and automation can lead to faster turnaround, but there are some things in life that deserves a human touch. And dining is one of them.

That is why I find techie biz hotels that has automated check in a kind of robotic experience, and sadly loses the warm feeling of hospitality. If everything can be automated, then the experience will invariably suffer in the long run.

Do not get me wrong, as anyone who knows me know that I am a big advocate of technologies like the iPad. But I believe in using gadgets like the iPad to create amazing art and products with a tenth of the resources that was possible, say 10 years back.

But when we automate soft services that have been a cornerstone of dining and hospitality for decades and decades, I think it is going down the wrong road. More importantly, we need the human element to preserve jobs too.

Too often, large corporations are more akin to achieve a better looking bottom line at the expense of HR and jobs. This is simply wrong. People run businesses to make money, sure, but businesses also help to create jobs, not eradicate them.

So, for those food establishments who have been tempted to use technology to reduce business costs, use them to increase productivity. But please, do not use it to reduce the human factor and worse, cut jobs.

As is, I see Toast Box has already converted to customers collecting food on their own using a sensor as opposed to a staff bringing the toasts to the table. I certainly hope this is not the trend.

Keep the waiters and continue to get your diners to talk to your staff when ordering, so they can ask and interact and have that complete dining experience. Keep the iPads for other uses.

Making Sembawang White Bee Hoon at Home

2013-05-27T21:31:00.001-07:00

I blogged about this tasty little dish a while back, and since then, I have returned a few times only to find that I have to wait a long time because of the popularity of this eatery.

I thought that instead of taking the trouble to go all the way to Sembawang, that I should endeavor to recreate this dish at home. That way I can have it anytime I want, and save on the cost of eating outside, which is inflating like crazy.

The secret to making this dish is really in making a solid stock to cook the bee hoon in. So here's how.

For a serving of about 4 persons, take about 16 prawn heads and the accompanying shells and saute it in a saucepan with lots of butter. About a third of a bar actually.

Once the prawn heads are red, they will elicit a wonderful aroma when infused with the melting butter. Once the butter has melted into a syrupy texture, add in chicken stock, about a third liter and some water and bring it to a boil.

After which, set it on low flames and let it simmer for about an hour. Add in about half a stock of chopped leeks to enhance the stock. Alternatively, you can also use fish bones or head to make the stock, or even use a standard chicken stock if you do not have the time, but the better the stock, the better the bee hoon.

As for the bee hoon, make sure you soak the dry bee hoon in water for about 15 to 20 minutes before using them. Next, get ready to cook.

In a wok using the highest flame you can find in the kitchen, break 2 eggs over a little oil and stir the eggs thoroughly for a minute. Next, add the bee hoon into the wok.

Cook the noodles until they start to caramelize and you can hear the sizzle of the noodles crackling in the wok.

Now add 2 ladles of the stock into the been hoon and let it immerse. Keep stirring until the noodles absorb the entire liquid of the stock. Next, add another 2 ladles and cover the wok for about 2 to 3 minutes to let the noodles infuse more stock under a high temperature.

Remove the ladle and add in the seafood. You can use prawns, chopped/sliced squids, sliced fish and even scallops and stir well into the bee hoon to ensure they cook properly, but do not overcook the seafood.

Add in a green of your choice, be it kailan, choy sum or xiao bai cai. Add in chopped garlic last and mix well with the bee hoon.

Before finishing, add in one more ladle of stock to wet the noodles and that's it. Serve on a large plate and you will have tasty white bee hoon right at home!

The Ultimate Bolognaise

2013-03-19T22:51:00.002-07:00

This past week, I was twice asked about making fresh sauces for pasta, as apparently, there are a number of folks here who would dearly make a fresh pasta sauce, but do not know how.

Inevitably, a lot of people will fall back on bottled sauces to make their pasta, and I always say this is the worst way to eat pasta.

Bottled sauces contain preservatives to keep the ingredients alive, and trust me, they are never fresh.

And the best pasta sauce comes from having fresh ingredients. For that reason, and despite I have written about previous bolognaise sauces, I keep trying to refine until it gets better all the time.

Today, I want to share with you what I call the ultimate bolognaise sauce. You can pour this over pasta, or serve it with toast or wraps, it's so good any starch will work. It probably is good on its own.

To begin, take 4 plump tomatoes and quarter each of them. Roast them in an oven at 160 deg for an hour, and season them generously with salt an olive oil. Once they are fully roasted, remove them from the oven.

In a saucepan, place the tomatoes and add in 500ml of beef stock and mix well under low heat for about 20 minutes. Add in some chopped basil and season lightly with some pepper. Set aside.

Next, dice 4 strips of streaky bacon and put them in a cold pan and heat it up on slow fire until the fat is fully rendered.

Then add one fully chopped onion and a tablespoon of butter and sweat the onions until they are fully caramelized. Next, add 3 stalks of celery that has been nicely chopped and caramelized them as well. Add in 4 to 5 cloves of chopped garlic as well.

Take about 3 or 4 portabello mushrooms and finely slice them and add to the mixture. Once all the vegetables have been properly cooked and the flavors wonderfully extracted, add in about a full cup of red wine and let the wine reduce within the vegetables.

Next add about 250gm of minced beef into the mixture and stir thoroughly to break the meat. Next add in the fresh tomato sauce that has been made previously and stir well.

Let the mixture cook slowly over low heat for at least 30 min. Next add the dairy products. First add in quarter cup of milk, then followed by parmesan cheese.

How much cheese is really up to you, as you can also add in the cheese later when you serve. But add enough to flavor the sauce.

Cook for another 10 minutes and taste. It should be finely balanced. Not too sour and just enough sweetness to balance. And there should be a really tasty meaty flavor.

Once you are ready, just serve with fresh pasta or bread.

Broken Earth - A Pop Album Made with Just an iPad and iPhone Earphones

2013-03-15T02:34:00.001-07:00

Finally, after almost a year since my last musical work, I have completed Broken Earth, and it should be out in all music digital stores including iTunes, Amazon etc by the time you read this.

It is also my first ever vocal album, having done only instrumental music in the past. Consisting of 8 songs, I touch on various topics and things that I have been meaning to get off my chest.

As before, the entire album was done on the iPad and the GarageBand app, and the vocals were recorded at home using only the iPhone 5's earphones.

I was quite amazed how well the results came out, considering the gear that I had, and it also shows that with the advent of technology, you can still achieve quite a lot with a little.

I must admit though, that I am not a professionally trained vocalist, so do not expect anything spectacular in that department. What I am hoping to achieve though, it that the songs themselves shine through and will appeal to a number of people.

In that regard, the album has influences of pop, rock, R&B, funk and even a touch of Asian pop thrown in. And i narrowed to 8 songs as I do not want to have fillers just to make up a longer running time.

Most of the songs were written within a 3 week period, with the exception of "Sweeter One", which was in fact, written way back in 1992 for Pauline! It is only now that I have finally nailed an arrangement for it and serves as a fitting finale to the album.

There are also some social and political undercurrents in some of the songs, though I have tried to be subtle about it. "Children of Men" was actually inspired by the movie and book of the same name, and describes a world where the human population has ceased to give birth and talks of how bleak that can be.

