Chubby Hubby

The best way to cook tuna

2006-06-04T22:47:00.000+08:00

Don't. Don't cook it. Because tuna, I believe, should be eaten raw. Cooked tuna, for the most part, to me at least, isn't appetizing. A grilled tuna steak, while popular in many places, turns me off. Cooking tuna usually turns this succulent, soft, and delicious fish into a hard, tough and tasteless thing. Searing tuna is a trendy attempt by chefs to reach a compromise between serving the fish raw, as it should be, and cooked, which is how far too many of their guests expect their fish to be served. I'm not one for seared tuna. For one, it's far too chi-chi. And more importantly, unless you're searing an incredibly fatty piece of toro, I don't really think the process adds any additional or necessary flavor to the fish.

The best way to eat a great, fresh and fatty piece of tuna is raw, with some wasabi and soy sauce -- sashimi-style. Another good way, albeit also very trendy these days, is to have it in a tartare. The method of preparing tartares dates back to the Mongols, who brought the dish to Russia during the 13th century (when they invaded). Later, the German port of Hamburg received ships that visited Russia. The sailors brought back with them what they began to call "tartare steak". Even later, ships from Hamburg brought a cooked version to New York. This, as you can guess, is where hamburgers came from.

A tartare is essentially a mixture of a finely chopped raw meat and a number of other ingredients. Sort of like really yummy baby food.

Ever since my wife S and I got a copy of Nancy Oakes' cookbook Boulevard, I've wanted to make her Trio of Tuna Tartares. They sounded and looked delicious. The first one is a jalapeno and ginger tartare (pictured at bottom left in the photo). The second is what Ms Oakes calls a spicy red chili tartare (top left). The third is a shiitake and white soy tartare (the one on the right). While relatively easy to make, I discovered a small problem with Ms Oakes' recipes. Basically, the quantity of other ingredients she calls for is far too much for the amount of tuna she requires for each tartare. I found myself tweaking each recipe substantially, cutting back on some ingredients while substituting a few others.

The end results, fortunately, were very good. We used a combination of toro (fatty tuna) and normal tuna. S enjoyed the shiitake and white soy tartare best. I liked them all. If asked to choose a favorite, I'd probably say the jalapeno and ginger tartare. I liked the combination of jalapeno peppers, ginger, sweet chili sauce, lime and avocado. We served the tartares with deep-fried wonton skins. These tartares are excellent as starters or canapés. The leftovers are also fantastic served over a bowl of piping hot rice.

Trio of Tuna Tartares
Serves 8

Jalapeno and ginger tartare
170g sashimi-grade tuna, diced finely
3 small jalapeno peppers, seeded, deribbed and diced
1/2 tablespoon grated young ginger
4 tablespoons grape seed oil
2 tablespoons Thai sweet chili sauce
1.5 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 ripe avocado
juice of half a lime

Combine the tuna, jalapeno, ginger, oil, chili sauce, soy and vinegar in a bowl. Mash the avocado in another small bowl and add the lime juice. Stir this into the tuna mixture.

Spicy red chili tartare
170g sashimi-grade tuna, diced finely
2/3 cup Japanese mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Chinese garlic chili paste (we used a chicken rice chili sauce)
1 sac of mentaiko
1 teaspoon spicy cucumber oil (optional)

Cut the mentaiko sac open and scrape all the roe into a bowl. Combine all the other ingredients in the bowl and mix well.

Shiitake and soy tartare
170g sashimi grade tuna, diced finely
150g fresh shiitake mushroom, stems removed and diced
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 tablespoon grape seed oil
4 teaspoons sesame oil
4 tablespoons thinly sliced scallions
1 tablespoon mixed black and white sesame seeds, toasted

Put the grape seed oil in frying pan and heat. Mix the diced shiitake with the soy and sesame oil. Pour the shiitake, soy and sesame oil into the grape seed oil and cook for 5 minutes or until the mushrooms are soft and tender. Set aside and let cool. Stir this together with the tuna, scallions and sesame seeds.

I found that prepping the tartares ahead of time and letting them sit in the refrigerator for an hour or two before serving really helps the flavors come together.

Chicken and cashews

2007-02-13T00:39:00.000+08:00

The most decadent summer of my life was probably the summer of 1993. I was in university then and instead of doing the responsible thing and finding a serious summer internship, I accepted an offer to spend the summer working at a beach resort. The resort, then part of the Pacific Islands Club group, was in Bang Tao Bay in Phuket, Thailand. For ten fun-filled weeks, I taught windsurfing and sailing and worked on my tan. As a Clubmate (yup, seriously, that's what the resort called its activities staff), I was also asked to participate in a range of other activities, many of them rather embarrassing. The Pacific Islands Clubs are inspired by Club Med. And just like at Club Meds, where the G.O.s (gentils organisateurs) perform in nightly shows for their guests, we Clubmates also put on some pretty God awful but amusing performances. Over the course of that summer, any inhibitions I had had about making a fool of myself in front of strangers were quickly shed.

Prancing around on stage like an idiot aside, the summer was a blast. I got to hang out on a gorgeous beach every day. I got to windsurf and sail as much as I wanted. I met some really interesting people who stayed with us at the resort. And I partied constantly. You have to understand that the Clubmates I worked with were a motley crew of good-looking, semi-athletic twenty-somethings who were, to paraphrase Thoreau, sucking the marrow out of life. We partied with the guests (well, the cool ones at least) and partied harder with each other.

On our nights off, we would inevitably drift to a bar in Phuket Town called The Timber Hut. The in-house band, fronted by a hyperkinetic ex-lawyer named Kurt, covered classic rock anthems. Our favourite was Hotel California. Whenever he played it, my colleagues (and me occasionally) would rush on stage and sing along, often changing the words from "Hotel California" to "Hotel P.I.C." The bar was always rocking. It was party-central for the foreigners who worked on the island, and we were all regulars. Our drink of choice was Mehkong-Coke and the one dish we always ordered when we were hungry was chicken and cashews, served with rice. It was a satisfying, simple dish that was not only delicious but would fill us up quickly and give us the energy to keep going all night long.

Today, I've put my all-night partying days long behind me. I wouldn't touch Mehkong whiskey even if you paid me to drink it. But I still love chicken and cashews. It is such an easy dish to make and it tastes so darned good. Best of all, when I eat it, I remember those carefree days of living large in the summer of '93.

Stir-fried chicken with cashew nuts
Kai phat met mamuang himmapaan

300grams chicken breast, sliced thinly
½ cup fried or roasted cashew nuts
¼ cup crisp-fried dried red chillies, cut into 1-centimetre lengths
1 red chilli, sliced diagonally
1 small onion, sliced
½ cup spring onion cut into 2.5-centimetre lengths
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1 ½ tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
2 tablespoons cooking oil
Fresh coriander for garnish

In a large pan, heat the cooking oil over a medium-high fire. When hot, throw in your garlic and stir until fragrant; don't let it burn. Add the chicken and stir. After a minute of two, or when the chicken pieces are all white, add the dried chillies, onion, spring onion, cashews, fish sauce, and dark soy. Cook, stirring, for an additional 3 to 4 minutes. Add more soy or fish sauce to taste. Serve over steamed rice and garnish with the sliced chilli and coriander.

Osaka (part 2 of 2)

2007-01-03T21:27:00.000+08:00

Zen tempura experience

I'm a big, big tempura lover so I made it a point to ask our hotel's amazing concierges to recommend a good place to eat tempura. They suggested Ippoh, which they said is both the city's best tempura restaurant and one of Osaka's oldest. I couldn't pass on the idea of eating in a restaurant with over 150 years of history. As with all things in Japan, the experience was expensive but worth it. Ippoh is housed in a lovely old building. Upon arrival, S and I were asked to remove our shoes and were brought to a small tatami room. There, we were served one course, a refreshing soup. Then we were asked to leave our coats and our bags and were brought to another private room. Here we were served a gomatofu with wasabi and prawns. This was followed by a trio of artfully plated cooked food.

After that, we were brought to a third room. This one had a tempura bar with space for 6 people. The chef introduced himself and then proceeded to prepare our tempura on the spot. I have to say that after eating freshly made (and well-made) tempura, it is hard to go back to eating mediocre versions. The tempura was excellent, served crisp and hot. The chef instructed us which items were to be eaten with sauce, salt or no seasoning at all. We were each given prawns, a couple of fish, lotus root, gingko nut, fish roe wrapped in shiso, sweet potato, prawn wrapped in shiso, namafu (a glutinous rice flour and wheat flour dumpling), leeks, and a red bean pastry. We also had a side plate of sashimi and, to end the meal, a "tendon" (chopped up prawn and vegetable tempura served on rice). As said, the tempura was fantastic, but we thought that the other tidbits served us were okay but nothing special. All in all, this is a memorable (and of course) place to visit at least once.

Sushi heaven

If we could have, S and I would have eaten at Endo Sushi every day. Sadly, we were in Osaka from a Thursday to a Monday and it was closed on Sunday and we had to leave our hotel by 8am on Monday. Anyway, we did have brunch here on both Friday and Saturday. This tiny sushi bar is located in the carpark next to the Central Wholesale Market. It is open from 5am - 2pm.

You order by the plate here. Each one comes loaded with 5 fat pieces of sushi, chosen by the chef. One piece, however, will always be a wickedly fresh slice of otoro (fatty tuna). On the table, there are brushes soaking in bowls of soya sauce. You are encouraged here to brush your sushi with sauce instead of dipping, which makes perfect sense since most people wrongly dip their rice and not the fish into the sauce. At 1,000 Yen per plate, Endo is also one of the best bargains in Osaka. I really can't say how much S and I loved this place. This is a must-visit!

Another fantastic place, albeit much more ritzy (no pun intended), for sushi is Hanagatami at the Ritz-Carlton Osaka. S and I enjoyed an amazingly serene sushi lunch at this gorgeous and deceptively large restaurant. Hanagatami has a small sushi bar, an equally small tempura bar (which I plan on lunching at next trip instead of going to Ippoh), and a large area serving Kyoto-style Kaiseki meals. Sitting at the sushi bar, you don't even notice the rest of the restaurant. And as you would expect at a Ritz-Carlton, everything from the food to the service was perfect.

Yummy shio ramen

I'm a magazine junkie (which comes from having spent a decade in that industry); I like looking at magazines even if they are in languages I don't understand. I love looking at layouts and photography. One of the magazines that had been thoughtfully placed in my hotel room was the latest copy of GQ Japan. In it, there was an article on top ramen shops in the country's major cities. When I noticed that two of them had Osaka telephone prefixes, I quickly asked my concierge where they were located and if he had heard of them. One of them, in fact, was a less than 10 minute walk from where we were staying! We found Berashio easily and were thrilled by it. Berashio specializes in shio ramen. S ordered one with extra roast pork while I picked a Winter special, which came with pork, leeks, mushrooms, grilled scallops (yum!) and a pat of butter. We loved that they charcoal-grilled the scallops and pork in front of us. The stock was lovely and if it wasn't for the fact that the portions were so filling, I would have loved to have sampled other variations. This reasonable ramen restaurant is definitely worth a visit.

