CAMEMBERU

Tang Hong Kong Gourmet at 116 Neil Road

2012-05-28T10:10:00.000+08:00

I've been busy reviewing food for Yahoo Makanation (their online food magazine) since Aug last year, and I'll start sharing some of the places with you here as well. One of these is Tang Hong Kong Gourmet at 116 Neil Road. Chef Benson Tong whips up robust Cantonese fare in a spartan little cha chan teng. He tries to keep his food honest and affordable. No service charge or GST either.

You must try his Roast Duck (above, beautifully done with crispy skin, and tender, well-marinated meat), deep-fried silver fish (white bait), chicken chop with cheesy mushroom sauce. Go for his signature Tang Spicy coconut prawns too, if you like stuff like wasabi prawns. His is indulgently creamy with a hint of curry spices.

The food is probably best when Benson is personally behind the stove. We went on a surprise visit, and fortunately he was in the kitchen that day. Of course, some dishes are better than others, but variety-wise, there's certainly something for everyone. They have some affordable lunch sets below S$10 too.

Will be recommending this place on 93.8LIVE today for Foodie Lunch Pick!

Full review and photos at Yahoo Makanation here.

The Food Surprise, Ep.4: Seetoh from @Makansutra Goes to Ipoh & Lenggong!

2012-05-28T09:30:00.000+08:00

Hawkers and restauranteurs don't like being surprised. Watch KF Seetoh in Episode 4 of The Food Surprise as he drops in unannounced to try some of the best food in Ipoh and Lenggong. Seetoh also faces a rare seafood dish aptly named the "Sultan" and an iconic beverage.

Catch it tonight (Monday 28 May) at 10.30pm on TLC (channel 427)!

First Photos From The Casio Exilim ZR20

2012-05-25T18:00:00.000+08:00

Well, I've had some time to play with the Casio Exilim ZR20, and these are the preliminary photos.

The Premium Auto PRO mode that automatically picks the best settings works really well. Even at low light (as above), photos turn out decently. I rather suspect it takes several rapid shots and blends them together to get that better brightness and clarity.

Sunset shot.

The kids love playing with this camera. Here's Nadine taking a mirror shot.

Here's Jolie as taken by Nadine.

Here's Nadine as taken by Jolie.

I tried out the Multi Frame Super Resolution Zoom (which allows a zoom of up to 16 times) on the neighbouring school from my block on the 25th floor. At that level of zoom, my hand movements proved shaky but the zoom shows a lot of detail!

I also tested out at Gluttons Bay the various "Best Shot" modes:

The camera's HDR mode blends different exposures to give optimum clarity.

HDR Art Mode. Gives an arty filter effect.

Toy Camera mode: dark edges and altered hues make the photo look like it was shot with a toy camera.

Pop Mode gives enhanced saturation.

Monochrome - see the world in black and white.

The Slide Panorama mode allows you to take a really wide panoramic shot.

There are lots more modes (nearly 40 of them), so you have lots of effects to play with.

But what about food?

BBQ chicken wings.

Crinkle-cut fries.

Fish and chips.

Not too bad, the colours are pretty much as-is, and I didn't have to tweak much.

Oh if you haven't tried the banana fritters with creamy kaya fondue from Sweet Spot at Gluttons Bay, give it a whirl. I do wish the kaya was thicker and not drippy, but the combination is still tasty as it is.

On the whole, the Casio Exilim ZR20 is quite versatile and really easy to use (hey, even my four year old and my little one with special needs can use it without much coaching). It starts up quickly, and the dual processor makes it ready to take one shot after another without too much delay. But some shots which require multiple rapid shots understandably do take some time. The camera also does quite well in low light situations. Well, I'm still learning how to use the many features it has. But I think this will be useful to bring along on holidays or outings when I don't want to lug my bulky DSLR.

IKEA BÅGIG Ceramic Knives

2012-05-25T16:05:00.003+08:00

IKEA has introduced a set of ceramic knives for just S$29! These are called BÅGIG - I have no idea what that means in Swedish but am sure it's something cool. As an IKEA ambassador, I got a set of these babies to try out.

There's a vegetable knife with a 15cm blade (28 cm total length) and a smaller paring knife with 12 cm blade (25cm total length). The good thing about ceramic knives is they almost never need sharpening. But they can be more brittle than steel, so don't go hacking frozen hard stuff with it, or try to bend or drop the blade.

The IKEA blades are sharp for sure. They slice through vegetables and fruit quite easily. The only thing is, I notice I needed more strength to cut with these knives as the blade itself is quite thick. I had a ceramic knife from elsewhere which had a thinner blade - that sliced things more easily, but it was also more prone to breaking - yikes! I guess it's better to be safer with a sturdier knife!

I do like the other IKEA knives - I have a Slitbar bread knife that super wonderful with breads!

Thanks to IKEA Singapore for sponsoring the knife set.

PayPal Says Mobile Commerce is up 660% and Travel is Top Purchase

2012-05-25T10:03:00.000+08:00

PayPal says we're shopping A LOT on our mobiles - up 660% from 2011 - and travel is the top purchase! They did an in-depth survey with Nielsen and found the mobile commerce market in Singapore had leapt from S$43 million in 2010 to S$328 million in 2011.

Mobile shopping comprised about a quarter (23%) of all online shopping in 2011 (S$1.4 billion). Are you one of the 880,792 people who bought something with your smartphone or tablet? I think I'm guilty. Several times over.

Not surprisingly travel is the leading category in terms of value, with airline tickets coming in at S$186 million and travel packages at S$77 million. Hot favourite purchases also include fashion and accessories, movie tickets, books, health and beauty products.

What's interesting is that spending on local websites (S$737 million) have outstripped that of overseas sites (S$704 million). Gotta be all those blogshops! I'm sure you've also seen the QR code shopping at various MRT stations.

Yes, when you walk around with the Internet in your pocket, it's all too easy to click and buy something. And it looks like Paypal is about to make that even easier as they roll out solutions for mobile-optimized checkout and mobile shopping websites.

Here's a couple of travel-related apps that use Paypal.

DBS TravellerShield - in just three minutes, you can buy travel insurance on your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch. Get over 26 benefits such as overseas medical coverage of up to S$500,000 or up to S$1,000,000 for emergency medical evacuation. Also has weather updates, currency conversion rates and unit coverter tools.

iDynasty - search and book your holidays from your iPhone. Take advantage of the pre-trip planning, organisation and even rewards for those who share their travel experiences on Facebook. Payment is easy with Paypal with just two clicks - no hassle of keying in long credit card numbers. Also has emergency numbers, travel checklists, visa info and a currency converter.

There are many others like SG Florist by FarEastFlora.com, Sprooki, and Maxis in Malaysia.

Photo and screenshots courtesy of Paypal.

Roland's - Better Than Ever

2012-05-24T12:44:00.001+08:00

Roland's has been around for so long, and is famous as the folks that invented chili crab. But despite that, I still think they are underrated. We recently gathered for dinner there with some Sunnyhills friends visiting from Taiwan, and were pleased to see that the food seems better than before.

A lovely mixed platter of appetisers to start with. Scallops in mini yam ring, smoked duck breast, tempura asparagus, and wasabi prawns.

Deep-fried baby squid - crispy sweet and crunchy - along with squid paste you-tiao. Yum yum yum!

Silver bait with garlic, salt and pepper - a great finger-licking snack!

Pomfret done two ways. This was some very fresh fish, and the two cooking styles take skill! Very nicely executed. The deep-fried side was crisp, and the stir-fried pieces were firm and juicy.

The token vegetable and tofu dish! Not bad, with pleasant sauce and tender tofu.

The black pepper crab's spicy dark gravy is loaded with roe! If you love roe, you will love the richness of its flavours in this dish.

But the crab dish that I **REALLY** adored - and this came personally recommended by Roland himself - is the Salted egg yolk crab with lots of pine nuts, curry leaves, crispy yam strips (hand-shredded), and hae bee (dried shrimp).

This is an Instagram photo I took from a previous visit. This is so very, very good!!! You must try this, along with Roland's signature black sauce prawns (incredible wok hei and beautiful fragrance).

So yes, Roland's is still a fantastic place for comfort seafood. Anyone wanna go back there with me?

ROLAND'S RESTAURANT
Block 89 Marine Parade Central
#06-750
Singapore
Tel: 6440-8205

Open daily
Weekdays - Monday to Saturday
Lunch : 11:30 am to 2:30 pm Last Order
Dinner : 6:00 pm to 10:30 pm Last Order

Sundays & Public Holidays :
Lunch : 11:00 am to 2:30 pm Last Order
Dinner : 6:00 pm to 10:30 pm Last Order

Sunnyhills Spring 2012 Oolong Tea Party: You're Invited!

2012-05-20T14:51:00.005+08:00

Remember those delicious Sunnyhills pineapple cakes from Taiwan? Did you know that each time you go to their shop, be it in Taiwan or Singapore, you get warmly welcomed with a pineapple cake and a cup of oolong tea, totally on the house? It's part of their generous hospitality.