"White Lies" and "Truth of Blue" are companion pieces that I have wanted say for sometime now, and the colors are really symbolic of the current state of affairs here. The title track, and the album title itself is really my riff on what I feel is wrong with the world now, and things need to be fixed.

"Hokkien" is probably my favorite track on Broken Earth, and it talks of my own roots and briefly touches on my dearest departed dad. I think it is Ken's favorite too, as he cannot stop singing it in the car! "Disbeliever" arose out of the nature of belief and how I view different people having different faiths and how ultimately, we should be responsibly for our own fate.

Most of all, this album came about mostly from the inspiration from working with children, and how much they can inspire one. Their energy, their curiosity, their shyness, their laughter, their outbursts, their hunger and their youthful innocence have simply propelled me to do this work.

I hope you will enjoy this as much as I have making it.

You can preview the songs on the right of this page via the widget and download the album from the following:

iTunes : https://itunes.apple.com/sg/album/broken-earth/id619502623
CD Baby : http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/ianlow6
Amazon : http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BTLV05I/ref=dm_sp_alb?ie=UTF8&qid=1363250156&sr=8-7

Here is a soundcloud audio stream of Sweeter One : http://soundcloud.com/ianlow32/sweeter-one

La Petite Cuisine at Upper Thomson

2013-03-10T17:52:00.002-07:00

I hardly eat out these days, especially at fine dining establishments. The prices that are being charged these days are bordering on madness, and I don't blame it on the owners either.

Rentals have skyrocketed to a ridiculous rate that most owners these days have to cover that aspect, and that means food prices have to go up as well. Well, blame it on you know who.

Thankfully, there are still some places scattered around town that offer reasonable prices for a romantic night out. And La Petite happens to be one of them.

Located at the heart of Upper Thomson Road, and a stone's throw away from Ice Edge, it was actually recommended by Damien from Ice Edge himself for me to go there, and Pauline and I headed there one Saturday afternoon, not sure of what to expect.

The first thing to strike you is that unlike a posh French fine dining restaurant, this place was more akin to a quaint French cafe with homey decor and picnic tabletops. The menu was simple and straightforward, and the prices really looked good.

Broccoli Soup

We started off with a couple of soups that were add-ons for the main courses, and frankly, they were rather disappointing. My broccoli soup was thin and had only some scant taste of broccoli. It was not really an auspicious start, though the service was quite impeccable.

Potato Soup

Pauline's potato soup fared worse. It was rather bland in fact, and I have always preferred my potato soup to be mixed with leek and like it creamy and thick. There was neither.

Beef Bourguignon

I was more satisfied with the mains though. The beef bourguignon was well cooked, though it felt it lacked a little balance as the acid from the wine came through quite sharply. I would have think a touch of caramelized onions would have given it a more sweetness which would have been perfect.

The pasta on the side was a bit jarring though, and seemed rather inappropriate for such a classic French dish, but I assumed it was to cater to local tastes. Would have preferred to have a good bread or nicely flavored buttered rice to accompany the beef, which were tender enough.

Salad with Duck Confit

The warm salad duck confit was certainly the best dish of the day, and it was delicious. Nicely shredded pieces of duck garnished with some salad greens sounded simple enough, but the combination of flavors and the duck sauce was evenly balanced and the meaty flavored sauce had just enough sweetness.

All in all, having a full meal like this for 2 did not even break $50, which says a lot for the affordability of this place, considering they are cooking some classic French fare here. And despite the disappointment of the soups, the mains were of a certain standard and certainly not food you can get in your normal cafe.

I would like to see the chef make some effort to offer a more consistent menu and also not to pander to local tastes. Outside of the expensive French restaurants you find in the central area, it is quite comforting to see classic homecooked French food in the neighbourhoods.

La Petite Cuisine
227 Upper Thomson

Zhen Ming Prawn Noodles

2013-02-07T22:19:00.002-08:00

Sometimes, there are surprises around the corner when you least expect it, and just this week, one of these gems just simply popped out of nowhere, and is in fact, quite near to where I stay.

Out of one part of Ang Mo kio, is this humble little hawker stall that serves, IMHO, the best prawn noodles, better than the Bedok one that I recently raved about.

Zhen Ming actually started in Tampines before moving to Serangoon and finally, landed here just on the outskirts of Keban Bahru.

The owner, William Chan, was kind enough to share with me that he has been constantly improving his recipe over the years, and was quick to point out that his present dish is far different from his original prawn noodles. And so much better.

Black Sugar Cane

One of the key ingredients is the use of black sugar cane to flavor his prawn stock, as opposed to rock sugar which many other hawkers use. Black sugar cane elicits a more natural sweetness and he was very proud to say that he does not use any form of MSG at all.

In addition, he also use a hen for his stock and includes red dates to balance the flavors, and this is in addition to the classic use of pork ribs.

Prawn Noodles Soup

So what was the verdict? Well, it was simply incredible. From the first spoon of prawn broth until the last, the whole dish was addictive and unstoppable. Well it had less of a prawn flavor, I actually preferred this balance of pork and prawn flavors, and the beautiful color of the soup clearly verified how good this stock was.

It was robust, flavorsome and just the right amount of natural sweetness that came together in a perfect brew. The prawns were also nicely cooked and generous. And the pork ribs were actually Brazilian sourced.

Unlike Australian pork, Brazilian pork had a lighter color and a more tender bite and a better fat content that almost matched the best prime ribs in bak kut teh. And yes, he cooked it under low heat to create the perfect pork texture.

Dry Version

The dry version was less spectacular, but that was because it did not have the impact of the spectacular broth to flavor the noodles, but still, it was hearty and robust and you simply cannot go wrong with the wonderful pork ribs from Brazil, soup or dry.

Forget the Adam roads, the Blancos, the Hoe Nams, the best prawn noodle is here. Blanco has been overrated and the prawn stock has nothing when compared to Zhen Ming, and Mr Chan has a true passion for making his prawn noodles, and that itself is more than admirable.

Unless there is another more passionate hawker than Mr Chan when it comes to this classic Singapore dish, my vote goes to Zhen Ming.

Zhen Ming
Blk 162, Ang Mo Kio Ave 4
#01-35

Cooking the Perfect Steak at Home - Ribeye with Portabello Reduction and Roasted Mash Potatoes

2013-01-17T22:11:00.001-08:00

With the ever increasing food prices in Singapore restaurants, it is no wonder there is a great sense of dissatisfaction among locals when it comes to eating out.

And what is worse, paying premium prices does not necessarily get you great food. Heck, sometimes, you will be lucky to get even half decent food at those astronomical rates.

Take Ruth's Chris steakhouse for example. Paying $150++ per head just to have a standard steak and potatoes dish is just ridiculous.

That is why I want to share with you all the benefits of cooking steak at home. Something which will not burn a hole in your pocket, and in many ways, you will get superior food to a steakhouse that has been way overhyped.

I like to pick out my steaks from NTUC Finest, simply because Culina usually are quite reasonable and far more affordable than dedicated butcheries, and let's face it, great steaks is not just about how good the beef cut is, but how good you cook it.