Shabu-Shabu

On our last night, a friend arranged a large group dinner at a good, reasonable and very casual shabu-shabu restaurant called Udon-chiri Nishiya Iori. The beef was lovely and the restaurant was relaxed and reasonably priced.

There are of course many more restaurants in Osaka we didn't visit. Four that I want to go back to try are Kawazoe, Nishi, the Harijyu Curry Restaurant (I was very excited by the huge line), and Becasse, a sexy-sounding French restaurant.

Sleeping

In Osaka, the best hotel (and the only one my friends recommended to me when I was looking for a place to stay) is the Ritz-Carlton, Osaka. This perpetually busy hotel is fantastically well-located in Umeda and is brilliantly appointed. It was perfect in December, right before the holidays. The lobby is furnished with a nod to 18th and 19th Century European opulance. The rooms, by contrast, are classic and very comfortable. The hotel has 4 pretty stunning restaurants, a Japanese, a French, a Chinese and an Italian. It also has two bars and a lobby lounge. The wine bar is really cool; it offers 25 different wines by the glass, including some pretty ultra-premium labels, stuff that you'd normally need to buy a whole bottle to taste. If you can swing it, get access to the Club Lounge on the 34th floor. It's very plush and comfy and they serve drinks and food throughout the day. Be warned though; all your fellow guests will be similarly circling the food tables waiting for the next delicious something-or-other that will come out from the hotel's kitchens. When we visited, the hotel was completely full. Amazingly, 90% of the Ritz-Carlton Osaka's business is domestic. Fortunately, everyone here spoke English perfectly (which is not the case for the rest of the city). And the concierges are amazing. Without their help, we wouldn't have been able to navigate our way through Osaka. These tireless and always helpful women made recommendations for us, made reservations, printed maps and gave us more help than I have ever gotten from any other concierge in any other city. Their help alone made staying at the Ritz a joy. (If and when you go Osaka and want to go to some of the places I've written about in this or the previous post, I suggest asking your own concierge for help. If you stay at the Ritz, I guarantee you'll have no problem.)

Shopping

Osaka really amazed both S and I. We thought that Singaporeans lived to eat and shop. Well, they don't hold a candle to the people that populate Osaka. The city was a buzzing, utterly mad, utterly wonderful, eating and shopping playground. The city's two major shopping districts, Umeda and Shinsaibashi, were packed throughout our entire stay. The stores were full and the cash registers were ringing like crazy. The stores were also full of much cooler stuff than what we get here. Among our favourites were the 0101 department store in Namba for cool Japanese women's fashion, Hankyu department store in Umeda for men's shoes, the Tomorrowland store on Mido-Suji for really chic men's and women's fashion, and Doguya-suji and Hankyu department store for some nifty Japanese kitchen tools. Also, as expected, all the food halls in the department stores were pretty jaw-dropping. S especially liked the ones in Sogo in Shinsaibashi and Takashimaya in Namba. I can't even begin to describe the sheer joy we had going from pastry counter to pastry counter snacking on gorgeous and delicious sweets. In a class of its own, though, is the food hall in the basement of the Hanshin department store. More like a giant market, this food hall was simply amazing. You can get everything there from fresh produce to specialty cooked foods. Unfortunately, it's also perpetually packed. You'll spend just as much time elbowing your way through the crowds as you will trying to buy stuff to snack on.

A drink after all that food

Finally, I had to mention what is one of the coolest bars I have ever been to. There are 3 B Bars in Japan. Owned and operated by Baccarat, these sleek and stylish bars are located next to the French crystal brand's stores in Tokyo and Osaka. The Osaka B Bar is in Hilton Plaza East in Umeda. From the Ritz-Carlton, it's a short 10 minute walk. The bars are gorgeously moody and dark. Spotlights highlight each patron's drinks, which are served, as expected, in Baccarat crystal glasses. For those of us who can't afford a collection of high-priced crystal, it's a great chance to feel and use their products. The drinks, by the way, are also perfectly made and simply delicious.

Wacha: a cute new Japanese boutique and restaurant

2007-02-04T23:40:00.000+08:00

My wife S and I have realized, over the years, that we eat more Japanese food than any other cuisine when dining out. While we have perennial favourites (like Tatsuya, Nanjya Monjya, Kandagawa, and Shunjuu), we're always thrilled to discover a new and noteworthy Japanese restaurant. Last week, after visiting a friend's shop, we spied an interesting new business across the street. Sauntering over, we were quite excited by what we discovered. Wacha is part shop, part restaurant. The front half of the space is a boutique specializing in Japanese lacquer and porcelain. In the corner of this room is a small dining counter with a half-dozen chairs. Wacha's second room contains a small, lovely and bright tea and sake salon. There are two tables which can comfortably seat four persons each. In addition, there is a small basement room with additional porcelain and lacquer pieces plus one little table, also for four.

Wacha's menu is very small but very reasonably priced. In addition to the à la carte items, there is also a daily tasting menu available. And at just S$30 for five courses, it's one of the best (and best-tasting) deals in town. S and I couldn't help but return to Wacha the very next day for dinner with a friend. We each ordered the daily menu as well as a couple orders of sake.

Our first course came in the most beautiful little baskets. Each basket had six little appetizers, all very tasty and perfect accompaniments to the delicious sake we had ordered (Hakkaisan junmai-ginjo). I especially liked the potato salad and the tamago (omelet).

Our next course was a simmered dish. It had chicken, tofu, and leeks. It was also delicious. The chicken was beautifully savory and tender. The clean flavour of the tofu was a perfect counterpoint to it.

Our third course really made me happy. We were presented with small dishes of macaroni and ham gratin. Talk about comfort food! The gratin was deliciously rich and totally hit the spot. The macaroni was followed by a plate of seasoned daikon and greens. I have to say that while I wasn't a big fan of this dish, both S and our friend really liked it. Our friend P really liked that the daikon, which had a light sesame seasoning, worked as a good palate cleanser.

Our final course was a bowl of green tea fried rice served with a clear soup with mushrooms. Both dishes were excellent. Dessert wasn't included in the set dinner, so P asked for an order of green tea cheesecake while S had the dessert sampler, three different dishes with a cup of green tea.

Barely a month old, Wacha is a gem of a find. Both the products sold in the boutique and the food they serve are marvelous. But please, if you go, bear in mind that this is a tiny place with just a few seats and three staff members. Also note that they only open at 2pm. This certainly isn't the kind of place you storm into expecting fast service and a quick bite. Only go to Wacha if you're prepared to enjoy a quiet, leisurely meal. If you do, you'll be rewarded. The service is relaxed and polite. The food is really good and it's all served in beautiful lacquer plates and bowls. We really like this little place. We like it so much we originally didn't want to tell anyone about it. But a place this cool shouldn't be kept secret.

Wacha
14 Ann Siang Road
#01-01
Singapore 069694
Tel: +65 6438 1553
Open 2pm - 11pm Monday - Saturday

Quentin's

2007-02-10T10:42:00.000+08:00

The other night, a good family friend took my folks, my wife S and me out for dinner. They had been raving about a small, new Eurasian restaurant on East Coast Road (Singapore). Because C, one of our two hosts, is Eurasian herself, we knew we could trust that the food would definitely be above average.

For those who might not be all that familiar with Singapore, while the term Eurasian commonly means someone of European and Asian descent, in Singapore the term most often refers to the descendents of mixed marriages between local women and the Portuguese, Dutch and British men who came and settled in Singapore during its colonial period. Over time, the Eurasians here have developed a distinct culture and, of course, cuisine. Some of the dishes they are most well-known for include Devil's curry, Feng, Sugee Cake and Smore (a beef dish not a sandwich of toasted marshmallow, graham crackers and chocolate).

Historically, the area around East Coast Road was a Peranakan and Eurasian enclave. These days, while it is much more diverse, many Peranakans and Eurasians still call this neighborhood home. The ones who do are also fiercely loyal to the area. To these loyalists, this neigborhood is not only the only one they would consider living in but simply the best, most attractive place to be. Over dinner, C, a typical example of the East Coast Road Eurasian, asked my father if he knew which was the only part of Singapore that never floods. "The east coast, of course," she replied proudly when he said he did not know the answer. My wife S, who grew up living in various parts of Singapore's east coast, retorted that some parts do flood, pointing out certain examples from her childhood. "Ah," C replied, "but we don't really consider those areas to really be a part of the East Coast." Of course, she was referring only to her own neighborhood.

Quentin's could not have picked a better location. It's on East Coast Road, facing two very popular restaurants (Magarita's and Al Forno East Coast). The restaurant is simple and very casual. And most importantly, the food is good. We had several dishes (I apologize for the crappy photographs; I had to shoot quickly because everyone was hungry and wanted to tuck in), including a wonderful eggplant dish called Patchri (fried and topped with a sweet and spicy sauce); a chicken stew (the only not great dish of the night); prawns with pineapple and curry that were terrific; a battered fried dory served with a sweet, spicy and lemongrass enhanced sauce; long beans; Quentin's hot fry, a very tasty, spicy chicken stir-fry; and Quentin's meaty cutlets. These cutlets were actually two giant balls of potato and corned beef that had been deep-fried. While scary, I actually kind of liked them. My mother on the other hand was rather appalled by them.

All in all, it was a delicious meal. Quentin's is a great place for a simple, fuss-free, super casual meal with friends and family. It's also one of the few good Eurasian restaurants in town, which makes it worth a try.

Quentin's
425 East Coast Road
Singapore
Tel: 1-800-QUENTIN or 6346 1837
Open daily: 11.00am to 2.30pm for Lunch and 6.00pm to 10.30pm for Dinner.

Shopping news

2007-01-28T19:59:00.000+08:00

Singapore-based gourmands will be excited to know that Pantry Magic is opening the doors of its first Singapore shop on Monday, 29 Janaury 2007. For those who haven't visited one of their two stores in Hong Kong or its shop in Taiwan, Pantry Magic is a (relatively) new, Asian chain specializing in cooks' tools.

My darlin' wife S and I dropped by the new store while the proprietors were unpacking their wares and setting up their displays. It was pretty exciting to see all the gorgeous product just waiting for eager beavers like me to buy and bring home.

S was especially interested in the wide range of bakeware available while I was literally drooling over the gleaming copper pots and pans filling the store's shelves. We also really liked the roasting pans that they'll be selling. It's hard to find nice pans with upright handles. The store has a pretty amazing range of product. The prices are pretty impressive as well. Because Pantry Magic manufactures a good deal of their own wares, they are able to price their items at 30%-40% less than similar, imported products.

Pantry Magic Pte Ltd.
43 Jalan Merah Saga
Chip Bee Gardens #01-80
Singapore
Tel: 6471 0566

Curried Shrimp

2007-02-01T23:25:00.000+08:00

I’ve written previously that I’m a huge fan of Harry’s Bar in Venice. No trip to La Serenissima, to me, is complete without a stop into this famous restaurant and bar. Ideally, I’ll find time for a leisurely dinner with friends. At the very least, I’ll drop in for a quick Bellini and a Croque Monsieur. Of course, I’m not alone in loving Harry’s Bar. For decades, this little two-story eatery has been a must-visit for countless gourmands, celebrities, writers, and (of course) tourists.