That oolong tea they serve is actually of pretty good quality - better than the stuff you pay for at some Chinese restaurants. And because it's been so popular, they will soon be selling their Spring 2012 oolong tea, only for a limited period. There'll also be a photo exhibit on the process of making oolong tea, which is rarely documented in English.

SUNNYHILLS TEA PARTY

Date/time: any day between 27 May to 9 June
Time: any time between noon to 6pm
Venue: Raffles Hotel Shopping Arcade #03-05, Singapore 189673

But actually, why wait? Just pop down any day and savour the Sunnyhills hospitality. I love their shop up on the third floor of the iconic Raffles Hotel. It's a quiet oasis in the city, a great place to just chill, chat and read. Very popular with Japanese expats.

And the tea helps. Sometimes, there's nothing like a good cuppa to bring calm and clarity to one's senses. Enjoy!

Fairmont Szechuan Court Supersized Dumplings!

2012-05-20T13:18:00.002+08:00

It's "bak chang" season again! The fifth day of the fifth lunar month is the time when families get together to enjoy rice dumplings. Family togetherness is such a blessing. I wish joy upon all families during this time, and feasting fun.

From 8 to 23 June 2012, Master Chef Sebastian Goh of Fairmont Singapore's Szechuan Court will offer four innovative ‘supersized’ dumplings weighing in at 1kg each! These will certainly be the dining centrepiece.

Szechuan Court’s famous “Gongbao” Chicken Dumpling ($38++ each, shown above) makes a comeback with diced marinated chicken thigh meat stir-fried with chilli peppers, crunchy roasted peanuts and Szechuan peppercorns. The heat is mild at first but later on builds up into a tummy-warming fire. The peanuts somehow make it taste a little like satay. We liked that there was more filling than glutinous rice in this bundle.

The Hong Kong style Dumpling ($48++ each) features tender roasted pork belly, roasted duck, stewed abalone, chestnuts and dried shrimps. It's reaaally filling. I think we ate this over several meals!

There are two other flavours - a healthy Organic Brown Rice Vegetarian Dumpling ($38++ each) and Stewed Pork Trotter Dumpling ($48++ each) with trotters slow-cooked and stewed with Chinese herbs. Mmmh!

I bet these huge dumplings would be what Totoro would takeaway for his supper.
[photo from kaboodle]

Thanks to Fairmont Singapore team for personally delivering the dumplings!

Brasserie Wolf Introduces Josper Grill Specialties by Chef Claudio Sandri

2012-05-17T00:27:00.000+08:00

Meet Brasserie Wolf's Chef de Cuisine Claudio Sandri. He's young, talented and exuberant. And his new Josper Grill is set to thrill.

This reputed Josper Grill from Spain uses slow-burning 'white' charcoal for more precise cooking and better retention of flavours. The intense hot charcoal and enclosed space also lend an enticing smoky aroma to ingredients grilled within.

Chef Claudio who has worked at iconic places like Wallace Restaurant London and Brasserie Joel, brings a cheerfully creative touch to modern casual French fare. He's introducing new chef specialties using the grill and is quite excited about it. And you know what? Before he even came out, I could taste a strange kind of happy vibe in the food.

We started off with an insanely delicious soup. Note that all these are tasting portions (actual sizes two to three times bigger).

Charcoal Grilled Tomato Soup with buffalo mozzarella crisps and basil oil (S$17). This is one tomato soup that isn't boring for sure. The intense flavour and aroma of grilled tomato is blended with what must be an incredible stock and a touch of cream. Amazing.

Portobello Mushroom Salad, St Maure Goat Cheese, Sunflower seeds (S$18).
The goat cheese and grilled mushroom pack a nice punch, and the rest of the salad makes it sweetly refreshing.

Josper Grill Rougie Foie Gras with Griottine Cherry Sauce (S$26).
The foie gras is just gently burnished and still very tender. I found the sauce a little too sweet and overpowering though.

USDA Choice Ribeye (220g), bone marrow, bordelaise sauce and mashed potato (S$40).
This serving shown here is only 100g. We all enjoyed this. Scoop up some of the grilled garlic, mix it with the bone marrow and spread it on the steak. Delicious.

Steamed Toffee and Date Pudding with toffee sauce and vanilla ice cream (S$14).

Very nicely done - soft, dense, yet not mushy - and loaded with slabs of date. The cherry apple on top is interesting too - it tastes like what I'd imagine a "Granny Smith" grape would be!

Chef Claudio Sandri showing us the Josper Grill in the kitchen.

We did feel the heat! So this baby can do whole fishes, prime meats, foie gras, vegetables, and so on. I have to say, the results are pretty good.

Chef Claudio also has new seasonal dishes available such as Mussels a la Mouclade D’aunis ($29) – mussels with a touch of curry, Octopus Salad with baby spinach, grapefruit and honey-mustard dressing ($18), and Piment D’Espelette Spiced Lamb Rump with Provençale tomatoes, crushed potatoes and olive sauce ($35); all of which reflect his penchant for simple cooking and quality produce.

Classic favourites like the Traditional French Onion Soup ($17), Argentinean Beef Steak Tartare ($27), and Crispy Duck Leg Confit ($34) are still on the menu.

Brasserie Wolf also launched a weekend set brunch (S$39++ per person) on Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 5pm. Tuck into eggs any style, with freshly grilled bacon, sausages, tomatoes and mushrooms. Croissants and breads will be served along with homemade jam and butter. The brunch also includes a hot drink (coffee, tea, hot chocolate) and cocktail.

Weekday lunch sets go for S$21.90 (two course) and S$31.90 (three course) sets. There's even an Early Bird Dinner set (S$35++ per person) on weekdays from 6pm to 7.30pm with items like Duck Rillette and Spaghetti Fruit de Mer with scallops and prawns.

BRASSERIE WOLF
80 Mohamed Sultan Road
#03-01 The Pier at Robertson
Singapore 239013
Tel: +65 6835-7818
Open daily

Lunch from 12 noon – 2.30 p.m
(Mon – Fri, All day on Public Holidays)
Dinner from 6 – 10.30 pm (Sun –Thurs),
Fri, Sat & Eve of Public Holidays 6 – 11 p.m.

The Food Surprise! Episode 2: Seetoh Visits Penang's Top Hawkers!

2012-05-14T17:47:00.000+08:00

Catch this tonight 10.30pm on TLC (channel 427) - KF Seetoh surprises hawkers in Penang as he checks out the best street food on this foodie island. The Food Surprise! is a TV series by Makansutra.

Casio Exilim ZR20 Digital Camera: Initial Impressions

2012-05-11T08:23:00.000+08:00

I have been looking for a good point-and-shoot camera for days when lugging a big DSLR is too much of a hassle. Thanks to omy.sg and Casio, I have my hands on an Exilim ZR20 which I'll get to try out!

I have been playing with it for a few days - okay, correction, a few minutes - that is, when I can pry the device out of the hands of my two kids! They immediately took to it and started taking photos like there was no tomorrow. It's so easy to use, a four-year-old can start clicking intuitively. Aha, now perhaps they will leave my iPhone camera alone!

But let me share some initial impressions.

What I like about the camera?

1) Fast start-up speed: almost instantaneous, so you won't get delays in capturing interesting moments

2) Fast shooting: thanks to a dual processor, the camera can take multiple shots very quickly (it's only 0.27 seconds between shots) - great for shooting kids, pets or moving objects

3) Very clean, uncluttered interface. Only the most frequently used functions earn a button.

4) A nice big 3.0 inch LCD screen (really clear at 460,000 dots)

5) Full HD movie recording of 1000fps! And you can use the optical zoom too.

6) Premium Auto Pro mode: analyzes the composition and automatically selects the best settings (yes, not just "scenes" but actual settings) for the subject chosen. Awesome. Does all the brainwork for you!

7) It's got over 40 "Best Shot" modes. Some of these are incredible. First one up is HDR, where you take different exposures of the same shot and merge them together to get optimum clarity, even when subjects are of different brightness. With a DSLR, that's a tediously manual process, but this little device makes it all happen in an instant.

8) High Speed Night Shot gives you really good photos in low light.

9) There's also Blurred Background for bokeh, a Slide and 360-degree Panorama (sweep the camera to create a wide panorama, or all around for 360 degree views), and oh, a "Food" filter!

10) One of those modes is an amazing zoom function that will change the way you think of digital zooms. Multi Frame Super Resolution Zoom enables up to twice the optical zoom, using multiple shots to "enhance" the details taken. My hands right now are still too shaky to hold the full zoomed image steady, but the camera does a good job of eliminating shake.

Well, this is the first look at what the camera offers. I'll have an upcoming post showing you the actual pictures taken.

If you'd like to stand a chance to win a Casio Exilim ZR20, join their Facebook Contest "Show Off!" - just upload a photo that you are most proud of between 7 - 20 May 2012. It's so easy, and your photo can be taken with any camera. Have fun and good luck!

Miele Guide 2012/2013 Issue: Vote Your Favourite Restaurants Before 25 May

2012-05-10T15:31:00.000+08:00

The Miele Guide is once again taking in votes and nominations for its 2012/2013 issue and is calling all food lovers out there to say THANK YOU to their favourite restaurants by voting for them.