Forget all the Wagyu nonsense that seems to be permeating our food industry, it is just extra fat that suppliers disguise as quality. A decent Ribeye from Australia is more than good enough.

Let's start with the garnishes. First up, mashed potatoes. Something so simple that is generally ignored, and almost no one makes it at home these days.

Instead of boiling your potatoes, I prefer to cut it in smaller chunks and roast it at about 160 deg for an hour until they are fragrant and tender. The aroma of roasted potatoes cannot be understated.

If you have a mash potato masher, then use that to crush the roasted potatoes. Otherwise, you can use a blender to mash them instead, and I prefer to leave the skin in as well.

Add in a cup of milk and a knob of butter and some seasoning to complete the potatoes. I also like to add in some chopped spring onions to give it a bit of a kick and texture as well. Gives it some color too.

For greens, I prefer to just pan fry a packet of spinach (serves 2) in just a tinge of olive oil and finish it off with a seasoning of nutmeg and pepper. Keep it simple as the greens is there just to add some balance to the dish and does not need too strong a flavor.

Next, prepare the sauce. Add about 4 portabello mushrooms to some olive oil in a pan and cook down the mushrooms until the liquid is extracted and the mushrooms are reduced.

Make a roux by melting a teaspoon of butter in another teaspoon of flour until they are well combined. Next, add ladle by ladle of beef stock until you get a nice thick yet smooth steak sauce. Add in some black pepper for some seasoning.

Set aside the sauce and prepare to cook the steaks. Always use a paper towel to pat dry the meat to ensure there is no liquid in the beef. Also, ensure the steaks are at roof temperature before cooking them.

In a pan, heat up some olive oil until they are piping hot. Next place the steaks in the pan and let them caramelize for about 2 minutes (based on steaks from Culina) then flip them over.

Add in a knob of butter and baste the steaks with the butter fat for another 2 minutes. The ribeye should be about medium rare at this point, which is the best way to eat a steak.

Remove the steaks from the heat and let them rest for about 2 minutes or more. In the meantime, take some of the delicious steak oil in the pan and add into the steak sauce that has been made earlier. About 3-4 spoons worth will do.

To plate, place the roasted mash at the bottom using a food ring if you have one, and followed by the spinach and finally, the steaks on top.

Drizzle the steak sauce around the dish and there you have it. A classic steak and potatoes dish that looks modern and simple, but every bite as delicious as it should be.

Do this home and save the money that you will otherwise have spent on food that will probably not taste as good as you make it at home.

Western Food 85 - German Pork Knuckles in Hawker Center

2013-01-13T18:35:00.001-08:00

It is not often you get German pork knuckles in a hawker center environment, but this was exactly what I found out last week when an experienced foodie brought me to this quite remarkable little stall in Bedok.

Serving a mixture of western and Peranakan cuisine, this stall actually has been relocated a couple of times, and is only back at its present location only this year.

Despite that, the stall seems to have quite a following, and pre-ordering the pork knuckles in advance is usually recommended as it is one of bestsellers here.

Run by Mr Tay and his wife, Mr Tay has actually worked in a few other well known establishments before coming here to run his own business, and we are quite fortunate to have him do so as getting great cafe food at hawker prices is a rarity these days.

German Pork Knuckles

I have had pork knuckles in zhe char places here and in pubs before, but I must say, to find such fantastic fare in a hawker center is literally a first for me. Not only that, it was really incredible.

First of all, it was not as greasy as most places, and the pork knuckles were well fried with bags full of flavors. The meat was not as dry as others and still retained quite a lot of flavor as well. All in all, this would be the perfect beer dish.

Belachan Fish

One of their other bestsellers is this relatively inexpensive belachan fish. The fish is stuffed with a spicy belachan mixture and then pan grilled over a flat stove and finished off with a touch of lime.

This is one of those simple dishes where the flavors are all nicely balanced. The sweetness of the fish, coupled with the spice of the belachan and the acid of the lime just came together perfectly.

Curry Mixed Vegetables

Their curry mixed vegetables tasted like a very good version of saya lodeh you find in most nasi padang stalls, and it was quite a surprise to see this here amongst the fried pork knuckles and fisn n chips.

Despite that, it was rich and tasty, and it provided a nice accompaniment to the more western fare on offer.

Mutton Tomato

The highlight for me was this amazing $2 mutton tomato dish. It could not have been simpler. Just mutton pieces stewed in a delicious tomato sauces for what I assumed for hours.

The meat was beautifully tender and moist, and the flavorsome tomato sauce with its tartness just brought out the flavors of the meat so incredibly. Literally, one of the best dishes I have tasted in a hawker center.

Besides the above dishes, Mr Tay also serves classics like fish and chips as well, but if you are venturing into Bedok anytime soon, and is looking to try something more adventurous, you will be well rewarded with this fantastic little stall of food goodies!

Western Food 85
Blk 416 #01-53
Bedok North Ave 2

Top 10 Best Singapore Food of 2012

2013-01-02T18:27:00.001-08:00

And just like that, it is 2013, and how fast a year has gone by. And as with my yearly tradition of listing what I think is the best food in Singapore for another year, this is the best of Singapore food for 2012.

This year, I have simply encompassed everything in a single list. No differentiation between fine dining or hawker, or dishes or overall cuisine, just simply the best of of the best. It includes some new discoveries I have found this year, as well as old favorites,

To begin the list, I will list in reverse order, starting with number 10:

No. 10 - Shanghai Renjia at Ang Mo Kio

At number 10 is this quaint and cosy authentic Shanghainese eatery located in a rather remote site in Ang Mo Kio. Run by a husband and wife team, the expectation is that the waiting time will be long, but the food will be delicately cooked with freshly sourced ingredients.

It also serves the best xiao long bao and shen jian bao, and just for that alone, it is worth making the trip. And the wife cooks a mean omelette, something simple yet hard to master, and boy, has the lady chef here mastered it well.

No. 9 - Minced Pork Noodle at Tampines

Next on the list is my favorite bak chor mee stall in the whole of Singapore. No, I have not been to Tai Hwa, but this stall's bcm just sings, and what an opera it is!

Some of the best cooked and QQ noodles you will ever find here, and lovely pink pig livers to go with it. This is classic Singapore hawker fare at its simplest and at its best.

No. 8 - Ah Chuan Oyster Omelette at Toa Payoh

Toa Payoh is blessed with many excellent hawker food, but nothing beats this beautifully fried oyster omelette at Ah Chuan, which is also run by another husband and wife team. It is somewhat of a recurring theme on this list, by the way.

The perfect caramelized omelette is nearly beyond the reach of most cooks and chefs, and here, perfection is attained almost every single time you eat here. Nothing more needs to be said.

No. 7 - 58 Prawn Noodle at Bedok

I have savored Blanco and Adam and a number of other respected prawn noodles in Singapore, but once I had my first taste of 58 Prawn Noodle at Bedok, I realised there was no further need to find the best of the best.

Classic soup brewed with a multitude of prawn heads and shells gives this a lovely and naturally sweet broth that far exceeds anything you get elsewhere. And the wait is long too. Prawn noodle nirvana.