But for every Harry’s Bar supporter, there are another two or three people that like to deride and criticize the historic institution. The biggest complaints are high prices; the number of tourists packing the place; bad food; and poor service. I agree the prices are high. But so long as people are willing to pay (and the restaurant is full every night), then the restaurant has every right to charge whatever it wants. Yes, there is an annoyingly high number of tourists, but fortunately, most of them stay downstairs, having popped in only for a quick drink; book a table upstairs and dine with the locals. I’ve eaten at Harry’s Bar in Venice several times and I have never, ever been disappointed by my food. But maybe my standards are lower than other people’s. As for the service, I don’t think it’s so much rude as it is brisk. Which given how crowded and busy the restaurant gets is fine with me.

My love for Harry’s Bar began 14 years ago. I was in University then. Three friends and I decided to head to Italy for Spring Break. Tickets round-trip from New York were only US$200. Our itinerary was Milan, Florence and Venice, with a few stops at scenic locations in between. We stayed in dirt-cheap places, hostels and pensions that charged us no more than US$4-US$10 per person a night. Fortunately, I had found 3 friends who were as in love with good food as I was (one of them would go on to help me start our school’s culinary society). We had agreed at the start of the trip that we would spend as little as possible on our accommodation and travel but splurge on our meals.

Two of my father’s closest friends, Mr & Mrs M, a wonderful couple who split their time between New York and Europe, were regulars at both Cirpriani’s in New York and at Harry’s in Venice. They were also my guardians during my time in university. Very fortunately for me, this meant that they regularly treated me to exceptional meals all over New York. They had brought me to Cirpriani’s several times. By the time I made my way to Venice for the very first time, I was already a huge fan of both the Bellini and the restaurant’s simple but delicious food.

The four of us walked up to Harry’s on a lovely Spring evening. I had totally forgotten by then that I had mentioned to Mr & Mrs M that my friends and I had made reservations there. From the second we gave my name to the manager just inside the door, we knew something strange was afoot. We were greeted like visiting rock stars and whisked immediately upstairs to what looked like the best table in the room. A round of Bellinis was presented as soon as we sat down. And then another as soon as we finished the first ones. The manager then stopped by and informed us that he had received a fax earlier that week from Mr & Mrs M. Not only was he asked to take extra special care of us, all of our drinks were both pre-ordered and paid for by the very generous Mr & Mrs M. After our Bellinis, we were presented with first one, then two bottles of La Scolca Gavi di Gavi (black label). Suffice it to say, we had an amazing and memorable dinner. And I’ve been a devoted fan ever since.

Each time I step into Harry's Bar, I can't help but remember that first meal I had there. More importantly, I think about a very kind and very generous older couple who spoiled me rotten and helped make me the foodie I am today. My favorite dishes are the tagliorini gratini al prosciutto (egg pasta with ham au gratin); scampi al curry (curried shrimp), carpaccio; seppie in tecia col nero (squid cooked in its own ink); salmone agli zucchini (poached salmon with zucchini sauce); fegato alla venezia (calf’s liver and onions); croque monsieur (ham and cheese sandwich); meringata al limone (lemon meringue pie); and torta di cioccolato (chocolate cake). All are classic, exceptional dishes. If you want to make these and other dishes, pick up a copy of the Harry's Bar Cookbook. It's an excellent, easy to follow book. And one that will make you want to visit Venice as soon as possible.

Harry’s Bar Curried Shrimp with Rice
2 pounds medium shrimps, peeled and veined (900g)
Salt and pepper
Flour for dredging
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon brandy
Curry sauce (see below)
¼ cup cream

Rinse the shrimps and dry them. Season with salt and pepper. Then dredge in flour. Shake them in a sieve to remove excess flour. Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the shrimps and cook, tossing constantly, until they turn pink and a tad brown. Pour off the oil, add the brandy, and ignite it. Swirl skillet until the flames die out. Add curry sauce and the cream to the pan and cook, stirring, until the sauce and shrimps are hot. Serve with rice pilaf.

Curry sauce
1/4 cup olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 leeks, white part only, washed and thinly sliced
1 carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
1 green apple, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
3 tablespoons brandy
salt
pepper
sugar (optional)
3-6 teaspoons curry powder, to taste
1/4 cup flour
3 cups fish stock, heated
1/2 cup heavy cream

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook the onion, leek and carrot in the oil for 6-8 minutes, or until the onions are soft. Add the apple, lower the heat a little, and cook for 20-30 minutes, or until the apple slices are very soft. Pour in the brandy and carefully flambé the ingredients in the pan. Then mix in the flour, curry powder (which should be adjusted to your own taste--because I like a slightly stronger flavor, I add 6 teaspoons), some salt and pepper (again, to taste) and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently. Whisk in the fish stock. I like to add a teaspoon or two of sugar, but this is optional. Cook uncovered over very low heat, again stirring frequently, for 30 minutes. Then strain the liquid into another saucepan. Stir in the cream and simmer for another 10 minutes.

A great gift and a very cool book

2007-01-28T18:44:00.000+08:00

It's always wonderful to find something really cool that you can't wait to not only buy for yourself but also for as many friends as possible. The other day, S came home with the cutest new book. Irene's Peranakan Recipes, published by uber-cool design and custom-publishing firm Epigram, was originally produced as a Christmas gift for the company's clients. The very slick and slim volume was so well-received that Epigram has since decided to release the book for sale to the general public.

As design addicts, S and I were thrilled by Irene's Peranakan Recipes. While published in just 2 colors, it is gorgeously designed, with artful borders and cute illustrations. Everything from the choice of fonts to the fill-in-the-blanks shopping pages are stylishly and artfully well-thought out.

Not only is this great little book beautifully designed, it was produced with a lot of love. The project was brought to Epigram by Singapore Symphony Orchestra oboist Elaine Yeo. The recipes are her late mother's. Irene Yeo was a Teochew housewife and active volunteer who, in her later years, taught very popular cooking classes. I have to admit that I haven't had time to test Ms Yeo's recipes yet. S and I have already flagged a number of things we're itching to try. Hopefully, we'll get to them as soon as possible.

In the meantime, we'll be picking up a couple more copies to give to friends in the upcoming weeks. Irene's Peranakan Recipes makes a gorgeous and very cool gift. Currently, the book is available in most major bookstores in Singapore.

Best restaurants results (finally)

2006-11-15T23:10:00.000+08:00

Six months ago, in response to the way that Restaurant Magazine fashioned its annual list of "The World's Fifty Best Restaurants", I launched a little survey of my own. Through its results, I hoped to celebrate the very best restaurants (as well as our favourites) in Asia-Pacific. I also hoped that the results would held publicize a lot of restaurants that deserve to be as well-known as their counterparts in the West.

I know that I'm incredibly late with the results, but a lot has happened in the last six months. And as they say, better late than never.

Some of the final results were predictable, but some of them were surprising (to me), especially the results for our favourite restaurants. I should say right from the start that, like all surveys, these results are hardly definitive. They are simply the sums and averages of the responses of a number of your peers. They are also biased towards certain countries due entirely to the number of respondents from specific places (like Singapore, for example). I'd like to do this survey again and again. I hope that with each annual edition the number of respondents grows larger and larger. And with a wider pool, the results should become more trustworthy and less biased.

I've divided the top-rated restaurants into 3 tiers. Instead of toques or stars (or chopsticks), I'm awarding woks. Only two restaurants this year have earned the highest rating of 3 woks. Nine restaurants earned 2 woks and sixteen restaurants earned 1 wok. A rating of 1 wok, I should say, is still pretty outstanding. There were many more restaurants that didn't get enough votes to qualify even for this rating.

Best in the region!

Tetsuya's, Sydney, Australia
Tetsuya Wakuda's eponymous restaurant blew all the other restaurants in this survey away, garnering up to 10 to 20 times as many votes as many others. This self-trained Japanese chef's innovative cuisine is, quite simply, genius.

Iggy's, Singapore
The only other restaurant with close to as many votes as Tetsuya's was Iggy's. No surprise that owner Ignatius Chan is one of Tetsuya's buddies. Iggy and his chef Dorin Schuster serve wonderfully brilliant contemporary cuisine in a charming and clubbish space in the Regent Hotel, Singapore.

Excellent!

Hua Ting, Singapore
Jean-Georges, Shanghai
La Petite Cuisine, Taipei
Lei Garden, Singapore
Les Amis, Singapore
Oso, Singapore
Saint Pierre, Singapore
Whampoa Club, Shanghai
Xi Yan, Hong Kong

Very good!

Au Jardin Les Amis, Singapore
Circa The Prince, Melbourne
Fook Lam Moon, Hong Kong
Il Lido, Singapore
Imperial Treasure, Singapore
Kee Club, Hong Kong
Marque, Sydney
Opia, Hong Kong
Palladio, Shanghai
Quay, Sydney
Robuchon a Galera, Macau
Shimpei, Tokyo
Third Floor, Kuala Lumpur
Vue du Monde, Melbourne
Yung Kee, Hong Kong
Zanotti, Bangkok

The restaurants that topped our list of favourites in Asia-Pacific were a little different from the ones that topped our list of "best restaurants". There were a few restaurants, as you would expect, that made both lists. But while our voters named two chic high-end restaurants as the region's best, when asked to name their favourite places to eat, casual cafes and eateries reigned supreme. I've divided the favourites into just two groups.

Our favourite three restaurants (with equal votes) are the Din Tai Fungs in Shanghai and Taipei; the Greyhound Cafes in Bangkok; and Icebergs Dining Room and Bar in Sydney.

The next group consists of 10 restaurants. They are Akashi in Singapore; Biscotti in Bangkok; Bistrot Moncur in Sydney; Da Paolo in Singapore; Ember in Singapore; Kee Club in Hong Kong; Kuriya in Singapore; Tetsuya's in Sydney; The Cliff in Singapore; and Yung Kee in Hong Kong.

Many thanks to everyone who took part in this year's survey. I hope that you agree with some, if not most, of the results. If you don't, then please take part in next year's survey.

Teen titans

2007-01-25T21:32:00.000+08:00

Sean preparing Prarie Oysters

Several weeks ago, S and I attended a pretty extraordinary dinner. It was a private affair, held at the house of a friend of a friend. Our meal was prepared by two chefs. Upon arrival, we were asked to select one of three cocktails, a blood and sand (scotch, orange juice, white vermouth, cherry marnier), a white velveteen (frangelico, white cranberry, vodka) or a Georgia mint julep (mint, cognac, apricot liqueur). After our (very strong but tasty) drinks, we were presented with menus that got our juices flowing. Dinner was going to be a 13 course affair with what looked like some pretty complex dishes. A meal like this would have impressed S and me no matter who was cooking. But given that the two chefs were teen boys, we were pretty much gobsmacked.