From now till 25 May 2012, you can choose your top ten picks from within the list of restaurants in any of the 17 countries represented in the Guide. If your restaurant is not listed, simply nominate it via http://mieleguide.com/voting.

On the Miele Guide Facebook page, you can also share your favourite eateries, post pictures and tell us about your best dining experiences.

All voters will receive a special discount of 25% off every pre-order of The Miele Guide 2012/2013 edition.

For more information on The Miele Guide or on the voting process, please visit http://mieleguide.com.

Pairing Legras & Haas Champagnes with Chinese Food

2012-05-09T13:06:00.000+08:00

Pairing champagne with Asian food? Yes, it's growing in popularity as diners move beyond red wines usually offered in Chinese restaurants. The richer, heartier dishes in Asian cuisine pair nicely with drier styles of champagne, while spicy dishes fare better with their opposites - sweet styles of champagne. On top of that, champagne bubbles rinse the palate of oils and the acidity cuts through fat while the yeasty qualities pair well with soy flavours.

I had a chance to try some exquisite Legras & Haas champagne, brought in by Lollapalooza, which imports wines, champagnes, and also curates dinner events. Thanks to them, I am able to give away on my blog anniversary a bottle of Legras & Haas. Results will be updated on that post!

The Legras & Haas family is located in Chouilly, an area with the Chardonnay Grand Cru classification for the production of exceptional wines. Francois Legras and Brigitte Haas started the house in 1991, and it is now managed by their three sons - Remi, Olivier, and Jerome.

That's Jerome, Olivier, and Remi. Legras & Haas produces a range of six champagnes - Cuvee Tradition, Cuvee Rose, Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru, Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Millesime 2007, Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Extra Brut, and Cuvee Exigence.

They have 15 hectares of Chouilly vineyards planted in Chardonnay grapes, seven hectares of vineyards in Pinot Noir grapes in Riceys (above) - the largest wine-producing village in the Champagne region - and 13 hectares of Chardonnay grapes in the Perthois region.

We tested the champagnes against some classic Cantonese and Teochew dishes at Crystal Jade Golden Palace. There's Lollapalooza co-founder Pang Hian Tee (far left) and Jerome Legras (far right).

Teochew style cold crabs; BBQ Pork with Honey/Crispy Roasted Pork Belly

The Legras & Haas Brut Tradition NV is a good match for cold crabs. The soft mousse and creaminess in the elegant, rounded Brut works especially well with the milt and roe. The BBQ pork seemed a little too sweet but matches the smoky brioche of the champagne. And the citrus notes sets off the rich and fatty pork just nicely while cleansing the palate.

We had a most excellent steamed fish (giant garoupa) that was clean-tasting and really umami. It went well with the finely balanced acidity of the Legras & Haas Blanc de Blanc, and the cilantro perks it up too. There's actually a champagne cocktail involving cilantro too. The spicy (and so delicious) Sauteed Frog Legs with Honey Peas in XO Sauce works well with a colder glass of blanc de blanc.

The Legras & Haas Blanc de Blanc Millesime 2007 we paired with
Prawns with Salted Egg Yolk; Seafood Fried Rice in Lotus Leaves

With the salted egg yolk, the acidity becomes more floral. I had also discovered earlier in Hong Kong that champagne goes very well with century egg.

Roasted Peking duck, Sauteed Beef Fillet with Mushrooms

The Legras & Haas Blanc de Blanc Millesime 2002 Magnum is amazing. Most red wines will seem too dry for the Peking Duck sweet sauce, and white wines will struggle to stand up against the roasted meat. But the nicely aged but powerful champagne performs nicely.

The beef's umami flavours, richness and slight sweetness also go well with the savoury and mellow fruit flavours of the champagne.

Sweet yam paste with pumpkin

Ending things off on a sweet note.

"I've found that a bottle of good champagne can be a bit of a chameleon at the dining table," says Hian Tee. "The multi-faceted nature of a good champagne brings out different elements in the dishes."

Hian Tee founded Lollapalooza with two other childhood friends Chiew Huan Chong and Terry Koh. They translated their passion for food and travel to a wine import business and evening dinner events featuring handpicked guest chefs and unusual venues. They see that consumers' initial forays into champagnes often start with a focus on well-known houses, but now more Singaporeans are seeking smaller grower-producers offering subtle distinctions in style and terroir.

As an importer, Lollapalooza seeks out individuals and artisanal heroes who are proud of their trade and make no compromises. The founders' visits throughout France brought them to numerous houses, among which Legras & Haas stood out.

Check out Lollapalooza's website for the full list of wines and products they carry.

Thanks to Geri of Linea for the invite. Photos no.2-4 are courtesy of Legras & Haas.

Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution Day (May 19) in Singapore

2012-05-07T09:54:00.001+08:00

You may have seen Jaime Oliver’s Food Revolution shows where he rails out against processed foods that are loaded with excessive sugar, unnatural preservatives and chemicals. Jamie wants to educate people about the importance of knowing what goes into your food and thereafter, a healthy diet. It's about giving families the skills and knowledge to cook real food again.

In Singapore, a group of passionate food lovers are organizing Food Revolution Day in Singapore, which is part of a global event initiated by Jaime Oliver’s Food Revolution team. Come learn about your food, how to take charge and improve the way we eat, and of course, about Food Revolution itself.

What: Food Revolution Day Dinner Party
When: 19th May 2012, 4:00pm – 8:00pm
Where: The Lawn, 31 Biopolis Way, Nanos, #01-07, Singapore 138669

There'll be cooking demos, food photography and healthcare talks, as well as a food competition. Sponsors (baked and eaten, The Gourmet Pie Company, LoveRedDragon, Mekhala, and Soyato) will have booths just outside The Lawn, where their wares will be available for sale.

For entertainment, you'll see Asia’s No. 1 beatboxer, Shawn Lee, taking the stage, while band members from Acoustic Sunday provide food for the soul throughout the event.

One hundred percent of Food Revolution Day net funds raised will go towards supporting food education projects for both children and adults through the Jamie Oliver Foundation in the U.S., UK and Australia.

Follow them on Twitter - @FoodRevSg or join their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/FoodRevolutionSingapore

That Supper with Andre: the DBS Underground Supperclub with Andre Chiang

2012-05-04T17:26:00.000+08:00

Boy, are we lucky to have Restaurant ANDRE here in Singapore.

The New York Times gushed about it as one of "10 Restaurants Worth A Plane Ride" but we won't need plane tickets to savour his culinary genius. Chef Andre Chiang is right here at Bukit Pasoh in Chinatown.

Now that I have finally tried his cooking, I will say that all the raves I've heard are truly well-deserved. His is now officially now the best restaurant in Singapore (in my humble books). Andre was also recently ranked no.68 in the San Pellegrino World's Best Restaurants 2012, up from no.100 when he newly opened last year.

So, it's no surprise that the most recent DBS Underground Supperclub with Andre was so popular they had to open up a second event. Both were sold out.

For this special event, he was asked to create "Food for the soul". He jotted down what he liked - several favourite ingredients - and started pairing them. Although he had only been expected to come up with four to five dishes, he emerged with nearly a dozen! So these were served tapas style.

"I just wanted to create something simple but tasty, something you can eat today and don't mind eating again tomorrow. Just three or four ingredients," he said.

Now simplicity is one of the most difficult things to pull off. Those three to four ingredients have to sync together really well not only for the perfect flavour combination, but also to excite or surprise the palate. Needless to say, Andre's creations shone.

All these are not on the regular menu, but he is considering adding them.

Let's take a look.

Iced Jabugo shot, grilled "pain de campagne" and tomato puree.

Jabugo is one of the finest Spanish hams (jamon = love!), so it was quite novel having it as an icy liquid. Went beautifully with the cheese, tomatoes and toast.

Brittany "petit gris" (baby grey prawns actually), thyme flower, lemon.

Almost like the Japanese kawa-ebi (river shrimp) but these are a lot bigger and bolder in flavour. Crispy, smoky and so umami.

Cured rockfish, peach, vinaigrette Champagne rosé

This tasted even more beautiful than it looks. Fruity with a hint of tart - perfect flavours to set off the freshness of the fish.

Atlantic eel, Champignon de Paris, wild herbs

The mushrooms are underneath the green herb puree. Very appetising.

Kyoto aubergine, braised cockscomb, fried duck tongue

It's not every day you get to eat cockscomb in Singapore. It's got quite an unusual texture. The duck tongue made me think of Taiwan (they love this there!), where Andre is from.

Langoustine tartar, dashi granite, Ocietra caviar

Dashi in granite form! What a brilliant idea. Loved how it perked up the langoustine.

Pulpo a feira, Smoked paprika (from Basque), Potato Souffle

This evokes Spain in all its savoury glory. I can wax lyrical about it, but really, you have to taste it for yourself. That goes for most of his dishes.

Spanish omelette, as yet undressed, with chorizo and onion marmalade. Just look at how amazing that yolk looks. The eggs are from black chickens which we normally use for herbal soups. These eggs are smaller but much richer in taste.

Chef Andre dispensing "foam of mashed potato" onto the Spanish Omelette - he did this for every single guest.