No. 6 - Uncle Kun (Genshu) at Toa Payoh

Uncle Kun pops up on my yearly list again, simply because he still serves some of the best congee and dim sum you can find in Singapore. And at near hawker prices, you cannot really go wrong.

Besides the great food, Uncle Kun is still the affable and bubbly personality that has made him so popular with his customers and fans. If ever there is a celebrity hawker, Uncle Kun personifies it.

No. 5 - Nam Seng Wanton Mee at Far East Square

There are a lot of good wanton mee stalls around, as well as a number of really terrible ones. The one that stands head and shoulders above everyone else is Nam Seng, which is still managed by the elderly lady for so many years.

The noodles are wonderfully al dente, the wanton delicious and the sauce light and delicate. It is a puzzlement to me why there are not more stalls that can do wanton mee as well as this one.

No. 4 - Amy's Laksa

It is often rare to find one stall that serves an excellent version of one classic Singapore dish, but to find a hawker that serves 3 equally great hawker dishes is simple unbelievable.

And yet, Amy's manages to fulfill that incredible culinary miracle by giving us 3 of the best laksa, mee siam and prawn mee in Singapore. Well, individually, it is not the best in its category, but when you realise for each dish, they are probably the top 3 in Singapore, well, that says a lot.

No. 3 - Chye Kee Chwee Kueh

Chwee Kueh is a dying art. There are less and less of these stalls around, and the ones that are still doing it are doing shortcuts these days and the flavors are all compromised.

Yet, in Aljunied, this elderly couple diligently makes the rice cakes from genuine cracked rice every day and even cooks the chai poh fresh even as you order. The food here is so simple and yet, it is all so rare to get it so authentic anymore.

No. 2 - Pietro at Jalan Kelulut

Chef Peter Neo is still one of the most creative local chefs we have, and what is more important, he has a genuine passion for cooking and food. At Pietro, he continues his well loved Italian cuisine served in a more cosy and family oriented setting.

And Peter is probably the only one that can cook a genuine Carbonara here and his Vongole is still the best anywhere. I don't often eat out at restaurant these days, and if I have to pick a place, Pietro is someplace that I can easily go to without hesitation of worrying about price or quality.

No. 1 - Sungei Road Laksa

Sungei Laksa has risen all the way to the top this year, and for a very good reason. In this current economic downturn and rising inflation, it is heartening to see that for such a popular stall, they still steadfastly stick to their $2 and $3 prices which is highly commendable.

The laksa broth is still the best, as light and lemak at the same time, and full of spices and flavors what coats the white noodles well. And the biggest cockles you can find in laksa here.

On top of that, the family of sisters and uncle that run this place are all so humble and hardworking, that I think they embody the true blue Singaporean in us.

Whenever I want to have a bowl of comfort food to warm my soul, this is the number one place to go to.

And there you have it, my top Singapore food for the year. Till next year, let's look forward to a delicious 2013!

Roast Chicken - How to Do a Great Roast Chicken This Christmas

2012-12-12T18:24:00.003-08:00

With Christmas just around the corner, I thought this would be an ideal time to share some great tips on doing a beautiful roast chicken during this festive season.

I have always advocated about eating at home and the positives about doing so, and during Christmas, this aspect is even more important.

Not only is Christmas a time to spend with family and loved ones over a lovingly prepared meal, but it is also to show the restaurants and cafes out there that they should refrain from overcharging diners during this period.

More likely than not, food establishments will take this time to come up with Xmas menus that are way, way overpriced and food that is probably below their usual standards due to diner traffic and staff shortage.

So, what better way to rebel against the already increasing food prices here than to do a wonderful Xmas dinner at home. And for me, I would always prefer to do a roast chicken than turkey simply because chicken is more flavorsome and moist.

To begin, choose a chicken that will suit your size. If it is a family of 4 or below, you can probably settle for the smallest chicken you can find in the supermart, and if you do not mind the cost, and are feeding more than 6, the Sakura chicken is probably your choice.

For me, I personally prefer to use the kampung chicken sold in NTUC simply because its a good mixture of value and quality.

When you get the chicken home, the first thing to do is to chop off the neck and the legs, as its quite ghastly to leave it on. This is where a chopper will come in handy as it is really the best when it comes to hacking bones and joints.

For a lot of locals, they tend to use a marinate like soy sauce and sesame oil to marinate the chicken. I prefer the more western way of doing so, and just season it lightly with salt and pepper, and let the oil do all the other work.

The oven in the kitchen is often the most under utilized equipment in a Singapore home, and I strongly encourage home cooks to experiment and do more with it. It is better than any microwave, broiler and grill you can have.

Pre-heat the oven to about 180 deg Celsius at least 5 minutes before putting the chicken inside. More importantly, sear the chicken in a pan with some olive oil first.

This is to both, create a nice sear and also to bring some temperature into the chicken before putting it in the oven as this will help the cooking process.

I saw on TV just yesterday about this fabled beer can chicken that they tout and selling way, way over what is is worth. The claim is that the chicken is moist and tender.

Well, let me tell you, it is all a myth. Yes, the beer can with half a can of beer stuck in the chicken's cavity will help to moisten the chicken, but that is not the only to make a chicken soft and moist.

A more hygienic way is to simply stuff a big knob of butter into the chicken. This is the real secret to roasting chicken. You can also add additional flavors by adding herbs like rosemary or tarragon to infuse it with some perfume.

If you like some citrus elements, you can also stuff a whole lemon as well. So, forget about some beer can gimmick, do this and I assure you, you will get a more lovely flavored chicken.

Once the chicken is nicely seared for about 5 minutes, take the whole pan and put it inside the oven and let it roast for about an hour to hour and 15 minutes.

The next important aspect is to baste the chicken with its own oil and juices every 20 minutes or so. This is to help keep the chicken skin moist on top and maintain an even temperature throughout the chicken.

There is no definite time for cooking the chicken as it depends on the size of the chicken. What you should be paying attention to is the color of the skin.

After an hour, it should be about golden brown and will have a lovely roasted finish and the skin should be lightly crisp in certain areas.

Once you feel that it is cooked, take it out from the oven and do not carve it immediately. Resting time is essential to preserve the moisture in the chicken and allow all the hot juices to flow back to the various parts of the bird.

After about 15 minutes of resting time, then you can begin to carve. To carve, use a chopper to chop off the 2 wings and 2 thighs first.

Next, carve slightly to the left or right of the chicken to separate the breast meat. To ensure you have a lovely texture to the breast meat, cut just above the breast bone underneath to separate the flesh.

Then cut against the grain of the meat to chop into pieces similar to what you get in chicken rice stalls and repeat the same for the other side of the breast meat.

Then separate the remaining meat using a smaller knife or use your hands to pull out the meat to fully carve out the chicken meat.

To make a simple gravy, take some chicken stock and heat it over a small pan and add a touch of white wine and cream if you like, but it is not necessary.

The juices from the roasted chicken can be added to enhance the flavor of the sauce and reduce the sauce mixture to about half. To finish, add some parsley or even spring onion to give it a bit of color and texture.

And there you have it, a beautiful roast chicken for your Christmas!