Borthers Jonathan and Sean Gwee, aged 18 and 15 respectively, are both articulate, polite, and obviously intelligent. They're also serious foodies. When we met, Jonathan was half-way through reading Harold McGee's On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen. Younger bro Sean was working his way through Hervé This' Molecular Gastronomy. Now, I have both books. I've gotten through maybe a chapter of McGee's and haven't even opened This' work yet. And while I do intend to get to them one day, I will admit that both books are a tad intimidating.

The brothers Gwee have been cooking for years. Jonathan is most interested in pastry and dessert while Sean is into preparing meaty main courses. Last year, at the urging of family and friends, the brothers began to offer ridiculously well-priced, private degustation dinners.

Jonathan serving lemon foam

Here's the menu they served us, as written on their menu: Paté, chicken and duck livers with roasted butternut squash; Reduction of Salad, roast parsnip with thyme sauce, roast shallot with parmesan wafer, tomato jam with garlic crouton; Garlic Velouté, browned garlic soup; Prairie Oyster, raw egg with worcestershire sauce; Deconstructed Pork Belly, roasted salt pork, pork crackling and granny smith with demerera sugar sorbet; Risotto, flavoured with black olive and topped with buffalo mozzarella; Lemon, palate cleansing foam; Lamb, seared loin with pan fried gnocchi and red wine reduction; Beef, roast tenderloin glazed with marmalade accompanied by roots anna; Panna Cotta, with candied flower petals; Cannoli, filled with mascarpone and brandied cherries; Thyme, thyme ice-cream; and Chocolate, Valrhona Araguani chantilly. The food was impressive. It was executed confidently and deftly.

It was also presented with a good dose of humour. S and I were a little curious about the brothers' "Prarie Oyster". It's not that normal to serve your guests a hangover cure composed of raw egg at a dinner party. Younger brother Sean, assisted by a friend, brought out the raw eggs, a dozen glasses and a squeeze bottle of Worcesterchire sauce. He explained the origins of the Prarie Oyster while preparing each one -- essentially transferring each egg into a glass and squeezing the sauce over. He also advised us to bite into the yolk; it was the only way to appreciate the dish's flavours. When I did, I couldn't help but smile. The brothers had served us a mango-flavored version of Ferran Adria's very famous skinless ravioli, sauced with caramel. It was a cheeky, amusing, and impressive course. The boys are clearly fans of Adria and his peers. The "Chocolate" course turned out to be Adria's Frozen Chocolate Air (they found the recipe on the awesome Hungry in Hogtown. It was delicious. I couldn't believe how tasty, rich yet clean it was on the palate. The "Lemon" course was a yummy lemon foam.

My own personal favourite courses, besides the Chocolate, were the lamb with gnocchi, the panna cotta and the cannoli. I was particular impressed with Jonathan's cannoli shells. They were among the best I've ever eaten. Unfortunately, Jonathan is currently stuck in Basic Military Training, so the boys' private dining services have been put on hold for a while. When I last spoke with them, they said they might offer some mid-year and again at the end of the year. If you want more information, you can email them at sedentary@gmail.com (for Jonathan) and ultimited@hotmail.com (for Sean).

Rediscovering Indian food

2006-09-29T12:39:00.000+08:00

I'm a huge fan of Northern Indian food. Going to university in New York City meant that I lived partially on a staple diet of Chinese and Indian takeaway meals. My flatmate and I were pretty sick. At least my wife considers what we did pretty vile. Every few days we'd call our favourite neighborhood Punjabi palace and call in a couple orders of sag paneer, chicken tikka masala, butter chicken, keema, navrattan korma and dhal. Whatever we didn't eat immediately would get tossed in the freezer. Whenever we got a little peckish, we'd carve out some frozen Indian food, toss it onto a plate with some rice (pulled out of the fridge of course) and nuke it in the microwave. Instant meals for the next few days. When we ran out or when the food started looking a little too frostbitten, we'd simply pick up the phone and order some more.

It wasn't until I moved back to Asia that I discovered just how elegant and refined Northern Indian food could be. The food I tried was nothing compared to the schlop that I had ordered in week after week in university. It was beautiful. It was delicious. It had complex flavours and it was made with the freshest ingredients.

multani shorba

One of the very best exponents of innovative and artfully-crafted Northern Indian food is Chef Milind Sovani. Chef Sovani owns and runs an exquisite restaurant in Singapore called Song of India. Previous to opening Song of India, he was the head chef of Rang Mahal, an equally amazing and very well-known restaurant located in the Pan Pacific hotel. I like Chef Milind because he's a man on what he himself describes as "an important mission". And that mission is, as he puts it, "to showcase Modern Indian cuisine to the world."

gilawat kebab and saunfwale scallops

Sovani is trying to do for Indian food what chefs like Ducasse and Robuchon did for French food in the early 1990s. With total respect and understanding of his culture's cuisine and cuisine heritage, he tries to create new, lighter, more elegant and more beautiful dishes. His food is still authentically Indian. But it's a new Indian.

I also admire the fact that Sovani, through his menu, is also trying to introduce diners to foods from regions whose dishes are not usually seen on Indian restaurant menus. Take for example the cuisine of the Lucknow region. While Punjabi dishes are common on menus around the world, Lucknow food is hard to find outside of India. One of Sovani's signature dishes is Gilawat Kebab (pan-seared soft lamb kebabs). These kebabs are super-tender, gorgeous and tiny minced lamb patties. Sovani explained to me, on a recent visit, that about 60% of his menu at Song of India are indicative of what he calls Modern Indian cuisine. Another 20% are regional dishes that he believes you won't find in other restaurants. The last 20% are classics that he admits he has to have on his menu or else customers would complain. He'd love to remove them, but too many customers still expect an Indian restaurant to offer things like chicken tikka masala.

I recently had the pleasure of sitting down with Chef Sovani to plan a menu for a very special meal. Thanks to one of my very generous sponsors, I'll be hosting an exquisite 8-course Modern Indian dinner prepared by Sovani in an equally exciting space. The Miele Active Kitchen is one of the best kept secrets in Singapore. Built by Miele, makers of stunning German home appliances (I love, love, love their steam oven), it is a private dining room that seats 12 comfortably and boasts a beautiful open kitchen. Here, Chef Sovani and his team will be whipping up this meal right in front of me and my dining companions using all of Miele's super-cool kitchen equipment.

In addition, Chef Milind and I have also come up with a special 6-course menu that will be available at Song of India. Many of these dishes will also be served at our 8-course extravaganza. The menu is as follow: Jhinga Smamarkand (tiger prawn in caraway enhanced marinade) with mustard chilli-infused chickken tikka (tender tandoori chicken kebab in grainy mustard); multani shorba (Lucknavi chicken and lentil soup); gilawat kebab and saunfwale scallops (scallops with a fennel and coriander crust); cumin lemon sorbet; lobster moily (lemon-chilli lobster with a Keralan moily sauce) with lime leaf upma, madras onion & edamame stir-fry; and malai kulfi (Indian ice cream with saffron) with fresh fruits and minted honey. This menu, though, will only be available to OCBC cardmembers, starting from 1 October 2006. The price of the menu will be S$114+++ without wine and $144+++ with wines paired with the meal.

malai kulfi

I've had the pleasure of trying these dishes, of course, and all are yummy. The lobster was especially fantastic. And I'm always a sucker for a good, well-made kulfi. If you haven't been to Song of India you should try it at least once. It's a unique and delicious experience.

Song of India
33 Scotts Road, Singapore 228226
Tel: +65 68360055

Pork and pasta

2007-01-15T00:06:00.000+08:00

There's a specific word that, when I spy it on menus, always gets my juices flowing. And while it's overused a little these days and used inappropriately at times, I still get excited and just a little hungrier than normal when I see the word, "confit". I love foods that have been prepared this way. From Tetsuya's confit of ocean trout to a good old-fashioned duck confit, there's something simply satisfying about tucking into something that's been slow-cooked in fat and oils until it becomes soft and tender. Last week, S and I were on something of a confit kick. We decided to each make a confit dish. She worked on a quartet of duck legs while I tried out a recipe I've been dying to make for months, Justin Quek's pork neck confit.

The pork neck confit was a breeze to make. Marinating the pork neck takes just a few minutes; you then leave it alone for a half-day or so. The cooking process takes just an hour, after which you leave the pork alone while it cools. The only thing to watch out for is making sure the oil in which you are cooking the pork stays at a constant temperature (of 90 degrees Celsius). Store the pork for a day or so before eating. You can eat it as is, or slice it up and grill or fry it lightly.

The pork confit was delicious. S and I devoured it over 2 meals, one with friends and one by ourselves. We had it both times with pasta. The first time we made a super-simple but super-tasty dish. We tweaked a great recipe from Andrea Nguyen's Into the Vietnamese Kitchen for "Garlicky noodles with Maggi and butter". I'm not sure how many of you out there have cooked with or eaten foods with Maggi Seasoning sauce, but those of you who have will appreciate its umami savoriness. We added our pork confit and a fried egg to Ms Nguyen's easy-to-make recipe and created one helluva great comfort dish. For our friends, we made an awesome pork neck confit carbonara with a truffled pasta that we had surprisingly found at the Cold Storage in Raffles City (pictured at the top of the post). I love a good carbonara and the use of the confit in place of the usual pancetta made this a really rich and delicious dish.

As said, the pork neck confit was easy to make. It's delicious and versatile. I liked it so much that I've already bought another kilo of pork neck to make a fresh batch. This is something I plan on always having in my fridge.

Pork neck confit
1 kilogram pork neck
15 grams salt
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
3 bay leaves, crushed
1 sprig of thyme
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1 litre olive oil
1 litre grapeseed oil

Make the pork confit ahead of time. Clean and dry the pork neck. Season it by rubbing it with salt, garlic, bay leaves, thyme and pepper. Wrap the pork neck with cling film and refrigerate it for a minimum of 12 hours.

Heat the olive and grapeseed oils in a pot that is able to accommodate the pork neck. Maintain the temperature of the blend of oils at 90 degrees Celsius. Scrape the marinade off the pork, but do not wash it. Place the pork in the oil, make sure it is covered by the oil, and cook it for 1 hour.

After 1 hour, turn off the heat and leave the pork to cool in the oil. Transfer the pork and the oil to a metal container with a tight-fitting lid. Keep it sealed and refrigerated for 1 to 2 days before using it. This allows the flavours to develop.

Pork Neck Confit Truffled Fettucine Carbonara
Serves 4 as appetizers
1/2 pound fettuccine
300g pork neck confit, chopped into small pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
2-3 tablespoons white wine
2 eggs plus 1 egg yolks
1 cup grated parmesan
1 tablespoon Tetsuya Truffle Salsa
salt and pepper

Beat the eggs and egg yolk in a bowl large enough to accomodate the pasta later. Add the parmesan and a bit of salt and pepper, to taste. Fry the pork neck confit with the olive oil. When almost done, add the white wine and let simmer for a minute or so. Meanwhile, cook the pasta until al dente in salted water. When ready, drain and quickly toss into the egg and parmesan mix. Stir until the sauce is slightly cooked. Stir in the truffle salsa. Then toss in the hot pork confit and stir again. Serve immediately.