The completed "Spanish Omelette" - burst open that yolk and let it ooze over the chorizo, potatoes and onions. I swear you'll want nothing else but this for breakfast every day.

Interestingly, I also had some eggs at JAAN earlier in the same day with iberico, chanterelles and porcini. Two very different and elegant renditions of eggs.

Andre showing us the eggs from black chickens - they are small indeed. He discovered by happy accident from a local supplier who didn't have enough regular eggs for him one day, and topped up with some of these eggs from black chickens. After Andre tried them, he requested only these eggs be delivered henceforth. But supply is not as regular, so if there's eggs on the menu, count yourself lucky!

With the Supperclubs, the chefs come around, mingle and talk to the guests. It was just fascinating to have Andre pull up a chair next to you and chat.

I asked him what his earliest and most significant memory of food was. He told us about how he was not allowed to eat out as a school kid. His mom who worked in a Chinese restaurant in Tokyo placed such importance on food, that she would personally cook his lunch at 11.45am and hop on a bike to bring him his lunch box. Freshly prepared food every day. According to her, "Food is very important. You cannot just eat anything."

That really struck a chord in me.

So often, we settle for bad or poor food simply because we are too busy/tired/apathetic/lazy/etc. And here, this woman not only believed in proper food, but followed through with such dedication and determination. Love expressed via food.

Chef Andre says, "To me, cooking is a very personal and intimate thing. You are feeding another person. It's not just a commercial behaviour, it's that personal, it's that intimate."

"Here, this building is like a home. The kitchen is at the back. You see me every day here. If I'm not here, we close. I just hope people come in and enjoy themselves," he added.

Andre saved the best course as his "Surprise Dish" - this turned out to be my favourite.

Grilled shortrib dusted with leek ash, topped with fresh mustard cooked in mushroom stock. It's accompanied by eggplant caviar on potato, and a creamy green Piersiade - a mayo of parsley and garlic. Ingenious! It's crazy mad delicious, and I really hope this goes onto the regular menu at Andre's!

Chef Andre continued to elaborate on how the kitchen works. There is no menu, no dish is fixed. They work by components, much like a Chinese restaurant (that's how they are able to conjure up hundreds of dishes, with variations on ingredients).

What happens is every day, they get the freshest produce shipped in - say a 6kg box of seafood from Tsukiji Market. It's a surprise box. They don't know what's in it, only that it's the freshest items from the market. Then they figure out what to do with the ingredients.

The importance of freshness cannot be understated. Chef Andre emphasizes, "You can do many things, but the only flavour you cannot create is freshness. So you must start with fresh produce."

We continued on to pre-dessert.

Purified yoghurt, mara de bois, marshmallow.

This is so pretty. Look at the tiny flowers! That mara de bois strawberry is also exquisite.

Ganache, ice nougatine, beurre noisette "crème glacé"
Nice play of textures here.

Buckwheat churros, deliciously thick hot chocolate and fresh cinnamon.

I liked the nuttier taste of buckwheat in the churros.

Oh we had such excellent wines paired with the food that evening!

- Champagne De Sousa Brut Tradition
- Pouilly Fumé Les Cris 2009 Alain Cailbourdin
- Faugeres Jadis 2006 Leon Barral
- Rivesaltes Ambre 2004 Domaine des Chenês

I'm starting to realise that it's not true that I am not fond of wines, I may just have very particular tastes. I really liked every single one of these.

But the best part about these DBS Underground Supperclubs is not just the great food but precious opportunities and privileged access to the chefs you would never get as a regular diner. Andre showed us his loft on the third floor, the "atelier" where his ideas are born.

He says, "I don't force myself to create or squeeze ideas out. I go do pottery, I sketch or do some art. Sometimes I'm inspired by a sad movie. It's natural to become emotional and sensitive to the things around you." So that's how it flows.

The loft is not only gorgeously chic, but also a treasure trove of amazing things to look at. The vibe there is relaxing and yet there's a buzz that's really conducive for the flow of creativity.

Some of the displays are so adorable. Vintage Michelin guides with Ratatouille movie figurines?

Chef Andre pulls out this "Alphabet of Flavours" - an encyclopedic set of scents and aromas more intriguing than Harry Potter potions. These amazingly accurate scents are very useful when they experiment with pairing of flavours. This way they can do a quick test run before going out to buy ingredients to see if it works.

Lots of cookbooks in various languages, including a nice selection of Japanese ones.

Andre himself made almost half the dishware for the restaurant. He loves being creative, and pottery is yet another outlet of expression.

Andre really has a way with pottery. These are ceramic squid along a wall, each of them expressing a certain emotion that you can tell from their tentacles.

Andre wrote this on the wall. It sounds beautiful and profound, although I have no idea what it's saying.

The ground floor has a grand long table, perfect for large groups. It's still remarkably cosy despite its elegant atmosphere and dramatic lighting.

The second floor has more intimate dining settings. Interesting chandeliers. There are also six black rams scattered throughout the restaurant (one is in the lobby). All of them have names - I'll leave you to find out which is what.

You can take a peek at the sleek, state-of-the-art kitchen at the back through a glass sliding door. The whole place hums like a spaceship (they joke that this section is some Star Wars spacecraft, although I haven't seen anything this awe-inspiring even from Coruscant).

This is where Chef Andre puts into flesh Octaphilosophy - unique, pure, texture, memory, salt, south, artisan and terroir (land) - eight elements that define different aspects of the cuisine.

This May, restaurant ANDRE is introducing Octaphilosophy Spring Collection 2012. Inspired by Le Dejeuner sur l'Herbe, a painting by Manet depicting two young couples enjoying a picnic by the river in early spring. Andre will recreate the impressionist scene using seasonal ingredients prepared on a bed of fresh grass.

Lunch Tuesday to Friday - $128++ per person
Dinner Tuesday to Sunday - $288++ per person

Oh yes, everyone also got instant photos with the chef, and an autographed menu.

The next DBS Underground Supperclub is still in the works - I can't wait to find out which chef it will be. But in the meantime, there's the DBS Masterclasses held at AFC Studio. The upcoming one (Thurs, 24 May 2012) features Chef Chan Kwok of Hua Ting at Orchard Hotel. He will be demonstrating traditional yet innovative Cantonese cuisine. More details and registration form on the AFC website.

RESTAURANT ANDRE
41 Bukit Pasoh Road
Singapore 089855
Tel: +65 6534-8880

Many thanks to Edmund and the DBS team for inviting me to this phenomenal event.

Camemberu 5th Anniversary Cookbook and Champagne Giveaway!

2012-05-01T16:22:00.000+08:00

Camemberu turns five today! To celebrate the blog's fifth anniversary, I am giving out Tony Khoo's "To Be A Chef" cookbook (two copies) and a bottle of Legras & Haas champagne!

UPDATE: The winners have been picked! I will be in touch for prize collection.

Congratulations to Hovkonditorn and TravelingFoodies for winning Tony Khoo's cookbook!

Congratulations also to Byron Shoh for winning the Legras & Haas champagne!

Yeah, it's been half a decade - five full years of documenting deliciousness. Along the way, I have learned so much, and learned that I have much more to learn! I'm grateful for all the wonderful people I have met, the friends I've made, and the experiences not otherwise possible.

This almost obsessive passion of mine does mean I have been sitting down in front of my Mac for way too many hours - writing and editing photos. It's just too easy to choose gazing at food photos over getting up to exercise. I recently restarted my yoga and realised I am more unfit than when I first started doing it years ago. My little Jolie will promptly put me to shame by easily taking up the positions I am struggling to do.

Ironically, I have lost 10kg in the past five years, not deliberately but through other circumstances. Now if I can just lose another 5kg, that would be awesome. It never works when you deliberately try, though, in my experience. Well, I'll just focus on getting fit.

Anyway, back to the giveaway prizes!

Tony Khoo has a very interesting life story, which I profiled on Makanation. He is the Executive Chef of Marina Mandarin Hotel with over 35 years experience. His cookbook is out now, available at ToTT (896 Dunearn Road). It's a beautiful volume, and the recipes are bound to inspire budding cooks and fellow chefs.

What better way to celebrate than with bubbly, right? The Legras & Haas champagne was kindly given by Lollapalooza (they specialise in bringing in wines and champagnes from unique producers that they personally visit and get to know) - I have a post on pairing champagne with Chinese food coming up soon.

I am popping a bottle myself for my own birthday later tonight!

How to win the cookbooks and champagne? Just leave me a comment on the blog for the cookbook, and leave me a comment on my Facebook fanpage for the champagne. Of course, you can go for both, if you like! I will pick winners randomly, so everyone has a fair chance.

You have until noon of 8th May, 2012. Happy commenting and thanks for reading my blog, some for all these years too!

Fort Canning Hotel Staycation and The Glass House

2012-04-30T13:58:00.000+08:00

More Singaporeans are choosing staycations over holidays abroad, because there are less hassles and travel downtime. But Singapore hotels are not the cheapest in the region, so it makes sense to do a bit of research and choose wisely.