Liu He Taiwan Night Market Snacks - Deep Fried Goodness in Tampines

2012-12-10T17:51:00.001-08:00

I am not a big fan of deep fried food, and these days, I consciously avoid places like KFC and the once popular Shilin outlets.

Speaking of Shilin, it is amazing how fast a trend can die down. There was a time when you could see such long queues waiting for their deep fried chicken chops sprinkled with MSG laden seasoning.

The problem with Shilin was their Taiwan snacks were not that authentic, and if you ever have been to Taiwan's actual night markets, the deep fried chicken are so much better there.

The good news is I have recently come across an outlet in an inconspicuous coffee stall in a Tampines HDB block that serves authentic Taiwan night snacks. And it is run by a young man whose family is actually from Taiwan.

He quit his full-time job as a teacher to pursue his interest and passion in continuing his mum's cooking and cuisine to bring the real flavors of Taiwan to the local folks here.

Stewed Chicken

Before I get to the deep fried stuff, I must talk about this tasty stewed chicken with rice dish here. Usually this dish is served with pork, but here, he actually replaced it with chicken to cater to a larger audience.

The rice is served with a full stewed egg and mei chai, pickled vegetables and together, this was a really hearty dish. It is a comfort food at its simplest.

Sweet Potatoes

The sweet potatoes are his best sellers and it is not surprising. We had the ones that were seasoned with sour plum sprinklings and it was heavenly.

The potatoes themselves were imported from Indonesia and they were fat and juicy. The oil used was clean and well deep fried, you could make out the golden color very well.

And, accordingly, unlike Shilin, the owner here does not use MSG for his seasoning, but would not disclose his secret seasoning either. It was really good though, and whatever he put inside, it was a winner.

Fried Chicken Chop

The deep fried chicken was certainly much better than Shilin. The meat itself was thicker and more moist and the secret seasoning here seemed to be simple salt and pepper.

Really crispy on the outside, and eliciting a much better bite on the inside, this chicken chop trumps almost any other Taiwan chicken sold here, though I will still say the ones I had in Taiwan were still superior. Still, no complaints from me here.

Fried Enoki

In addition to sweet potatoes and chicken, Liu He also has a range of other deep fried snacks, including this delicious fried enoki.

Normally, enoki is quite bland, but when you deep fried it, the thin strands of mushroom become crunchy, crispy deep fried goodness that had that wonderful texture.

Liu He also served mee sua, but use chicken again instead of oysters so it may not be that authentic. But it was also lighter and and a great way to go with the deep fried food to wash all that oil and heat down.

For such a young owner, he already has a loyal fanbase that has mostly the younger crowd coming back regularly to savor his snacks.

If you fancy deep fried snacks, especially from Taiwan, do make a trip here to check him out.

Liu He Taiwan Night Market Snacks

Blk 828

Tampines Street 81

Hill Street Char Kway Teow

2012-12-05T20:16:00.002-08:00

I have long held out that Outram Char Kway Teow at Hong Lim is the best char kway teow stall you can find in Singapore, but I was hoping to savor the legendary Hill Street stall before making a final judgement.

Well, I finally made it to this famous char kway teow, now situated in Bedok and I have to say, this is seriously, the best char kway teow anywhere in the world.

Before I get down to the actual dish, I must mention Mr Ng, who is 66 years old now and runs the stall with his sister and his son. The consensus is that when he is behind the cooking, it is undeniably the best.

When his sister or son takes over, it is still good, but they still do not match the Mr Ng's exquisite skills in making this dish.

The reason is pretty simple. Any good cook will tell you, that the secret to great cooking is not just having a big fire, but how to control that fire, and how to cook each ingredient to perfection.

This requires a lot of experience, skill and practice. And this is probably why Mr Ng is so respected and revered. Char kway teow itself is a mishmash of a multitude of ingredients and flavors.

The Ultimate Char Kway Teow

It was certainly an eye opener watching the Ng family cater to the large crowds that queue for their food everyday. The son and sister will pre-fry and pre-season the flat noodles before handing them over to the maestro.

The way Mr Ng cooks his kway teow is certainly quite special. And it clearly showed on the plate.

He knows perfectly how to balance all the flavors of the noodles, the spring onions, the lard bits, the bean sprouts and the cockles to a beautiful combination.

In essence, the noodles were smooth and slippery, and the essential grease of this dish was not too overbearing as well. His use of the sweet sauce was just right and combined with the slight char flavor of the dish, it came together wonderfully.

In the end, I can wax all sorts of lyrical here, but the point is, char kway teow as a dish is one of those things that everything has to come together in a perfect balance of flavors or textures.

And here, at Hill Street Char Kway Teow, everything came together perfectly.

Hill Street Char Kway Teow

Block 16, Bedok South Road

#01-41 Bedok New Town Food Centre

Amy's Laksa - More Than Just Laksa, But Delicious Prawn Mee and Mee Siam

2012-11-21T17:58:00.000-08:00

Usually, when a stall tries to sell more than one type of food at a hawker center, it usually comes off as more of jack of all, master of none. So, when you hear of a stall that has Laksa in the name, and also sells prawn mee and mee siam, you would think that the other 2 is basically supporting dishes.

Well, you would be very wrong, for at Amy's Laksa, the trilogy of hawker classics is as brilliant and brilliantly consistent as the Lord of the Rings movies combined.

Situated in a huge market in Upper Changi, Amy's Laksa boasts of a queue of eager patrons that is as long as the most famous hawkers around, and is operated diligently by two middle aged women.

Simple, humble and unassuming, the stall is almost inconspicuous if not for the visible queue. The food served here feels and tastes home cooked, and for sure, the long waiting time is more than justified.

Mee Siam

The mee siam here is in a word, fabulous. Wonderful balance of flavors, from the sour of the tamarind of the sweetness of the lime infused broth, to the generous inclusion of ingredients of hard boiled egg, tau pok and shrimp, it was hearty and fulfilling.

A nice mixture of flavors and textures is what defines this classic dish, and here, they got it just about perfect in my humble opinion. Any mee siam lover will be more than satisfied with this plate.

Prawn Mee

I half expected this bowl of prawn noodles to be the weakest of the bunch. Well, I was so wrong. The test of any prawn mee is the broth, and here the broth was subtle without reeking too much of MSG, and the sweetness of the shellfish managed to come through nicely.

Elsewhere, the prawns and pork slices were par for this dish, but than at less than $3, you really could not ask for me. And they did pile on a generous amount of fried shallots which went really well with the entire mixture.

Laksa

As for their title dish, the laksa did not disappoint either. In fact, it far surpassed my initial expectations. It had that same lightness of laksa broth similar to Sungei Laksa, but had a bit more coconut milk to it, but it never felt heavy like what you get with Katong Laksa.

It also had a nice amount of ingredients and just the right balance of sweetness and spiciness to make every mouthful just that more gorgeous to consume. For a hawker stall, this bowl of laksa trumps any laksa found in commercial hotels anyday, including ones that masquerade quality with lobsters.

At the end of the meal, I was thoroughly impressed with the quality of food all around. Every single dish was equally brilliant and delicious, and the owners showed restraint in not using too much flavor enhancers, and that really brought out the home cooked nature of the cooking.