Garlicky noodles with Maggi, butter, pork neck confit and fried egg
Serves 4 as appetizers
1/2 pound fettuccine
salt
2.5 tablespoons Maggi Seasoning sauce
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 garlic cloves, minced
300g pork neck confit, sliced into thin pieces
4 eggs

Put the Maggi in a bowl large enough to later accomodate the pasta. Boil pasta in salted water until al dente. Drain and put in the bowl with the Maggi sauce. Use tongs to toss the noodles until the noodles absorb the sauce. In a 12 inch skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. When it foams, add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the noodles and stir, using tongs or chopsticks. Spread the noodles out, increase the heat to medium-high and let the noodles cook undisturbed for a minute. Give the noodles a good stir and repeat the searing one or two more times. Meanwhile, quickly grill the pork neck confit slices and fry the eggs sunny-side up. Serve the pasta immediately, topping each portion with the pork slices and a fried egg.

Four quick bites

2007-01-23T01:24:00.000+08:00

S and I are admittedly a little boring. When going out for a meal, we tend to prefer dining in familiar favourites than checking out new places. There's a lot less risk. There's nothing worse than shelling out hard-earned cash on an awful or disappointing experience. It's so much easier to simply return to places where you know you'll get good food and good service. It's also a sad truth that for every new, great restaurant there are another half dozen out there that just don't cut it.

That said, we do try to dine somewhere new every couple of weeks. Sometimes, we go to places because friends have recommended them highly. A few times, we'll simply chance upon an interesting place. Some other times, we'll check a place out because we know someone there -- a manager or a chef, for example. And then there is occasionally a restaurant that, because of the buzz around it, is a must-try. Since I started this blog, S and I agreed on a simple rule. If a place doesn't pan out, we don't write about it. We only write about a place if we like it or we think it has potential.

Here's a short list of four restaurants that S and I have recently discovered. Most are new; one is slightly older than the others. All are interesting places worth watching and trying.

Garuda Padang Cuisine
It's always exciting to see what Tung Lok founder Andrew Tjioe has up his sleeve. When I heard that he was opening a nasi padang restaurant (and the group's first halal restaurant), I was both curious and excited. Garuda Padang Cuisine, located in Cairnhill Place, is actually a franchise of a successful nasi padang restaurant that was started in Medan in the mid-1970s. For those unfamiliar with this kind of cuisine, it's essentially rice served with a large variety of cooked foods, ranging from rendangs to curries. I dined at Garuda last week with my wife S and two friends. While it may be a little spartan, I like the all white and grey interiors of the large restaurant. I also enjoyed the food. Everything we ate was good. S and I liked that nothing was too spicy, which meant that we could really taste and appreciate the flavours in the various dishes we tried. And we tried a lot of things. Because the portions here are tiny, we ended up having to order a ton of food. Dinner worked out to roughly $34 a person--not exactly a steal, if you're accustomed to the prices you pay for nasi padang served at a coffeeshop, but it's pretty good value given that you're dining in a restaurant. I liked the ambience (especially that it was air-conditioned) and the food was good. S and I will definitely be coming back and we hope that you too will give it a try.

Garuda Padang Cuisine
Cairnhill Place #02-01 (Ground Level), 15 Cairnhill Road, Tel: 6735-4111

Garuda has opened a newer, smaller branch in Vivocity already:
Vivocity #B2-28, 1 Harborfront Walk, Tel: 6376-9595

Borgo
S and I had been told that Borgo was worth a visit by many friends. This tiny, homey Italian restaurant, nestled into a crowded little stretch of Bukit Timah Road, opened in the middle of last year. It's almost embarrassing that it took us 6 months to try Borgo, but we're really happy we finally did. Borgo is small and when it's crowded, it can get a little ridiculously noisy. But the food is good. I'd even say it's better than good. It's not fancy fare though. Which is not a bad thing. The food here is simple, hearty and very tasty. I especially like the char-grilled homemade sausages. Amusingly, S prefered the chicken sausage while I preferred the pork one, which made it a cinch to share. I also like the cheese ravioli with "a light cheese sauce". These were deliciously savory and filling. I'll admit that S and I have only tasted a small range of Borgo's menu. We're looking forward to trying more dishes in the coming months. After all, I have a lot of eating to catch up on.

Borgo
789 Bukit Timah Road, Tel: 6466-7762

Novus
Easily one of the prettiest new restaurants in town, Novus also has one of the best locations imaginable. Novus sits off the main rotunda of the newly renovated National Museum. The long, narrow room is divided in half. On one side is a sleek bar; on the other, on a slightly raised platform, is the bright, airy, and refined dining room. The food at Novus is elegant and contemporary. Aussie Executive Chef Dan Masters, German Executive Sous Chef Phillip Meisel, and their team are obviously highly competent at turning out beautifully plated and delicious European dishes. I really like the seared scallops with braised pork belly and chestnut puree. The pork was cooked to meltingly-soft perfection. The duck rillette is also very well-made. Another great dish -- albeit a pricey one -- is the slipper lobster served with slow-roasted veal. When I had this, the veal was prepared beautifully. Also good is the crispy-skinned seabass served with a little pasta, a saffron sauce and some rouille. I was impressed that the fish was tender, i.e. not the least bit overcooked. Also on the menu are three cuts of wagyu. I haven't tried them yet, mostly because they're priced rather high. (I am of course hoping I can sucker a friend into buying me lunch there sometime soon so I can order some.) Novus is a good place for a chic meal. It's the kind of city restaurant that most cosmopolitan cities have several of, and which Singapore needs more of. It's a good addition to our dining scene and I'm looking forward to seeing how it develops over the coming months.

Novus
National Museum #01-02, 93 Stamford Road, Tel: 6336 8770

Brasserie Wolf
S and I are huge fans of Brasserie Wolf. So are several friends of ours. Sadly, it seems there aren't enough of us (fans, that is). Whenever we eat at this traditional French bistro, we're just one of a small handful of filled tables. In all the times we've been there, the restaurant has never been more than half-full. Which is a real shame. Chef Philippe Nouzillat delivers really good, authentic bistro fare. His French onion soup is easily the best I've had in town. And I love his confit of duck and his steak with fries and homemade Bearnaise sauce. The decor, unfortunately, is a tad cheesy and theme parkish, you know, more Disney than Paris. But the food is very, very good. And it deserves your support.

Brasserie Wolf
The Pier, #01-13, 80 Mohamed Sultan Road, Tel: 6835-7818

Menu for Hope winners announced

2007-01-16T12:12:00.000+08:00

Are you a big winner? If you made a donation to this year's Menu for Hope and purchased a chance to win some amazing prizes, you should head on over to Pim's blog immediately to see if you have won. To get there, please click here. Congrats to edwf, cookingismypassion, Spike, keaton, Sui Mai and Dave Boggs for winning the prizes that I sourced. Please email me so I can get the prizes and/or vouchers to you. I am very excited that I myself won a prize, a 10 course dinner for 2 with wines at Becasse in Sydney, generously sourced by Helen from Grab Your Fork. I am so planning my Sydney trip as soon as possible!

What the gals eat

2006-06-18T19:36:00.000+08:00

Singapore is famous for many things, but the thing our country is most famous for is its food. And of all the wonderful local dishes that people love eating here, no one dish may be more beloved than "chicken rice". I have to admit that while I like chicken rice tremendously, it's not my favourite local food -- I'd rather have char kuay teow or fish head curry. But it has been the preferred local food of almost every local woman I've dated, including my beloved wife S. Sometimes, it even feels like the only thing Singaporean girls want to eat is chicken rice. The first girl I dated here didn't want to eat anything else when we went out. For another, chicken rice was comfort food, something to eat when she needed a pick-me-up or a taste of home. S loves chicken rice for its simple, delicate and delicious flavours. She also likes it because, compared to a lot of other local dishes (like the ones I love), it's relatively healthy. Well, at least the chicken is. After all, it's boiled.

For the uninitiated, chicken rice is boiled chicken, served at room temperature, paired with rice that's been cooked with chicken stock, sesame oil, ginger and garlic. The chicken and rice are eaten with 2 sauces, dark soy sauce and a chili sauce that's been flavoured with freshly minced ginger.

Our favourite chicken rice purveyor is what S calls, "the great undiscovered chicken rice stall". Because while it is popular, it is not one of the more well-known or famous ones. It has also not, as far as we know, been written up or included in any of the major guides to Singapore. It does, though, serve up what we feel is the best chicken rice in town. We've brought several major foodies, both amateur and professional, to try it and all have been impressed. Some have also become regulars. The chicken served at the unimaginatively-named Hainanese Boneless Chicken Rice is tender and juicy. It's served with a bit of the chicken's natural juices (some say that this addition is very Cantonese), which keeps everything moist. In addition to the chicken meat, S always asks for an order of chicken livers. These are done beautifully here. Unlike most other places that overcook their livers, these are served deliciously tender, almost creamy. One food writer we shared these with likened it to a platter of low-cost foie gras. The rice here is also good, well-flavored and aromatic. Another local food writer liked it so much he ate two bowls on his very first visit. For those of you intending to drop by, we recommend having your chicken rice with an avocado shake. There are two stalls in the same lane that prepare this rich, creamy and yummy drink.

Hainanese Boneless Chicken Rice
Alexandra Village, Blk 120
Bukit Merah Lane 1, #01-15
Singapore 150120

For readers further afield, I recommend trying to make your own chicken rice. Below is the recipe S included in Lonely Planet's World Food Guide: Malaysia & Singapore. It's based on a recipe that a friend passed her and that she's been tweaking over the years. Enjoy!

Hainanese chicken rice
Serves 4

1 fresh whole chicken (about 1kg)
1 tsp salt
1 Tbs light soya sauce
1 tsp Chinese rice wine
2 pieces of ginger, each 1-inch thick, lightly bruised with the back of a knife
1 garlic clove, peeled and lightly bruised
1 spring onion
1 tsp sesame oil

For the rice
2 cups long grain jasmine rice
2 1/2 cups chicken stock (obtained from cooking the chicken; see recipe)
chicken fat (from preparing the whole chicken; see recipe)
1 Tbs finely minced ginger
5 garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp salt
1 pandanus leaf, tied into a knot

Chilli and ginger sambal
10 fresh red chillies, seeds removed from half, chopped
10 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
2 Tbs peeled and chopped ginger
1 Tbs vegetable oil
1Tbs chicken stock (obtained from cooking the chicken; see recipe)
salt, to taste
sugar, to taste
calamansi juice, to taste

To serve
1 cucumber, halved length-wise and thinly sliced
sprigs of coriander
dark soy sauce
salt
ground white pepper
2 spring onions, finely sliced

Remove the fat from the cavity of the chicken and set aside for use in flavouring the rice later. Vigorously rub the cavity and exterior with salt. Then rub the chicken cavity with 1/2 tablespoon of the soy sauce and all of the rice wine. Stuff the cavity with ginger, garlic and spring onion. Set aside for 1 hour (not in the fridge).