We had a chance to experience the Hotel Fort Canning, and were absolutely stunned by the rooms and facilities. It is truly a plush oasis in the middle of the city cocooned by verdant greenery and the stillness of nature. They took three years to convert this colonial building into an 86-room heritage boutique hotel.

I particularly loved the sense of space you get from the high ceiling (you don't get this often in newer buildings). This is the Deluxe room (above) which opens out to a bathroom set against a picture window offering you panoramic views of the park or city. There are 43 of these rooms measuring 30-35sqm. Six of these at Level 1 open up to

The Premier rooms are bigger at 40sqm, and the "verandah" is a separate living area specially designed for relaxation with a gorgeous view of the park.

Oh yes, sink back into a Poltrona Frau designer chair and feel the city stress melt away from your soul.

The Deluxe rooms also get a very comfy reading chair with ottoman. Kick back and relax with a book or magazine.

Elements of nature are built into the fabrics and furnishings (like the headboard). The Premier rooms have a bigger work area behind the bed, and a separate bathroom.

I still prefer the bathroom that's out there overlooking the greenery. I think it's a smashing idea to extend the room out this way onto the verandah. Every room has a large bathtub to remember the 14th century, when the royal family bathed in a spring on top of the hill.

But if a quick shower is all you want, you can still indulge in the monsoon rain shower set into the marbled walls. Premium bath amenities from Thann (nice 60ml bottles) add to the spa-like experience. The Thann Sanctuary spa also used to be at the hotel, but just shifted earlier this year.

Even the comfort robes and slippers bear a decidedly tropical feel.

Other in-room amenities include a Nespresso machine, TWG teas, a Zeppelin mini iPod docking station by Bowers & Wilkins, touch panel controls for mood lighting, curtains and aircon. Complimentary broadband and wi-fi are standard along with international plug extensions. A customised pillow menu is available too.

The spacious feel extends to the walkway too. Some hotels have such narrow walkways, it's almost a traffic hazard if someone has bulky luggage coming at you in the opposite direction. You won't get that here.

Now, all in-house guests get a private lounge where they can enjoy unlimited light snacks, Nespresso, TWG teas, plus complimentary wines, champagnes, juices and canapes during evening cocktail hour! They really do spoil you.

Outside, there is not just one swimming pool but a whole complex of several pools! Shallow ones, a long lap pool, and a irregular shaped pool - all fed with water that's filtered using NASA technology. The effect is amazing, because there is none of that awful chlorine smell so common at pools (and so damaging to hair and skin).

Already when I saw this, I wanted to come back again, even before I started my staycation here!

Fitness buffs will be glad there is a well-appointed 240sqm gym featuring the latest TechnoGym equipment. There was also an arcade room tucked away in the basement, but no one was using it.

Weddings are very popular here (it is just a stone's throw away from the Registry of Marriages, after all). The huge Legends (460-seater) and Lavender (230-seater) ballrooms can be partitioned into smaller rooms. Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE) groups can also take advantage of the 1,000sqm conference and banquet space.

In terms of dining, there's Gattopardo for Italian fine-dining, Tisettanta Lounge for wines and Italian-inspired designer cocktails, and The Glass House which features contemporary Asian cuisine.

The Glass House, as its name intimates, is set in floor-to-ceiling glass walls for majestic views of the park with heritage trees as old as 90 years.

Breakfast with this view is so refreshing. Drink in the view, as much as you like.

Oh yes, the buffet breakfast has a bit of everything. From local favourites like dim sum and prata with curry, to bacon, sausages and eggs, smoked salmon, hams and breads. I liked the porridge too. Sunday brunch here is S$35++ per person (11.45am to 2.30pm). They also offer afternoon tea sets at S$12++ per set from 2pm to 6pm daily.

They also have selections for lunch, like this Chinese set menu (S$20) so beautifully presented in a bamboo tiffin carrier. Scallops in XO sauce with asparagus, with a healthy serve of vegetables (I normally hate nai bai cabbage, but this was really nice). The soup, however, is too much of an MSG salt bath.

Fried Mee Siam with Boston Lobster (S$24), which is a signature dish here. Oh I liked that this was not afraid to be spicy, but don't worry, it's not as hot as chili padi.

The check-in lobby is discreetly to the right side of the hotel entrance foyer, which also faces the private lounge.

What's interesting are the archaelogical pits containing actual 14th and 19th century artifacts unearthed at Fort Canning Park. Qing dynasty porcelain, Majapahit royalty household items, ancient cooking pots, storage jars, ceramics, red baked bricks, and even glass marbles - all these point to Singapore's prosperity in history and Fort Canning Hill's importance as a royal palace. There are many of these historical artifacts still enbedded - hubby did a school excavation during university and found some too.

Fort Canning was formerly the British Far East Command Headquarters during World War II. They have kept many of the colonial structures, like the grand staircase and the multi-columned facade. The property which dates back to 1926 has been sensitively restored by local award-winning architectural company DP Architects.

Parts of it has been given a modern touch, and the hotel is continuing to be enhanced with more facilities to keep up with demand.

Hotel Fort Canning overlooks the Civic and Cultural district, and is walking distance from the Orchard Road shopping belt. As an icon of colonial grandeur, it makes a very stately boutique hotel.

They are currently offering Weekend Treat staycation packages from S$320++ for a Deluxe Room, available from 1 April 2012 to 30 June 2012.

The package includes:

One night (Saturday) weekend stay in our Deluxe Room (room only)
Sunday Brunch for two at The Glass House
Late check out till 4pm (subject to availability)
Unlimited in-room selection of Nespresso coffee and fine tea
Premium bath amenities
Unlimited serving of Nespresso Coffee and fine tea served at the Lobby Lounge throughout the day
Complimentary wireless internet access
Complimentary evening drinks from 6pm to 8pm daily at Private Lounge

It is really worth it, for a hotel of this quality. There are other promotion packages like Bubbalicious (from S$368++, with sparkling wine and bubble bath with petals) and Privilege Room with all the perks (from S$520++).

I seriously would love to go back, and maybe bring the kids. Jolie saw the photos I was pulling together, and she just gaped. As she stared, she said pointing to the bedroom shots, "I want to go here, I want to go home here!" Me too, babe.

HOTEL FORT CANNING
11 Canning Walk
Singapore 178881
Tel: +65 6559-6770

Heartfelt thanks to GHC Asia and Hotel Fort Canning for making this stay possible.

Catch KF Seetoh Ambushing Malaysia in "The Food Surprise" - TLC Starhub Ch 427 from 7 May, 10.30pm

2012-04-30T10:14:00.000+08:00

Hahaha! Look at their faces! Watch KF Seetoh as he makes surprise visits to hawkers, restaurants and street food centres in Ipoh, KL, Penang, Johor Bahru and Singapore in "The Food Surprise" new series premiering in Singapore and Malaysia on TLC (Starhub channel 427) Monday, 7 May 2012, at 10.30pm.

More details here at Makansutra!

Oasia Hotel Celebrates First Anniversary; Weekend Package Offer

2012-04-26T23:56:00.002+08:00

Oasia Hotel recently celebrated its first anniversary and introduced a whole slew of perks for its Executive Lounge - artisanal chocolates, gourmet coffee, organic tea and snacks. These will be available at The Living Room (above) on the 22nd floor for Club Room and suites' guests.

Special blogger guest Silver Ang trying out a new cocktail - they rolled out quite a few that evening, including Summer Bouquet (a welcome drink) and L22 (Oasia signature drink). Me, I liked the coffee - it really is good. They paired with local artisan coffee roaster Coffee Culture and installed a professional 'Club La Spaziale Espresso’ coffee machine.

In addition, there is a range of hot chocolate drinks and chocolate treats from renowned French chocolatier house Monbana for Executive Lounge guests.

The Living Room provides buffet breakfast, complimentary cocktails and canapés daily from 6pm to 8pm, as well as all-day and all-night snacks. Guests can also stay connected via complimentary WIFI service.

There was this massive macaroons on coral confection by Chef Rayner from De la Creme at Siglap. Most unusual "birthday cake" I have ever seen.

Here's a video of the blogger party they held much earlier on 3 March. No, I wasn't there! But I see lots of familiar faces!

The 22nd floor is also where the private access 20m lap pool, jacuzzi and sun deck are. It gives you panoramic views of the city.

Sunset can be beautiful here.

We had an opportunity to test out a Club Room - one on the 25th floor, the highest.

Yes, I think that's an instant stamp of approval. The room's small but very comfortable and cosy.

They have 100 Club Rooms. Designed and styled by award winning Japanese designer Takashi Sugimoto, these rooms come with pleasing scents, high quality cotton bedding, rain showers and natural design elements.

A simple work table is across from the bed.

Simple but elegant sink and shower area. It's a see-through shower cubicle but the curtains offer privacy if needed.

There is a long bath next to the toilet (hidden behind the frosted glass door).

Toiletries from Thann - very nice, albeit in small sizes.

I took the kids to the 8th floor swimming pool, where they'd be easier to manage.

There is a main pool with cabanas, tanning deck chairs and two smaller pools on the side.

The square one is a heated pool with jacuzzi!