It was not surprising then, during my visit why there was such a queue there. What are you waiting for? Come join the queue now.

Amy's Laksa

58 New Upper Changi Road

#01-176

Yong Lai Fa Ji Shu - A Beautiful Fish Head Soup

2012-11-11T18:16:00.005-08:00

When it comes to fish head dishes, it is always a challenge to find fresh tasting fish heads in Singapore, even in high class restaurants.

And most of the time, we will probably be taking fish head with curry and the reason is simple, curry is a great way to mask the fishy odor that tend to permeate most fish heads here.

The other thing that I have never been much enamored with is fish soup stalls in hawker centers and food courts, and it is because it is generally quite bad.

Most of the time, the soup is either bland or laden with MSG that spoils the natural sweetness of the fish stock, and again, the fish used is hardly the freshest around.

So, it was pretty much a delightful surprise when I was brought to this incredible fish soup stall in Aljunied and Macpherson that reinstalled my faith in this classic hawker dish.

The owner is Teochew, and is is mainly a husband and wife operation with an additional helper, and they only start during lunch hours, but will last until around 8 to 9pm at night.

The key difference here is the owners' dedication to picking out the best fish in the night and taking the effort to chop and wash the fish in the wee hours of the morning, which is quite a daunting task.

Fish Head Soup

While they do serve the usual fish slice soup, the main attraction is the fish head soup, which is amazingly generous and of course, incredibly fresh.

At just five dollars a bowl, the value that was served up was worth far more than that. The fish head itself was freshly sweet, and the the meat was firm and fell easily from the bones.

If you are lucky like we were, we also got bits of ball sacks which had that marvelous texture when you bite into it. Served with seaweed and some vegetables, this dish was simple and hearty.

The broth itself was subtle and light, and had no inkling of preservatives, so while it might not be as impactful, it certainly was refreshing. Perhaps a touch of pepper would just bring all the flavors out somewhat.

The Owner

The owner himself was a very affable and down-to-earth man, and talking to him was a delight. Explaining his earnest intention to make good fish soup dishes, he has a noble goal of making good food for his customers in order to provide for the family.

This reminded of the original intention of setting up hawker centers many years ago, when affordable and good food was made by everyday folks to serve to the average man on the street.

Over the years, commercialization and greed has taken over and allowed our street food culture to be prostituted to the big companies who are only interested in making money.

Thankfully, places like Yong Lai Fa Ji can still provide people with food at prices that holds up the original intention of hawker culture, and for that, we might not have too long either, as the owners will eventually retire and their food will be lost to the public forever.

For now, if you fancy a delicious and natural tasting fish soup for a meal, head over the Aljunied now.

Yong Lai Fa Ji Shu

Macpherson Food Centre

#01-66

79A Circuit Road

Carbonara Risotto

2012-11-05T18:00:00.001-08:00

I first had this dish cooked for me by Chef Peter Neo at Pietro's, and it is now a staple on the menu. Up until then, I have never had risotto done in this way, and I have certainly had my fair share of carbonara pasta, including my own.

And thanks to Peter, who was kind enough to share with me how to make this beautiful tasting dish, I decided to try it at home, using the simplest of ingredients.

In fact, when I googled online, a lot of the carbonara risotto recipes tend to focus on oven baking the rice, and that is something I wanted to steer clear of.

I wanted to stay true to the Italian origins of making carbonara, and that is to use just bacon and eggs to make the risotto come alive and let the ingredients speak for themselves.

To begin, render some chopped streaky bacon in a cold pan by heating it up on medium heat until the oil is rendered and you can smell the beautiful aroma of the smoky bacon.

No oil is needed. Next, just add half a diced onion into the mixture and let it cook gently until the onions are nicely caramelized.

Add in about 5 handfuls of risotto rice and let it toast in the bacon and onion mixture for about a few minutes.

Next, add the chicken stock and water in about one third to two third rations. You should adjust accordingly as the chicken stock I use is salted and there is already enough bacon to make this a salty dish, so be careful not to overuse packet chicken stock if its too salty.

This is where experience in cooking risotto comes in, and I have already mentioned this in my previous risotto recipes. Just keep adding enough liquid for the rice to cook and reduce and absorb into the grains.

Keep repeating this for about 20 minutes, and watch for the rice to puff up and get cooked.

Once the rice is about to be done, prepare an egg mixture by beating some parmesan cheese into a small bowl with a complete egg.

When the rice is fully cooked, remove from the heat and let it rest for about 30 seconds. Then quickly stir in the egg and cheese mixture into the risotto and mix well to ensure that the egg is not overcooked.

The final touch is just too add a hint of black pepper and garnish with some herbs or chopped basil and there you have it. A plate of delicious carbonara risotto.

My philosophy has always been to use simple ingredients to make great food. Forget about the expensive stuff, for its more satisfying to know that you can concoct something special using something simple than to pay for premium ingredients to cheat your way through.

Try it, I am sure you will enjoy it!

Indonesian Food House at Aljunied - Incredible Lontong

2012-11-04T18:46:00.000-08:00

Being Chinese, I have always wanted to savor more of non-Chinese fare, especially as one gets older and one's palette gets more subtle, and malay food has been something that I been very keen to try.

And I was informed by my foodie veteran that the best Malay food comes from Indonesians who have migrated here, as they cook with real passion and skill.

And one of the malay dishes that has always fascinated me was lontong, and I did never quite get it when I was younger. Finally, I was brought to this market in Aljunied, in a cramped stall that serves what I think is the best lontong around.

It is run by an Indonesian matriarch and her children, and they are warm and friendly anytime you go there. Besides lontong, their other hot sellers are their curry and sardine puffs, which are equally incredible.

Sardine Puffs

Normally I steer away from sardine and tuna puffs, as the flavors usually do not mix well in a deep fried pastry, and more often than not, the fish meat is not that fresh to warrant consumption.

Here, the sardines were just about right, and the acidity of the tomato paste actually helped to balance the flavors within the puff really well. The pastry was also well done, flaky and fresh and not too heavy with the butter.

The potato variant was equally good, if not better. The lovely curry flavors mixed with the chunky bits of potato combined to make the perfect malay curry puff. Excellent.

Lontong

The dish of the day, the lontong was simply amazing. Rich with spices, and yet never too overbearing, you could taste all the individual vegetables and flavors within the bowl.

The ingredients were also generous, with a whole hard boiled egg immersed in the silky spicy broth, this dish was hearty and delicious. It is especially good on a cold rainy day.

Undoubtedly, the best lontong that I have tasted, and you could really taste the home cooked passion in the dish.

Mee Siam

Another thing to savor is the mee siam here, and it was also very good. More watery than usual, you could clearly make out the dried shrimp flavors infused in the broth.

Again, the owners here have not gone with a heavy handed approach, but instead, to make a mee siam that is somewhat milder, but because of the natural sweetness of the dried shrimp, it was very delectable from start to finish.

They also serve mee soto here, and while it was not as good as the mee siam or lontong, it was still above average and would make a nice alternative if you do decide to come here often.

It is good to see great indonesian food catered for local tastes here, and found in simple surrounding with simple prices. Nothing too pretentious, just the idea of home cooked food at very reasonable prices.