Bring a deep stockpot, filled with enough water to cover the chicken, to the boil. Lower the chicken into the pot—it should be completely immersed. Immediately turn off the heat, cover, and leave to stand for 1 hour. At 15-minute intervals, lift the chicken and drain the water from the cavity to ensure that the chicken cooks inside as well. At the 30-minute mark, reheat the water almost to boiling point, then turn the heat off. Never having been allowed to boil, the chicken should be cooked to succulent and juicy perfection.

At the end of the hour, remove the chicken from the pot, and plunge into a large bowl of iced water to arrest further cooking. Once cool (about 15 to 20 minutes), drain the chicken thoroughly. Rub it down with the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of soy sauce and sesame oil. Snip off the chicken wing tips, neck, and legs. Toss these into the liquid left in the stockpot. Set the chicken aside, covered, until ready to serve.

To prepare the rice, rinse it in a sieve under cold running water until the water runs clear. Drain thoroughly. Bring the pot with the chicken stock to the boil, simmering until the liquid is reduced to about 5 cups, skimming off any scum that rises to the surface. Strain the stock. Measure out 2 1/2 cups for cooking the rice. Set the rest aside. Place the chicken fat set aside earlier in a medium saucepan. Cook on a low heat to render the fat (there should be about 3 tablespoons worth). Add the ginger and garlic, and fry gently until aromatic without browning. Add the drained rice and sesame oil, stirring well to coat each grain with fat. Add the 2 1/2 cups of chicken stock to the rice, and bring to the boil. Add the pandanus leaf and salt. Simmer briskly until there is no water left on the surface of the rice. Clamp the lid of the saucepan on tightly, and immediately reduce the heat to the lowest. Leave for about 10 minutes. Turn the heat off, and allow the rice to stand for another 10 minutes before uncovering. Alternatively, after frying the rice, place it in a rice cooker with the pandanus leaf and salt. Substitute chicken stock for the amount of water you would ordinarily add to cook the same amount of rice.

For the chilli and ginger sambal, process or blend the chillies, garlic and ginger to a fine paste, adding the oil and chicken stock (from what was reserved earlier) to facilitate the process. Scrape into a bowl. Stir in salt, sugar and lime juice to taste. Dish some into 4 individual saucers.

When ready to serve, chop the chicken Chinese-style into bite-sized pieces with skin and bone intact. Place on a serving platter over the sliced cucumber. Garnish with sprigs of coriander. Dish some dark soy sauce into 4 individual saucers. Bring the remaining chicken stock back to the boil. Season to taste with salt and ground white pepper. Ladle into 4 small soup bowls and garnish with the sliced spring onions. For each serving, pack a small bowl with rice, then invert rice onto a plate. Each person gets a plate of aromatic rice, a bowl of shimmering chicken broth, and 2 small dishes of dipping sauces—the chilli and ginger sambal, and the dark soy sauce. Everyone helps himself or herself to the platter of Hainanese chicken placed in the centre of the table.

A few Sunday snippets

2006-09-10T14:01:00.000+08:00

tucking into a pasta at Basil Alcove

Fine food in a not so fine place
I heard about Basil Alcove just a few weeks ago. A fantastically talented art director I've been working with on a project mentioned it to me, telling me that it was a great place for good, cheap pastas. I have to agree. This super-tiny little cafe, located on the outside of Fortune Centre on Middle Road, serves good simple and very reasonably priced fare. Amusingly, when I asked Xander, the 23 year old owner and chef, what the concept of Basil Alcove was, he told me, "fine food in a not so fine place". Xander offers a daily set lunch priced usually around S$6-S$7 and has an a la carte menu in the evenings. The lunch here, if you work or live in the neighborhood, is definitely worth the trip. You get a homemade soup, your chouce of daily specials and a drink. The a la carte menu is pretty good too.
Basil Alcove, 190 Middle Road, #01-07, Fortune Centre, Tel: 63361318

Serve me a sundae
Style-mavens and fashionistas in Singapore have been spending their Saturdays of late checking out the many cool boutiques that have sprung up on Haji Lane, parallel and in between Arab Street and Bali Lane. Foodies now also have a reason to head down to this newly-chic street. Pluck, a very cute self-styled "style emporium", has just opened an ice cream parlour. After doing some serious shopping at Salad and White Room, this seems to me the perfect place to rest for a while. Retail therapy and super-cool sundaes? Count me in!
Pluck, 31/33 Haji Lane, Tel: 6396 4048

Mad for this mooncake
I've never been much of a mooncake fan. That said, I do appreciate a really well-made one. The best I've tasted so far this year comes from Chef Yong Bing Ngen of the Majestic restaurant, in the New Majestic Hotel. I had the pleasure of tasting his traditional mooncake, with lotus seed paste and salted duck egg's yolk. What really impressed me was how thin and delicate the pastry crust was, how smooth the lotus seed paste was, and how fresh the egg yolk tasted. It was quite delicious and surprisingly (for me at least) addictive. Design buffs will also like that they come packaged in lovely bright green and purple boxes.
Majestic Restaurant, New Majestic Hotel, 31-37 Bukit Pasoh Road, Tel: 6511 4718

Delicious kueh delivered
S and I also had the pleasure recently of tasting some delicious traditional Malay cakes ("kueh") from a small micro-bakery called Zaiton's. Zaiton's sells pineapple rolled tarts, makmub, sugi and kek kukus (a fruit cake). The pineapple tarts were especially good. S was delighted at the butteriness of the pastry, declaring that these were the best she's had in years. To order or for more info, please email zaiton_cater@yahoo.com.sg. I'm told that in addition to these lovely cakes, they also offer packet lunches and dinners. The best thing is that they deliver right to your doorstep.

Seven nights in Bangkok
From tomorrow onwards, S and I will be posting from Bangkok, where we will be attending the Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok's World Gourmet Festival. Visit often to catch our coverage of the events and interviews with some of the world's best chefs.

A book and cuisine bourgeoise

2007-01-19T00:08:00.000+08:00

One of the things that I've been fortunate to have had the opportunity to do over the past few years is work on a number of pretty nifty books. The latest one to see print is titled French Classics Modern Kitchen (okay, I'm tootin' my own horn a little here). It's the cookbook for the well-regarded and awarded, Singapore-based French restaurant, Le Saint Julien.

I had a great time working with Chef Julien Bompard on this book. It's always great to work with someone who is extremely passionate about what he does. Plus it was a wonderful way to get to really know and understand this talented and experienced chef. For those who have never eaten at Le Saint Julien, the restaurant serves classic French cuisine bourgeoise. And while the food may be presented in modern and elegant ways, Julien is a staunch traditionalist. You won't ever find him experimenting with Asian herbs or spices or trying to create new ways to re-imagine popular dishes. The very best food, as far as this Frenchman is concerned, is the food that his parents and grandparents before him dined on. His food is unapologetically and unabashedly French, which is something he takes great pride in.

A dinner at Le Saint Julien is always an elegant affair. Julien's wife Edith is easily one of Singapore's most charming hostesses. Her staff are also among the very best in town; they are polite, charming, never in the way but always on hand. Honestly, from my experience, the service alone is a darned good reason to visit Le Saint Julien. The restaurant is perfect during the day for a business lunch and equally fitting in the evening for a seductive dinner date. The menu, as I've said above, is filled with classic dishes. I would suggest trying the lobster bisque, not just because I love this rich soup, but also because this soup is what brought Edith and Julien together.

photos courtesy of Le Saint Julien

Many years ago, Julien ran the very well-equipped kitchens of Hong Kong's poshest French restaurant, Gaddi's in The Peninsula Hotel. Edith worked in the hotel as well. One day, Edith was asked to arrange lunch for some VVIPs at Gaddi's. After the meal, one of her guests told her that he simply loved the lobster bisque that Julien had prepared. "Could you get me the recipe?", asked her guest. "Of course," she replied. However, when she asked Julien for it, he refused to give it to her. Edith, to her credit, persisted and continued to try to convince Julien to share it with her. To his even greater credit, instead of giving her the recipe, he asked her out. In the end, the guest never got the recipe, but Edith and Julien both found love. (The recipe, by the way, is in the cookbook.)

Julien's food is rich, savory and filling. It's also very satisfying. Wine-lovers will be thrilled at Julien's amazing selection of French wines. To celebrate the launch of French Classics Modern Kitchen, I've convinced Julien to create a very special offer for OCBC cardmembers. If you and a loved one both order the menu extravaganza (degustation tasting menu) at his restaurant, you will not only each get a glass of Champagne (or a mocktail) on the house, you will also get an autographed copy of the cookbook for free.

Le Saint Julien
3 Fullerton Road
Singapore 049215
Tel: +65 6534 5947

Menu Extravaganza

QUATRO DE FOIE GRAS / QUATRO OF DUCK LIVER
Terrine of foie gras with Port wine reduction
Pan seared duck liver with orange sauce
Mesclun salad with confit, rillettes and pine nuts
Warm brioche

BISQUE DE HOMARD / LOBSTER BISQUE
Signature lobster bisque with garlic aïoli

SAINT JACQUES / SEA SCALLOPS
Seared sea scallops with yellow wine sauce “Arbois”
Tomato and anchovy fondant
OR
CHEVREUIL / VENISON LOIN
Seared venison loin with crème de cassis dressing
Winter vegetable râgout

SORBET
Home-made seasonal fruit sorbet

DESSERT / CHOCOLATE
Classic caramelized chocolate mousse with berries
Coconut ice cream and pralines

CAFÉ & THÉ
Coffee or Tea with petits fours

$368 nett per couple
Each guest receives one complimentary glass of Champagne or Mocktail. Each couple will also be presented with one complimentry copy of French Classics Modern Kitchen autographed by Chef Julien Bompard. Valid with all OCBC cards. Promotion valid from 19 January to 31 March 2007.

Osaka (part 1 of 2)

2006-12-31T00:40:00.000+08:00

A few weeks ago, S and I made our very first trip to Osaka, Japan. While I'd been to Japan previously and had explored quite a fair bit of the country, I had never been to Osaka. In fact, up until a few years ago, I had never really given visiting Japan's third largest city much thought. So what happened? Well, over the past few years, at various dinners and other occasions, when the conversation would turn to memorable meals, a good nunber of foodies I know and respect (chefs, restaurant owners, food writers and passionate gourmands) would talk excitedly about Osaka. One restaurant in particular was spoken of with sheer reverence. Many compared it to El Bulli and a few even went so far as to say that they'd rather eat more regularly at Kahala than at Ferran Adria's famous restaurant. After years of hearing about this and other gastronomic experiences, S and I couldn't wait to taste Osaka for ourselves.