As an "Oasis in Asia", Oasia Hotel does feel like a little hideaway while being just two MRT stops away from bustling Orchard. The hotel is popular with medical tourists since it's right next to a cluster of medical centres at Novena.

Oasia is now offering a weekend promotion for its Club Rooms. It's valid when you make reservations using the form below.

&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Loading...&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

OASIA HOTEL
8 Sinaran Drive
Singapore 307470
Tel: +65 6664 0333

Thanks to the folks at Far East Hospitality for the event invitation, hotel stay and promotion offer.

JAAN: Julien Royer's Seasonal Menu

2012-04-24T22:39:00.002+08:00

Chef Julien Royer seems almost too young to be behind the sophisticated menus he creates at JAAN.

He's just been crowned ‘Meat and Livestock Australia Rising Chef of the Year’ at the World Gourmet Series Awards of Excellence 2012 last month. This award singles out an individual aged 32 years or below with exceptional culinary talent and skill, one who is driven to raise standards of culinary excellence within his working environment.

This was the Friday that I got to try two eateries on my most wanted list - JAAN and Andre. Yes, both in the same day - it just fell into place that way - one for lunch, the other for supper. Even though it's been a while since he left, Andre Chiang's mark on JAAN is so strong that it's evident that comparisons will continue to be drawn with his successors.

But Julien is a different chef with his own style and execution methods, and perhaps should be viewed as such.

This native of Cantal, Auvergne in Central France comes from a family of farmers from four generations. So he grew up understanding carefully grown vegetables and animals, including how each of these had their own time of the year when they would embody the best. He is devoted to drawing inspiration from seasonal produce, so his menu changes quarterly to reflect what's best from the season's finest.

Starter bites - sesame crusted potato croquet, grilled chicken skin, and smoked eel parfait with pickled apples gelee.

The potato croquet has a cheese centre, but a pretty hard crust. They are nicely seasoned though. The chicken skin I had wondered if they would taste like "kawa", the Japanese grilled chicken skin, but they are entirely different. This is less fatty and more chewy. The smoked eel is beautifully rich but the apple cuts through the oily fish nicely.

Rye crisps with lentil hummus and chestnut. For me, the strong nutty flavour of chestnut didn't work with the hummus, but I know of people who do like the combination. Love the crisps though.

AMUSE BOUCHE: CEPES SABAYON AND MUSHROOM TEA

This is such an incredibly intense mushroom concoction, it will almost leave you parched at the end.

They get this intensity from using both dried porcini from Chaspuzac (Auvergne) and fresh porcini mushrooms for the mushroom tea. The soup is topped with fresh walnuts sourced in their own shell from Perigord.

So what do you do with such a full-flavoured soup?

Indulge in breads with it! The French are so good at breads - you must try each and every one of these!

ORGANIC BEETROOT COMPOSITION
BURRATA, BLACK OLIVE SUGAR, ALMONDS AND BASIL

This colourful garden-like array really kicked off the meal with fascinating flavours.

The beetroot is presented in varied ways (pureed, roasted, red and golden beetroot and sorbet) so you get to play with flavours and textures.

The creaminess of the artisanal burrata cheese, intensity of the olive sugar and crunch of the almonds paired with the basil help to balance the earthy and sweet flavours of the beetroot. A singular delicate slice of pickled chioggia beetroot adds another layer of crunch and texture to the dish.

And then came some organic New Zealand eggs on dry ice.

These have been slow cooked for 55 minutes at 64 degrees Celsius to achieve that creamy translucence. It is carefully poured at the table, along with some creamy artichoke veloute.

55’ SMOKED ORGANIC EGG
JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE, CHANTERELLES, IBERICO DE BELLOTA and
PORCINI CRUMBS

The runny golden egg yolk intermingles with the iberico de bellota from Salamanca and the sweet nougat-like porcini crumbs.

Bet you've never had ham and eggs as silky and suave as this!

GRILLED ESCALOPE of LANDES FOIE GRAS
“PAIN PERDU”, JAVA PEPPER MANGO and PEDRO JIMENEZ SHERRY JELLY

The foie gras is from Landes, a region in South West France. Its richness is pared down with a spiced mango and pedro jimenez sherry jelly. The mango is gently caramelized and seasoned with a beautiful long pepper from Java as well as coriander stems, fresh ginger and lime zest. Finally, the jelly of xeres adds a nice comforting and woody flavour to the dish.

CONFIT ARCTIC CHAR
CAULIFLOWER COUSCOUS, CRAYFISH AND BURNED BREAD

The Arctic Char (a fish from the cold waters of Leman Lake, Switzerland ) is delicately confited in seaweed butter and paired with kombawa zest scented crayfish, mussels, whelks, cauliflower couscous, sea grapes (oh, memories of Okinawa!) and baby leeks.

The wait staff (well, we had Chef Royer himself, as seen in first photo) will micro plane burned poilane bread (specially sourced from the poilane bakery in Paris) over the fish to add a smoky dimension. Cute play on word "char" too.

JUNIPER ROASTED VENISON LOIN
PEAR, CELERIAC, SAUCE “GRAND VENEUR” and BLACK TRUFFLE

Tender venison from New Zealand is slow roasted and paired with the pear that's been poached in spiced mulled wine. The sauce is finished with a hint of bitter chocolate.

Note that these are all tasting portions.

BRIE de MEAUX TRUFFÉ
HERVÉ MONS SELECTED BRIE de MEAUX, BLACK PÉRIGORD TRUFFLE and HAZELNUT
(supplement $25)

Truffle-filled Brie with toast a.k.a "Can I just come here and eat this?"
The cheese fiend in me strikes again. This slab of heaven is my perfect dessert.

But wait, we aren't even at pre-dessert.

And it's this palate cleanser of Mango Mousse with Lychee Sorbet, infused with Thai Basil. Sometimes it's the little things that wow you.

CHOCONUTS 2012
TANARIVA MOUSSE, PEANUTS, MACADAMIA NUT ICE CREAM

The Choconuts consists of layers of sable biscuit, peanut butter (consisting of roasted peanuts from Piedmont), films of chocolate and Tanariva (a milk chocolate) mousse. The plate is sprinkled with peanut praline and the dish is served with a housemade macadamia ice cream.

Pleasant but pretty safe in terms of flavours.

Sweet endings for your meal - before farewell, they serve you a platter of petit fours to spoil you silly. Sorbets, chocolate, Carambar caramel snack bar (from chef's childhood), madeleines, chocolates, and a chocolate-coated rosemary ice cream lollipop. The Carambar is best eaten after it's been warmed a little.

The seasonal dishes will be at JAAN until end April, after which new ones will arrive.

Lunch with coffee goes for S$52 (three-course menu) or S$82 (five-course menu), while dinner is S$198 for five courses (S$318 with wine pairing) or S$238 for seven courses (S$418 with wine pairing). A la carte options and a special ten-course surprise dinner (S$288) are also available.

JAAN
2 Stamford Road
Level 70, Equinox complex
Swissotel the Stamford
Singapore 178882
Tel: +65 6837 3322

Lunch
Monday - Saturday: 12.00pm - 2.30pm
Closed on Sunday and Public Holidays

Dinner
Monday - Saturday: 7.00pm - 10.00pm
Closed on Sunday

P.S. Did I mention the view from the 70th floor?

Many thanks to Swissotel the Stamford and Ate Consulting for hosting the lunch.

Jason Dell Recipes Using New Zealand Produce at FHA

2012-04-22T20:33:00.003+08:00

Well-known New Zealand chef Jason Dell made an appearance at the New Zealand booth at Food Hotel Asia 2012. He demonstrated a few dishes using New Zealand produce, and I was fortunate to be invited as a food judge/critic along with Violet Oon.

Some of you may remember Jason during his days at Graze at Rochester, but he's now with the Regent Bali, which will open Sept 2012. I first got to try his cooking at the New Zealand ambassador's lunch.

New Zealand is renowned for its fresh and quality produce ranging from seafood, meats, fruits and specialty products like honey. Jason is showing us king salmon from New Zealand, which is sweetly buttery and yet light-tasting.

They have generously shared with us the recipes for the following dishes:

Pan Asian inspired Kumara (a sweet potato), Coconut and NZ Mussel Salad with Hot & Sour Dressing
Singapore Style Noodles with Manuka Smoked New Zealand Lamb
Curried Mussel and Kumara Fritters with Green Chili and Apple Salsa

After the jump.

PAN ASIAN INSPIRED KUMARA, COCONUT AND NZ MUSSEL SALAD
with HOT AND SOUR DRESSING

Salad

1 pkt of NZ ½ shell mussels
80ml tamarind water
1 stick lemongrass, minced
3 kaffir lime leaves, minced
1cm piece of ginger, minced
3 shallots chopped fine
2 long red chilies, cut into fine julienne
¼ cup thread coconut, toasted
1 kumara (sweet potato) roasted whole with skin on, chopped (or substitute pumpkin)
1 cup fresh coriander leaves, torn
1 cup mint tips, roughly chopped
¼ cup peanuts roasted, rough chopped

Hot and sour dressing

120ml lime juice
2 tbsp fish sauce
2 birds eye red chilies, finely chopped
1 tsp red chilies flakes
1 tbsp of palm sugar

Garnish

¼ cup fried shallots
½ cup kumara, julienne and deep-fried
banana leaf for serving

Method

To prepare the Hot and Sour dressing place all ingredients into a jam jar and shake well to
combine. Add the hot and sour dressing and the tamarind water into a clean bowl. Add the
mussels and marinate these for approx. 10 minutes. Add the lemongrass, lime leaves, ginger,
shallots, chilies, coconut, kumara, coriander, mint and peanuts. Gently toss to combine.