Indonesian Food House

#01-06 Blk 117 Food Market

Aljunied Avenue 2

Minced Pork Noodle - Excellent Bak Chor Mee in Tampines

2012-10-25T00:42:00.000-07:00

I have never been a real fan of Bak Chor Mee, or minced pork noodles as it otherwise known here. Somehow, I have never found one that really tickled me pink and while I have heard of famous ones like Tai Hwa, I have never been there to savor it either.

Thankfully, in a corner of Tampines, tucked away in a rather large coffeeshop, is a inconspicuous looking food stall that actually serves up a very good Bak Chor Mee.

I understand the owner of this stall actually used to work at the more illustrious Tai Hwa outlet and has perhaps learned his craft there.

In any case, he has started his own humble BCM stall in Tampines and is doing quite alright from the looks of it.

Dry Minced Pork Noodles

The first thing that struck me when the bowl of BCM hit my table was how springy the noodles looked. And true enough, when I savored it, it had that amazing bounce and bite. The owner sure knows how to cook his noodles.

Though his fish balls are outsourced, I must say that he does know how to cook them to perfection. And by perfect, I mean that he does not overcook the livers and pork slices like most hawkers do. The pork livers were superbly pink and tender.

Dumpling Soup

In addition to the noodles, we also had a separate bowl of dumpling soup to go along. The first thing you realize if you eat here is that he hardly use any MSG, as the soup did not have that intensity you get elsewhere.

But that is how I actually prefer soup stocks to be made, full of natural flavors which can be quite subtly blander, but once you have enough of it, it is actually quite intoxicating.

The dumplings themselves were good and certainly did have that homemade taste about them. It may not be stunning, but it felt like comfort food and had a certain warmth about it. It also had a nice crunch of deep fried fish bits that added a touch of slight sweetness to the broth.

The Owner

The owner himself was rather shy and my friend had told me he suffers from a certain condition where he cannot stand too long as his legs are rather affected.

It is scenes like this that reminds one of the times we are in, when a normal hawker like him has to work so hard to provide a living, yet has to endure daily pain in his legs. In his own quiet way, he is rather a beacon to all modest hawkers of Singapore.

The difference is, this particular owner cooks up one incredible bowl of minced pork noodle. Do come and support him, I urge you.

Minced Pork Noodle

CCMW (Chang Cheng Mei Hua Coffeeshop)

Blk 201C

Tampines Street 21

Chye Kee Chwee Kueh - Best Chwee Kueh in Singapore

2012-10-23T18:52:00.001-07:00

One of my morning breakfast staples has always been chwee kueh, which is basically steamed rice cakes with preserved turnips, chai poh as it is known here.

And for years, we have always been told that Tiong Bahru Chwee Kueh was the best around town. Well, thanks to my experienced foodie friend, I was brought to a very modest stall in Circuit Road that trumps all other chwee kueh stalls.

Located nearby Macpherson MRT station, this stall is run by an elderly but very friendly couple. The key thing in this place is that they make their own rice cakes from scratch, and from broken rice.

The Friendly Couple

And what is more crucial, is that they also make their own chai poh everyday and is unlike other chwee kueh stalls, their chai poh here is not only ultra delicious, it is also amazingly fresh. You will certainly not get a pungent after taste in your mouth afterwards.

The uncle making fresh rice cakes

Their chwee kuehs are also generously large in portion, almost one third the size more than what you will get from other places, and what's more, it is also unbelievably cheap.

To put it in perspective, 10 large sized chwee kuehs here will only set you back $2. You just don't get such value for money these days with rising food costs.

Best Chwee Kueh

There is something so simple yet beautiful about this local breakfast dish. The rice cakes' flavor itself is actually quite bland, but when done well, it is smooth and soft and has that incredible texture.

Coupled with the sweet and savory taste of the turnips, it comes together in a mouthful of packed flavors that makes it so easy to devour. Consuming a delicious plate of chwee kueh should take you less than a few minutes.

And here, it was almost perfect in every sense of the word. The texture was smoother than anywhere else, and had almost a cream like taste.

The chai poh was full of crunch and sweetness, and complimented the rice cakes marvelously. Very little else needs to be said actually. The best chwee kueh bar none.

Freshly Made Chai Poh

Just like the elderly couple from Twe Kee, this couple has also mentioned that they intend to retire in a few year's time, and sadly, their children has no intention to continue this trade as well.

Slowly, but surely, every one of our best hawker stalls are going away and despite the proliferation of hawker culture here and the abundance of food courts, the really great ones are sadly disappearing from the scene.

I am beginning to wonder, as more journalists write about promoting our hawker culture, especially to foreign countries, is anyone really looking after the likes of Twe Kee and Chye Kee.

A Dying Culture

Some of the best aspects of hawker culture are the affordability and the humility of the hawkers themselves, using cheap ingredients to make beautiful food. Not exactly haute food, but simple yet great cuisine for the masses.

As I read about elevating our hawker food to justify higher prices, I tend to disagree with that line of thought, as I believe that hawker food was originally made by our Singapore folks, to be consumed by your everyday Singaporeans at an affordable cost.

I just hope this original intent does not get lost in the progress. In the meantime, if you fancy a good chwee kueh, head over to Macpherson now.

Chye Kee Chwee Kueh
Block 89 Pipit Road

Twe Kee Hainanese Chicken Rice

2012-10-16T18:08:00.002-07:00

Personally, I have always preferred the more subtle versions of our favorite Hainanese chicken rice, and not the overly powering variants served by Boon Tong Kee and Tian Tian.

That is why I have always enjoyed Sergeant Kiang's chicken rice when he was running it as Jiang Ji last year, and until he resurfaced recently at Kovan, I admit, I was having a bit of chicken rice cold turkey.

Thankfully, thanks to a fellow foodie, I have discovered another superbly authentic Hainanese chicken rice that is run by an elderly couple at Jago Close off East Coast Road.

It is a very simple setup, and is by all indications, very modestly operated. Yet, behind this simplicity lies one of the best chicken rice around. And the couple told me, that they have done this for a long time, and using the same traditional recipes and methods passed down from earlier generations.

Chicken Rice

I will start with the rice, and just like Sergeant Kiang's, it was not oily at all. It was fragrant and flavorsome, and I was informed they used shallots for flavoring and it showed.

The rice itself was nicely firm and for my money, it was better than Sergeant Kiang's, which by comparison, is usually a bit more soft than Twe Kee.

Hainanese Steamed Chicken

The chicken served here was huge, and beautifully succulent. It was also a bit more firm than Sgt Kiang's, and hence, slightly more chewy. Despite this, the steamed chicken had a more robust flavor that complimented the rice perfectly.

And as mentioned, I dislike the heavy seasoning of other chicken rice establishments, and mercifully, they were very subtle in the soy and sesame seasoning here.

It is quite a toss up between Twe Kee and Sgt Kiang's in terms of which is better, and in the end, I think each is unique and excellent in its own way. For me, I will take this over the more famous chicken rice outlets anytime.