Kappo Counter Gastronomy

One of the best culinary experiences in Japan is dining in a kappo restaurant. These tiny places usually seat only a handful of patrons at a small counter. Dishes are prepared a la minute and served to hungry diners across the counter. The experience is similar to that of a sushi bar, but in these places, you'll get beautifully cooked and artfully plated dishes. Having the chef work on your food and serve it to you personally also creates a unique sense of intimacy which heightens the dining experience. Historians tell us that kappo restaurants first became popular in Japan in Osaka in the nineteenth century, so it only made sense for S and me to try 2 of Osaka's best.

Momen is a wonderful little kappo restaurant in the Shinsaibashi district. Located on a small side alley, this delightfully hidden gem seats just eight patrons at a time. The atmosphere is lovely, slightly dark and suitably zen-like. Take note though, Mr Momen hardly speaks any English, so you will need your hotel to call ahead and make your reservation for you. Dinner here is a seven course affair. The food is excellent. It's not super-fancy or challenging. But it is delicious and lovingly prepared.

We started our meal with a gorgeous plate of crab sashimi; one of the advantages of visiting Japan in the winter is the availability of all this yummy seasonal seafood.

Our second course was one of the simplest dishes of the night but also my favorite. It was a homemade goma-tofu, breaded with roasted rice and then deep-fried.

The third course was gorgeous. It was a crab dumpling in a subtle crab broth, served in a beautiful laqueur bowl. The inside lid of the bowl was fantastic, with an inlaid landscape picture accented with mother of pearl. The fourth course was a plate of various types of fish roe. S especially enjoyed this. Next was a bowl of slow-cooked daikon with fresh yuzu. The last savory course was a lovely slice of roasted wild salmon marinated with miso. Dessert was a small plate of fresh fruit. Another great thing about Japan is the fruit is ridiculously sweet and fresh. A plate of fruit to end a meal in most other countries would be a let-down. Here it works.

While Momen is relaxed, Kahala is reserved. It's a small but austere kappo restaurant located on the second floor of a small building in the Kita-shinchi neighborhood. The street Kahala is on, Sonezaki-shinchi, is a crowded strip of restaurants and bars. Kahala accepts diners at two seating times, either 540pm or 840pm. Friends have told me that if you are dining during the former that they usher you out of the door at 830pm on the dot and if you are scheduled for the latter you are not allowed inside early, even if you arrive at 835pm. Kahala is a cult restaurant -- made most famous a few years ago when celebrity chef Tetsuya Wakuda raved about it and credited it as a place that inspired him -- with suitably cultish prices. Dinner there is a whopping 30,000 yen per person.

Like Momen, there are only 8 seats in Kahala. The restaurant was founded by chef-owner Yoshifumi Mori 35 years ago when he was just 26 years old. The space was originally a steak-house, which accounts for the hot-plates that still flank the counter today (and which are now only used to prepare one single but excellent dish). Mori-san, like many other culinary greats, is self-taught. He admits that his lack of training has pushed him to create a truly innovative cuisine. More than just innovative, Mori-san's food is pretty darned special because of his commitment to sourcing the very best produce from all over Japan. S and I started our 10 course dinner with a small portion of crabmeat with grass seeds and fried dill, plated on a flattened yuzu, and served with a little chicken comsomme. This was followed by a composed plate of fried pumpkin, Hokkaido oysters, dried herring roe, truffle-dusted lilyroot and a sandwich of turnip and yellowtail. Third was an am amazing portion of grilled "Kacho kabaro" cheese (from the Yoshida farm) with some sauteed turnip and squash. After this we tasted one of Mori-san's signature dishes, a sharks fin steak with fried coriander leaves, sauteed daikon leaf, and thinly sliced potato seasoned with thyme leaves that had been crystalized with salt.

We also had some buckwheat soba noodles with powdered "karasumi" (sundried mullet roe). This was a yummy, savory course.

A dish I was a tad squeamish about was Mori-san's shirako soup. I've never been a huge fan of shirako, which to the uninitiated is also known as "cod's milk" or "cod's sperm", but this soup was outstanding. After this was the highlight of the meal and the dish that has made Kahala a must-visit for many of my friends. Mori-san's "millefeuille of beef" is a gorgeous dish composed of 5 thin slices of Iga beef from the Mie prefecture. Each portion is sauteed quickly on both sides; the top and bottom layers are cooked but the middle layers are served raw. This is served with "Nozawa" turnip, yellow Inca potato and "ebi-imo" (Japanese yam). The only downside to this dish is that each person is only given 4 portions; I could easily have eaten another 4 or 5 more. After this, we were offered a delicious bowl of fugu (blowfish) rice. To round off the meal, we were given two desserts. The first would have thrilled Alice Waters, who so famously served her patrons an unadorned peach as dessert. The famous founder of Chez Panisse said, "The perfect dessert after a rich and satisfying meal is a perfect piece of fruit." Well, that's exactly what Mori-san served us, 2 slices of the most uniquely dense, syrupy and sweet apple, harvested he proudly told us from a small farm in the Yamagata prefecture. When Mori-san served us the fruit, he showed us a whole one and then held it up to a light over his counter. Amazingly, the apple turned translucent and the light shone through it. The final course was a creme caramel with sweet, white Azuki beans and a coffee syrup. S loved this and is trying to recreate it for our own dinner parties.

All in all, Kahala was a pretty unique experience. Was it worth the price? Given the size of the restaurant and the quality of the produce, yah, I'd say the splurge was worth it. It's definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience. But the restaurant both S and I look forward to returning to is Momen. We both enjoyed the restaurant's modest atmosphere and slightly simpler cuisine. Of course, it didn't hurt that Momen was one-third the price.

iWant

2007-01-12T00:16:00.000+08:00

Okay, nothing to do with food, but oh my lord do I want one of these babies! Don't know what it is? Click here. All I can say is, "Wow".

Bed-time cookies, inspired by a lazy pooch

2006-01-13T09:10:00.000+08:00

I know I really shouldn't be jealous of a dog, but I just can't help myself. The younger of our two golden retrievers, Alix, is both aggravating and inspiring. And at times, I just can't help but envy her. Let me try and explain. Alix, who is one of the most affectionate and gentlest creatures I've ever had the pleasure of knowing, is also one of the laziest. I've never seen anything or anyone display such an incredible amount of visible delight from loafing about or sleeping. Whether she's laying on my bed--which technically she's not supposed to do but does all the time anyway--or her own custom-made down-filled dog bed, she has the ability to make herself look so incredibly comfortable and satisfied. And when I'm working late into the night, trying to finish an overdue essay or some other piece of work, and I turn around and see her chilling out so ecstatically, I can't help but wish I had her life. Or when she wakes S and me up at 7am to feed her on a Saturday or Sunday, and then after having had her breakfast and having gotten me up, jumps into my bed and promptly falls asleep in my spot, I can't help but harbor immediate thoughts of kicking her in the butt (which, of course, I never do)--but of course, secretly, I just want to go back to bed like her. (The above picture is her in S's spot, having jumped on the bed and onto S's pillows while S was having a shower one morning.) When I leave for work, she's snoozing. When I come home, the other dog, Sascha, is all wags, happy to see me. Alix is never at the door first. Usually, after a minute or two, she'll groggily walk out of the bedroom, obviously having just woken up. She lives to sleep and loves doing so. S and I constantly talk about just how inspiring she is. She makes us want to spend a day doing nothing but lying in bed.

In honor of our lazy little puppy (and because I was working on finishing a project all night), S decided to make me a batch of bed-time cookies, the kind of edible treats that she knew I would really enjoy munching on while lazing around in bed. The cookies she chose to make also happen to be one of my all-time favorites, Mexican Wedding Cookies. I love these for several reasons. I love the powdered sugar that surrounds each cookie and gives it an immediate sweetness. I love their texture. When done well, they literally melt/crumble in one's mouth. Third, I love the hint of pecan in the cookie. And lastly, as a big believer that milk is a necessary companion to any cookie, I really like that these go beautifully with milk. In fact, I'd even go so far as to say that without a glass of milk (or a cup of coffee), one really shouldn't even bother eating these.

Mexican Wedding Cookies
from Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook
Makes 6 dozen

106g pecan halves
230g confectioners' sugar
284g all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
227g unsalted butter at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract

Preheat the oven to 350ºF/180ºC, with racks in the upper and lower thirds. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. In a food processor, combine pecans with 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar; pulse until nuts are finely ground. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar-nut mixture, flour and salt; set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla and almond extracts. Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until the dough just comes together.

Roll dough into 3/4 inch balls; place about 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake, rotating the sheets halfway through, until cookies are pale on top and lightly browned on the bottom, 10-12 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and cool. Place remaining confectioners' sugar in a shallow bowl and roll cookies in it to coat completely.

p.s. I want to thank both Lynn for buying us the gorgeous wooden tray in the picture and my mother-in-law for picking up those cool Donna Hay napkins for us during her last trip to Australia.

NYE Catering

2007-01-12T14:46:00.000+08:00

I mentioned a few posts ago that my wife S and I, plus 6 other friends, hired Chef Jimmy Chok to cook for us on New Year's Eve. We had also hired him, with stunning results, the previous year, so we were quite excited to taste this year's meal. (Sadly, I was still recovering from my bout of gastroenteritis, so I couldn't eat as much of the meal as I wanted to.) This was only the second time Jimmy has cooked in our place (the previous year another friend hosted the meal). The first was an amazing lunch that my father hosted for the late, great New York Times writer Johnny Apple. I think Jimmy had forgotten just how small and crowded our kitchen was. I noticed that when he was unpacking his produce, he was frantically looking around for storage space, counter space and fridge space. Nonetheless, he pulled off a very impressive meal.

We started our feast with crab cakes served with tomato chilli jam. Jimmy has always made wonderful crabcakes; these were no exception. We then had marinated angel hair pasta with sliced abalone. He had also made this for my pop's lunch and we loved it so much that we requested that he serve it at this dinner. Next were hot seared scallops in a manila clam laksa leaf infused nage. We had also eaten a similar dish at our lunch and again had requested for something similar. The laksa-flavoured broth was really nice. (Sadly, because of my wonky tummy, I couldn't drink it all down.) Then we had a confit of ocean trout belly with dashi jelly and avruga. For many of our friends, this was their favourite course of the night. The trout was beautifully tender and lightly flavoured. Our fifth course was a Maine lobster timbale with shellfish emulsion. This was rich and decadent. The final savory course of the night was slow cooked wagyu beef cheeks served with truffled mashed potatoes and grain mustard jus. This was a really yummy, rich and satisfying dish, a nicely sexed-up version of the best kind of comfort food. For dessert, we had S's "coffee and donuts" that I wrote about a few posts ago.

One thing I really like about engaging Jimmy is that he comes with two staff -- one kitchen-hand and one waiter (or waitress). The service is always polite and unobtrusive, which is important for home-catered affairs. Jimmy and his team also leave your kitchen spotless; in our case, I think he left the kitchen even cleaner than it was before. He's also very reasonable, with prices for a home-catered affair much, much lower than what you would pay at some of our finer restaurants. Which makes hiring him a no-brainer. Why blow a huge chunk of money somewhere when you can spend less, get equally if not better food than you would at a restaurant, and receive a chef's full attention?