Line a serving bowl with a square of banana leaf in the bottom then arrange the salad on top.
Garnish with crispy shallots and the julienne of crisp sweet potato. Serve.

NB: You can substitute the mussels for other seafood species such as prawns, scallops.
You may also prepare this dish using smoked fish fillets, including - snapper and salmon.

SINGAPOREAN STYLE NOODLES
with MANUKA SMOKED NEW ZEALAND LAMB

Ingredients

400 gm packet thin Singapore noodles
2 tbsp peanut oil
500 gm lamb mince (smoked over native manuka woodchips prior to mincing)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 cm ginger, peeled, finely grated
1 carrot, peeled, cut into julienne
1 yellow capsicum, cut into julienne
1 orange capsicum, cut into julienne
400 gm can baby corn, drained and halved lengthwise
150 gm assorted mushrooms, thinly sliced
½ bunch gai-lan, approx. 200g (Chinese broccoli), trimmed, chopped
150 gm snow peas, halved
1 cup snow pea shoots
½ cup water
¼ cup kecap manis (Indonesian soy sauce)
¼ cup oyster sauce

Garnish

1c thinly sliced spring onions

Method

Cook your favorite noodles according to packet directions. Drain well. Heat half of the oil in a hot
wok or frying pan. Add the lamb mince in two batches. Stir-fry for about 5 minutes or until
browned. Remove, and keep aside. Heat the remaining oil in the same hot wok/frying pan. Add
the garlic and ginger, stir-fry for about 1 minute or until very fragrant. Add the carrot, corn and
assorted mushrooms. Stir-fry until all the vegetables are tender. Add the gai-lan, snow peas and
water. Return the lamb mince to the wok, add the oyster sauce, kecap manis and the cooked
noodles. Toss until well heated through. Divide among serving bowls. Garnish with spring
onions.

Additional recipe for media – Not part of demonstration

photo courtesy of BBS

CURRIED MUSSEL AND KUMARA FRITTERS
with GREEN CHILLI AND APPLE SALSA

These are fabulous little party foods and fantastic for a lazy Sunday brunch. They can easily be
made well ahead of time and stored in your fridge for a day or two. Even better would be to use
clams or pipis in a combination – whatever takes your fancy. But if you are not a fan of mussels
or perhaps you have an allergy to shellfish, you may like to substitute the mussel meat quantity
with flaked cooked fish or smoked salmon.

Curried mussel and kumara fritters

3 large eggs, lightly beaten
50ml cream
½ tsp curry powder
10ml thai fish sauce
4tbsp coarse polenta
¼ cup spring onions, finely sliced
32 cooked mussels, removed from the shells, cut in half
300g kumara (sweet potato) cut into 1cm dice, boiled

Green chili and apple salsa

½ green chili, seeded, finely chopped
small red onion, finely sliced
20ml fresh lime juice
30ml extra virgin olive oil
2 granny smith apples, cored and finely diced
salt and black pepper

Garnish

¼ cup spring onions, finely sliced
½ cup crème fraiche or sour cream
Fresh rocket leaves

Method

Mix the eggs, cream, curry powder, fish sauce, polenta and half the spring onions in a bowl. Add
the mussel meat and the kumara then stir well to combine. Make one fritter at a time. Heat a
15cm frying pan and lightly brush it with cooking oil. Add spoonful’s of the mussel mixture into
the center of the pan and cook to a golden brown on one side, then carefully flip over and cook
for 2 minutes more on the other side. Place on an oven tray and keep warm in a moderate oven.
Serve fritter with spoonful of the salsa and a small spoonful of crème fraiche on top. Dress with
rocket leaves.

To make salsa, mix together all ingredients, including the other half of the spring onions.
Season lightly with salt & pepper and set aside for flavours to develop for 10 minutes.

Makes 4 large fritters or 10 smaller canapé size bites.

Thanks to New Zealand Trade & Enterprise for inviting me as a guest taste-tester!

Greenfields: Surprisingly Good Mozzarella from Indonesia!

2012-04-20T12:11:00.002+08:00

This has got to be one of the most eyebrow-raising products at Food Hotel Asia 2012 - mozzarella, not from Italy, but Indonesia! The most curious question is - how good is it?

Well, pretty darn impressive, actually. It's got a pleasant bite, with a smooth and mild taste. An Italian passerby who tasted it insisted it must be from Italy, and was incredulous that it was from Asia.

Here's the cheese served with diced tomatoes, shredded basil, cracked black pepper, olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Mouthwateringly addictive!

So I was really curious about Greenfields, and got to sit down with their Head of Marketing and Sales, Jan Gert Vistisen.

Greenfields is produced by AustAsia which owns an integrated dairy on the highlands of Malang in East Java. It was set up in 1997 by a group of Australian and Indonesian agribusiness entrepreneurs, and they have been supplying the region with fresh milk for almost 15 years. With over 6,000 Holstein cows, they are South-east Asia's largest dairy farm. The cows are imported from Australia from specially selected healthy stock.

The secret to their milk success? Happy cows! Over at the highlands, temperature is just right, there's lots of fresh air and water. The cows feed on a mixture of grains (from Australia) and grass from neighbouring farms.

At the integrated dairy, there is no transport between milking, processing and packaging - it's all at the same site. That means less bacteria in the milk, because handling, transferring and travel time is all highly reduced.

They chose to start with mozzarella first, because of the freshness factor.

"Being in Indonesia lets us be the 'dairy next door' for major Asian capitals - we can get the mozzarella into kitchens faster and fresher," Said Vistisen.

Here's Chef Fahmi Widarte, Greenfields' corporate chef, who has been busy creating dishes using their milk and mozzarella. Some of you may know him as one of the judges for Junior Chef in 2008.

Otto Weibel, former Director of Kitchens at Swissotel The Stamford and Fairmont Singapore and Director of OSIA Restaurant, Sentosa, had said, "The mozzarella is very fresh when it arrives, and the taste is perfect when paired with our wood-fired pizzas."

Well, Greenfields did fly in an Italian cheesemaker to impart his knowledge on making mozzarella. Language was almost an issue as they could not find an Italian translator, but they got a French one, and luckily the cheesemaker spoke French too. And that's how this Indonesian mozzarella came into being.

When the cheese is melted, like on pizza, it blends well and is nicely stretchable. There are five qualities to look out for in a good mozzarella, says Vistisen. "Stretchability, meltability, a light springy texture, mild taste and the right amount of oil - you don't want too much oil or it will run, but there must be enough of a nice sheen."

That's Jan sitting in the background - ah, I'm always forgetting to take photos of people, because I'm so focused on the food!

Anyway, Greenfields also has other products - namely milk, which they have been producing and supplying to Singapore and the region for years. There's also whipping cream.

The chocolate malt is delicious! A smooth, roundly creamy mouthfeel and just the right sweetness (not toothachingly so). I got to take home a couple of packs, and the kids absolutely love it!

Well, I am definitely going to look out for Greenfields milk in the supermarkets, as an alternative to my (increasingly expensive) Meiji. And I'm glad now we can get fresh mozzarella that didn't have to travel so far.

Oh by the way, the cheese goes MARVELOUSLY with a 2009 Gancia Pinot Grigio. Hope you get to try it. FHA is still on today - last day! If you are going, do visit the Greenfields booth at Hall 6 (right at the entrance).

DBS Masterclass with Chef Takashi Kimura at AFC Studio this Thurs!

2012-04-17T12:30:00.003+08:00

Takashi Kimura, one of the best Japanese chefs from Malaysia, is here in town! His fine contemporary French-Japanese cuisine has been wildly popular at Cilantro and Sage, renowned restaurants in Kuala Lumpur. Cilantro is the first Malaysian restaurant to be included twice in the prestigious Miele Guide’s “Asia’s Top 20”.

After honing his skills in France, Chef Takashi became personal chef to the Japanese ambassador to Senegal. He followed the ambassador to Malaysia, where he became chef de cuisine for the embassy, cooking for royalties, dignitaries, ministers and top businessmen.

You can witness his culinary prowess right here, without having to travel to KL! He'll share his fresh food philosophy and tales of culinary stints in the exotic West Africa and Malaysia at this one-night-only event.

Date: Thursday, 19th April 2012
Time: 7.30pm - 9.30pm
Price:
S$100 nett per person (for DBS/POSB Cardmembers)
S$120 nett per person (for non-DBS/POSB Cardmembers)

Dishes Featured:

Tartare of Wagyu with Mollet Egg and Winter Truffles, served with Anchovy Toast

Cold Capellini Pasta with Hotaruika and Fruits Tomato Sauce

Seared Hokkaido Scallop with Sea Urchin and Seaweed Emulsion

Perrier water and wine pairings from The Straits Wine Company will be served with Chef Takashi’s dishes in this Masterclass.