Raw Fish Slices

In addition to chicken rice, Twe Kee also serves raw fish slices similar to those you find in some Teochew Bak Kut Teh stalls. The fish slices were again lightly seasoned and with a touch of acid from the lime, it was heavenly.

I have never thought of having this dish with chicken rice, but the flavors went together beautifully and you will be asking for a second helping before long.

The couple that are running this stall are also very friendly and have a knack of remembering faces, which brings a nice homely touch to the eating experience.

They also serve chicken congee, and while it is nothing out of the ordinary, it is also warm comfort food for a leisurely breakfast dish.

The only thing that dampens this wonderful eating experience is the fact that they are already quite elderly, and their daughter has no intention of carrying their legacy.

This sounds like another one of those foods that will go the way of extinction once they decide to retire and just like Sergeant Kiang, this is one of the great chicken rice places destined for history.

Until then, chicken rice lovers who are tired of the usual over seasoned and over priced chicken rice stalls should check this one out. You will be pleasantly surprised like me.

Twe Kee Hainanese Chicken Rice

Coffeeshop at the junction of Jago Close and East Coast Road.

Lai Kee Pau at Bedok

2012-10-03T18:30:00.001-07:00

Restaurant prices are really getting more and more ridiculous these days, and what is worse, the quality has taken a nosedive in most places.

Driven by marketing hype and foreign talent, Chinese restaurants, especially, has been giving our local food establishments a very bad name. With the exception of maybe Crystal Jade and Imperial Treasure, I tend to avoid most restaurants these days.

The reason I am griping about our sorry state of Chinese fine dining, is despite all this negativity, I was pleasantly surprised to find that deep within a HDB estate, there is actually a place that serves an amazing array of delicious dim sum at a very affordable price.

This place is Lai Kee Pau, which happens to be in the same coffeeshop at the muah chee I raved about a couple of weeks back.

There is always a perpetual queue here, and as told to me by my foodie buddy, they have also other branches elsewhere.

The key thing is that the owners here make all their dim sum in-house, and it is always fresh and yet, they have managed to keep the prices low.

Siew Mai

The siew mai here almost tops Uncle Kun's version at Toa Payoh. For now, I will have to call it a tie. Here, they were smaller, but the skin was perfectly done, and the true test was that it did not stick to the bottom of the plate.

The pork meat was beautifully seasoned and the textures were absolutely love, and just enough of a fat content to bind everything together. For my money, it bested even the best siew mai found in fine dining restaurants.

Lor Mai Gai

The glutinous rice here may have looked somewhat ordinary, but it was certainly a cut above the average ones you find in most dim sum places. The rice itself was sufficiently sticky and tender, and the fillings were again well seasoned to bring a nice balance of flavors.

This one, however, still lost out to Uncle Kun's amazingly well made glutinous rice, but for its price, this was an incredible value for money lor mai gai.

Steamed Chicken with Black Bean

I usually find this dim sum dish in most places to be over cooked and hard, but here, it was surprisingly tender and the meat almost melted in my mouth without much resistance.

The black bean garnish was simple yet highly appropriate and it did not feel heavy handed at all. For such a simple dim sum plate, the subtleness of its flavors really came through very well.

Dua Pow/Big Bun

You can find this sort of gigantic buns in other places like Jalan Besar, but I am betting you will not find it any cheaper than here. More importantly, this was a very well made bun from top to bottom.

The skin was not too thick and yet had a nice bite. The fillings were generous with large chunks of meat and again, the seasoning was just about perfect without going overboard. It was one lovely bun.

Wide Assortment of Dim Sum

Besides the ones that I have mentioned, there is really a wide variety of other wonderful dim sum dishes at a fantastic low price.

Although the location in Bedok is not that easy to find, it is definitely worth the trip here to savor beautiful dim sum that are equally beautifully priced.

The next time you have a craving for dim sum, give the expensive restaurants a miss and head out here instead. Less hype and more value.

Lai Kee Pau

Block 69 Bedok South Ave 3

SP Pratas and Curry at Seletar Hill Estate

2012-09-25T22:40:00.001-07:00

Today, I thought I do a very quick post on a prata joint I recently discovered by chance in a very quiet place in Seletar Hill Estate.

Well, maybe not that quiet as the morning crowd was quite bustling and being the only coffeeshop around, in a place surrounded by private houses, it would definitely be the place to get your morning breakfast and such.

I was actually having coffee with Masterchef Peter near his Pietro restaurant, which happens to be a short walk away, that he suggested I try the prata here.

Going in with zero expectations, the last thing I expected to find was one of the very best prata that I have yet savored.

Beautiful Prata

As usual, I asked for a standard kosong one and an egg and onion prata. When it landed on my table, I knew it was no ordinary prata from the pure look of it.

It looked crispy on the outside, but with none of the deep fried oil they use in some of the more popular prata houses these days.

True enough, on tasting, it was brilliant! The dough was well fried without overdoing it, and the textures were crispy throughout the exterior and had a beautiful bite to it.

The curry that accompanied was also packed with flavors without being overly spicy.

All in all, a wonderful prata and I will definitely be returning there soon.

SP Pratas and Curry

Somewhere in a corner coffeeshop in 12A Jalan Selaseh

Seletar Hill Estate

58 Prawn Noodle at Bedok Reservoir Road

2012-09-20T21:52:00.002-07:00

A foodie friend of mine actually brought me to this incredible prawn mee stall last week, but it was already sold out by the time we were there after 2pm.

This time round, we made it a point to be there just before noon, and one of the things that stood out was this stall was in a coffeeshop humorously called See Beh Ho Eating House.

True to form, we had to wait quite a while before we got our bowls of prawn noodles, about 20 minutes or so. But boy, was it really worth the wait!

Whilst waiting, I could still the staff at the stall feverishly peeling the hundreds of prawns and I could only surmise at the amount of prawn heads that went into cooking the stock.

Dry Prawn Mee

We had the dry version first, and the first thing that impressed me was the sheer amount of noodles for the price of $3. It is virtually unheard of these days to get such value for money.

The chili was rather strong, and the noodles were very fine, almost like a mee sua, but the overall balance of flavors were really good. They even had a generous amount of fried shallots to provide a nice crunch.

The prawns themselves were peeled, which was good as I never do like to eat unpeeled or half peeled prawns. I always say that most other prawn mee stalls leave the shells on just to give the impression of larger prawns, which is kind of deceptive.

Soup Version

The real highlight was soup version of this delectable prawn noodle dish. And again, the amount was insane for this price. The prawns again were peeled and came with the same generous amount of fried shallots and a few slices of lean pork.

The broth was the real star here, and it was simply the best prawn mee broth that I have tasted as yet. There was a natural sweetness without the overpowering taste of MSG, which was unlike other more prominent prawn mee stalls.

It was also more subtle and light, and not bold and in your face. It was also more prawn than pork based, which is how I like it.

58 Prawn Noodles also serve bak chok mee, but most folks come here for this amazing prawn mee, and if you are hungering for some good prawn noodles today, you should not hesitate to come here now.

And one last thing. The price, it is almost crazy that they are selling such large bowls of noodles at this rate. Superb value.

58 Prawn Noodle

704 Bedok Reservoir Road

See Beh Ho Eating House