SPECIAL PROMOTION!

*The next 20 persons who sign up for this masterclass receive a complimentary AFC Studio class ticket! You must register between now till 18 April 2012, 6pm.

*Terms and conditions apply.

*Not applicable for Kenwood Kennoiseur Club Member Classes.

*Tickets are valid for 3 months.

For reservations, please call
+65 6505 9800 (Weekdays: 10am – 12pm and 1pm – 6pm), or
+65 6834 4829 (Weekdays: 6pm – 8pm, Weekends: 12pm – 8pm).

More details on the AFC website and DBS Indulge website.

Earth Day Menu at Novus Features Local Produce

2012-04-16T23:59:00.001+08:00

Novus has rolled out a special menu featuring local produce, for Earth Day, 22 April 2012. We all know how using local produce helps reduce carbon footprint by not requiring air-flown ingredients. But local farms in Singapore? Yes, we have a few, and rather charming ones.

Watch Novus Executive Chef Stephan Zoisl breathe in the joy of discovery and nature as he checks out these farms.

Stephan is used to working with fresh, local produce back in Austria, and has always wanted to do create a menu based on local produce here in Singapore. What better occasion than Earth Day, to make this come true, to showcase the beauty of nature on a plate.

It may be a six course dinner, but there are three amuse bouche presentations!

Amuse bouche I
FROM THE SHORE
oyster, clam, mussel, coriander, seaweed foam, edible sand

What a stunning opening act! This just blew me away. The presentation is just amazing - it really evokes memories of seaside walks and marine life. I loved every item. Appetising seafood, and that amazing crunchy, salty "sand" made from fish, potato, maltodextrin and various ingredients.

Amuse bouche II
FROM THE PERANAKAN CULTURE
prawn tartare, laksa espuma, prawn cracker

The prawns are firm and fresh, but the laksa espuma was the star - beautiful laksa flavours. Great with the prawn crackers as dip.

Amuse bouche III
FROM UNCLE WILLIAM’S FARM
quail egg and chrysanthemum infused quail tea

The tea is a hearty, savoury broth with a quail's egg that bursts in your mouth, releasing creamy goodness that blends nicely with the soup.

1st Course
FROM THE GARDEN
avocado espuma, crabmeat, edible soil, assorted sprouts

Yes, eat this! The edible soil is made with black olives. Dig all the way to the bottom for the crabmeat. The tasty combination I thought would go very well with the breads.

Various types of breads (I like the dark rye/spelt best) and olives, served at the beginning but thankfully not taken away during the meal.

2nd Course
FROM THE HAWKER
pork rib soup, pork bun & red radish

This is Chef Stephan's take on bak kut teh.

It's like no bak kut teh you'll ever see. The key elements are there - soy in "caviar" spheres, the light soup, pieces of pork, a tender boiled egg, and more pork in the dumpling. But all executed so differently. And there's no heavy garlic or pepper here.

Or maybe those are in here - the mantou-like fried bun with gently spicy shredded pork.

3rd Course
FROM THE SEA
pearl garoupa en sous vide, golden cup mushrooms, wild amaranth

Every dish looks so beautiful. This is locally sourced pearl garoupa, and it's a dense, meaty slab. The texture is not flake-away soft like steamed fish, but it is prepared differently. We all loved the intensely seasoned golden cup mushrooms. All of this is sourced locally.

4th Course
FROM THE LAND
farm chicken breast, 63 degrees egg yolk, rice paper, sesame powder, soy gel, coriander leaves

Chicken rice! The bowl of fragrant rice appeared first (not shown here), and we all wondered if it was real rice, or something that looks like rice but is some surprise in diguise. It was rice.

The chicken is really tender (must be sous vide), and the egg is quite unusual. Rather many runny eggs. Oh I really loved that chili sauce that my hand model Leroy is squeezing out from the tube. I want to buy that in jars! It's got that "just right" amount of chili heat. The only thing I didn't know how to appreciate was the sesame powder. I felt the dryness had robbed the sesame of its oily fragrance.

5th Course
THE FAT OF THE LAND
crocodile en sous vide, spring onions, cactus, black fungus mushroom, rat tail noodles

The last course is crocodile! Yes, local crocodile - Singapore has crocodile farms. This meat is from the tail, so it's meaty and muscular, very unlike the crocodile paw I had. These slices of crocodile will taste surreal at first. We pondered a while how to describe them - they taste like chicken, but with the texture of beef - steak in particular. (The crocodile paw tastes like pork trotters!)

Meanwhile there are some "bee tai mak" or "lou shee fun" (rat tail noodles) that Chef made himself. The al dente texture caught us by surprise at first, but I quite like it.

And then came pre-dessert.

Pre-dessert
THE SWEET SIDE OF SINGAPORE
hibiscus flavoured tofu, melon gazpacho, compressed melons, aloe vera

It's no ordinary pre-dessert.

It was accompanied by a large bowl of dried hibiscus with dry ice. Dramatic!

The cool wisps made you feel like you're in heaven...for a while.

These were so sweet and fragrant (almost like hawthorn), that I enjoyed the "scentsation" almost more than the edible portion (hibiscus tofu earlier)!

6th Course
SG BACK IN TIME
black sesame micro sponge, soy bean ice cream

This micro sponge cake takes only minutes to make! But you need an espuma canister. Spritz out the dough mixture and nuke it for a minute or so, and voila. Nice with the soy bean ice cream. Both not too sweet, thankfully.

Petit Fours
LOLLIPOPS
durian and kaya toast

Dinner still ended on a sweet note though. I think these lollipops brought us back in time to our own childhood. The durian one is more fragrant, but kaya toast one is pleasantly delicate. These are moist cake balls coated with flavoured white chocolate.

There's no wine pairing (since there aren't local wines!) but you can enjoy 4 juices (Garden, Sea, Land and Underground) specially paired with the Earth Day menu, at additional $20++.

There's always a complimentary takeaway too. But I'll leave that as a secret for you to discover.

Novus is a really lovely, romantic place, especially at night. What a venue to celebrate Earth Day with loved ones.

Earth Day's messages of sustainability and environmental conservation should be remembered all year round. While there isn't enough local produce to power the restaurant industry, it can always be incorporated in little areas where possible.

Local produce is also more expensive, since the scale of farming is small. So I was surprised to find the six course dinner is priced at only S$88++ per person. I personally thought Chef Stephan outdid himself with certain elements in this delightful menu. I think a lot of work went into planning and putting this together.

Novus is usually closed Sundays but will be specially open for this dinner on Earth Day. Last year, the restaurant turned five; you can see my previous review here.

NOVUS RESTAURANT, BAR, CAFE & COURTYARD
National Museum of Singapore
93 Stamford Road #01-02
Singapore 178897
Tel: +65 6336-8770
Open 11:30am – 2:30pm; 6:30 – 10:30pm (Closed on Sundays, except for Earth Day!)

Many thanks to FoodNews and Novus for the dinner and warm hospitality!

Spa Park Asia at Grand Park City Hall - Promo for Readers

2012-04-16T16:19:00.002+08:00

There's nothing like a spa treatment to complete a staycation. The Grand Park City Hall has Spa Park Asia right on its premises. Some of you may remember St Gregory Spa that used to be here. The management changed but many of the staff are still here.

I got to try their signature award-winning treatment - a two-hour long therapeutic experience comprising Asian massage techniques (Ayurvedic, Chinese Tui Na, Indonesian, Shiatsu and Thai), a hydrating Body Polish and a cleansing Back Masque.

You are served a cup of warm lemongrass tea which helps to aid digestion and calm the senses, just before your treatment.

This is the couple room. I gave my helper a treat - she chose to have a mask instead of the full treatment.

The two therapists who attended to me are one of the longest standing employees there, and are extremely experienced local Singaporeans who speak English well. They are almost like your caring aunts. One of them is in her 60s but doesn't look a day over 45. She still has strong hands!

The Spa has a special promo for Camemberu readers too.

· Decleor Madagascan Red Island Escape – 90 min treatment @ S$135+ per person at Spa Park Asia (Regular price is S$200+)

· Brief description:
To revitalize, smooth and soften the skin. A ritual with a strong sensorial dimension directly inspired from the rich and resourceful nature of Madagascar Island.
Exfoliating gestures performed with fruit seeds, an ingenuous combination of fruit powders including apricot, orange, spices such as cinnamon and argan, essential oils including grape, sunflower and apricot to leave the body silky soft.
A cocooning massage technique follows where the hands of the beauty therapist combined with a 100% natural Aromessence Relax Aromatic Massage Balm expertly relieve tension and knots in muscles, to induce feelings of comfort and relaxation.

· Validity: Redeem by 31 May 2012

· For reservations, please call (65) 6593 6938 or email spa@parkhotelgroup.com and quote ‘Camemberu’ as the offer code.

SPA PARK ASIA
Grand Park City Hall
10 Coleman Street
Singapore 179809