Jimmy is the executive chef of The Academy Bistro, which is on level 1 of the new Supreme Court building. The Bistro is open every weekday for lunch and open Fridays for lunch and dinner. He is available on weekends and on weeknights from Monday to Thursday for private catering. To reach him, you can email him at jimmy_chok@sal.org.sg. I would highly recommend him to anyone looking to host a very special meal at home.

p.s. Sorry about the slightly grainy pix. We had dimmed the lights considerably that evening; I was shooting at iso1600 in order to get some kind of usable pictures.

Sweet and savory pork ribs

2006-11-27T21:40:00.000+08:00

It wasn't too long ago that I raved about pork, naming some of my favourite places in town to eat delicious pork dishes. In addition to ordering pork in restaurants, I also like cooking it. When I see some delicious slabs of the "other white meat" in the market or at the butchers, I find it very difficult to resist buying as much as possible. Of course, like most men, I tend to overdo things. I often buy way too much to cook or eat at one sitting, a predicament that S never appreciates. This is particularly bad when I buy cuts that can't keep, like loin. If, however, I've actually used my noggin for once and bought some braising/stewing cuts, then the leftovers can always be frozen or chilled and eaten at a later date.

Some dishes, in fact, taste better the day after they're made. It's simply amazing what sitting in the fridge overnight can do for certain braised foods. Flavours become richer and meats, when reheated, become beautifully tender. One such recipe, that I have just tried, comes from one of my favorite cookbooks, Molly Stevens' All About Braising. I've previously prepared some of Ms Stevens other pig recipes, like her pork loin braised in milk, with consistently outstanding results. So, I was very excited to both make and taste her pork ribs braised in a Vietnamese caramel sauce.

This dish is really easy to make. The only difficult thing is not eating it right away. Ms Stevens recommends refrigerating it for between 1 to 3 days before digging in. My patience only lasted a day. I couldn't help myself; I had to wolf these down for lunch the day after cooking them.

The braising liquid, made by combining caramel with fish sauce, shallots and water, is delicious. It has this lovely sweet and savory umaminess that is highly addictive. It both colours and flavours the pork well. When done properly, the pork is tender enough to pull (or bite) off the bones without any difficulty. When I ate my ribs, I served them with some fried rice, one of the quickest things in the world to make (so long as you have some pre-cooked rice in the fridge). The two dishes worked really well and made for a very satisfying lunch. And while I had actually made quite a large portion of ribs, with the intention of saving some leftovers for later, when S and I had finished our meal, we realized that we'd devoured every last bit of pork.

Pork Riblets Braised in Vietnamese Caramel Sauce
from Molly Stevens' All About Braising
Serves 2 as a meal or 4 as a starter

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/3 cup fish sauce
1/3 cup sliced shallots
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1 slab baby back ribs (1.75 to 2 lbs)
sawed lengthwise in half

Spread the sugar in the bottom of a wide heavy-based skillet. Pour over 1/4 cup of the water and the lemon juice. Let it sit for a minute. Then heat over medium heat until the sugar begins to liquefy. Reduce the heat the medium low and let the caramel boil until it turns red.

Remove it from the heat and slowly pour 1/4 cup water and the fish sauce into the caramel. Return to the heat and stir. Let boil for a few minutes, until the sauce is smooth and a bit thick. Add the shallots and pepper and simmer for another 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Separate the pork ribs into individual riblets by cutting down between the bones. Add them to the caramel sauce, stir to coat, and bring to a simmer over low heat. Cover and braise, stirring every 15 minutes with tongs, for 90 minutes. Don't let the caramel sauce boil; if the heat is too high then use a diffuser. The ribs are done when they have become tender enough to pull easily away from the bone and are a deep mahogany colour. At this point, you can serve them or store them. If you want to store them, let them cool and then store in the fridge for 1 to 3 days. To reheat, pop them in an oven preheated to 180 degrees Celsius for 20 minutes.

Coffee and Donuts

2007-01-08T01:08:00.000+08:00

This past New Year's Eve, S and I hosted a small dinner party for 6 other friends. Because neither of us wanted to work too hard that night, we hired a super-talented chef, Jimmy Chok, to prepare our meal. Jimmy had also cooked for us the previous New Year's Eve. (I'll write more about the fabulous meal Jimmy made for us in an upcoming post.) Because we did want at least one course to come from us, however, S opted to make the evening's dessert. We spent several days discussing the kinds of things that she could make before settling on a duo of desserts that we felt would go really well together. She also decided that the duo would be called (her version of) "coffee and donuts".

The "coffee" in this combination is a vanilla panna cotta covered with a layer of espresso gelée. The "donuts" are bite-sized, sugar-coated, fried choux pastries with liquid chocolate fillings. The dessert was the perfect end to a great meal, served right before the fireworks went off (which we could partially see from our dining room window). Our friends especially loved the donuts. We had told them to eat each with one with just one bite, popping the whole thing into their mouths. The oozing chocolate centre was a delicious, bittersweet and sinfully yummy surprise. I, on the other hand, adored the panna cotta and coffee gelée (no suprise that this fat fella prefers the richer, creamier dessert). The panna cotta itself was lovely; it was smooth, satisfying and sweet. The espresso gelée carried the perfect flavor accent for the dish. Together, the two desserts worked really well. Vanilla, coffee, chocolate and citrus are all classic complimentary flavours. The two very different textures from the two desserts were a delightful contrast. And thirdly, the contrast of the warm donuts and the cold panna cotta and espresso gelée was really nice.

While time-consuming to prepare, this dessert is very much worth the effort to make. S used four different cookbooks for the four main components of this combination. You can make the panna cotta with espresso gelée a day ahead and you'll need to make the donuts a day or even two ahead. Which means that once you make this dessert, you can rest pretty easy the day you plan to serve this. The only fiddly bit is frying the donuts and dipping them in sugar right before serving. The recipes below include her annotations and comments.

“Coffee & Donuts”
Makes approximately 25 “donuts” and 12 small portions of panna cotta with espresso gelée

GANACHE
(Adapted from Gordon Ramsay’s Secrets)

80g bittersweet chocolate (I used a 66% cacao Valrhona and added 1 tablespoon castor sugar because CH prefers sweeter chocolate)
40g unsalted butter, cubed
3 tablespoons double cream (I used whipping cream)

Chop the chocolate into rough pieces and place in a heatproof bowl with the rest of the ganache ingredients. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and stir until evenly combined (the ganache should look smooth). Remove from the heat, cool, then refrigerate until firm.

Use a small melon baller to scoop approximately 25 balls of ganache. Place them on a tray lined with greaseproof paper and freeze until required.

CHOUX PASTE
(Adapted from Oriol Balaguer’s Dessert Cuisine)

200g milk (I used regular whole milk)
100g unsalted butter
100g weak flour, sifted (I used cake flour)
150g eggs (I whisked three large eggs together and used 150g of this)
2 whole pieces of star anise
1 vanilla bean (I used 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla paste instead)
1 cinnamon stick
1 orange zest (I used the zest of 1 orange)
1 lemon zest (I used the zest of 1 lemon)

Note: Balaguer calls for 70% cacao chocolate drops instead of a chocolate ganache in his recipe for chocolate "bunyols". My "donuts" are really tweaked versions of his "bunyols". If you prefer, you may opt to use chocolate drops instead of a ganache.

Infuse the milk with the butter, spices and zests (I heated the milk until small bubbles rose to its surface, took it off the heat and let the mixture stand for at least 30 minutes). If you choose to use a vanilla bean, presumably, you should split the vanilla bean, scrape the seeds and add them to the milk along with the other spices and throw the pod in.

Strain the milk. (I added my vanilla paste into the milk at this point.) Bring the milk to a boil, remove it from the heat and add the flour. Stir it with a wooden spoon and return it to a low fire. Continue stirring (using a smearing action) until it starts to pull away from the sides of the pan and begins to look like wet sand (it should also look shiny). Work it slightly in the blender at low speed. (I put it in my KitchenAid and worked it with the paddle attachment. This cooled the paste much faster than when I did it in my food processor.) Add the eggs gradually. Scrape the dough off the sides of the bowl and work it a little more until it is smooth. (If you prefer, follow the techniques in your favourite choux pastry recipe in place of the instructions here.)

Fill a piping bag with the paste. Fill ice cube moulds with the paste. Stop when each mould is only filled to the halfway point. Insert a ball of chocolate ganache (or chocolate drops) into each mould, making sure that it doesn’t push though the dough. Cover with more paste. Smooth down the tops of the dough with the back of a wet spoon. Freeze and unmould. Store in the freezer until they need to be served.

PANNA COTTA
(Adapted from Italian Classics by the editors of Cook’s Illustrated)

1 cup whole milk
2¾ teaspoons flavourless powdered gelatin (reduce to 2 5/8 teaspoons if making a day ahead)
3 cups heavy cream (I used whipping cream)
1 vanilla bean or 2 teaspoons pure extract
6 tablespoons (2½ oz) sugar
Pinch of salt

Pour the milk into a medium saucepan and sprinkle the gelatin evenly on its surface. Let it stand for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with 2 trays of ice cubes and 4 cups of cold water. Measure the cream into a large measuring cup or pitcher. Slit the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape the seeds into the cream; place the pod in the cream and set the mixture aside. Place 12 small glasses on a tray small enough to place in your refrigerator.

Heat the milk and gelatin mixture over high heat, stirring constantly until the gelatin is dissolved and the mixture registers 135 degrees Fahrenheit (around 65 degrees Celsius) on an instant read thermometer (about 1½ minutes). Remove the pan from the heat. Add the sugar and salt; stir until dissolved (about 1 minute).

Stirring constantly, slowly pour the cream with vanilla into the saucepan containing the milk, then transfer the mixture into a medium bowl and set the bowl over the ice water bath. Stir frequently until the mixture thickens to the consistency of egg nog and registers 50 degrees Fahrenheit (25 degrees Celsius) on an instant read thermometer, about 10 minutes. Strain the mixture into a large measuring cup or pitcher, then distribute it evenly among the glasses. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until just set (the mixture should wobble when shaken), about 4 hours.

ESPRESSO GELÉE
(Adapted from Claudia Fleming’s The Last Course)

1 cup espresso (cold filtered)
1 teaspoon flavourless powdered gelatin
3 tablespoons sugar

Place ¼ cup of the espresso in a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin evenly over it. Let the mixture rest for 5 minutes, until the gelatin softens. Bring the remaining espresso to a simmer in a small saucepan. Add the sugar. Stir until all the sugar is dissolved. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Add the softened gelatin mixture to the warm sweet espresso. Return the saucepan to low heat, whisking until the gelatin dissolves. Do not let the mixture come to a simmer. Strain through a fine sieve. Let the espresso mixture cool to room temperature. Gently pour it over each portion of panna cotta. Cover with cling wrap and refrigerate until set, about 1 hour.

To serve, fill a small saucepan with sunflower oil (the oil should be approximately 3 cm deep). Heat the oil to 150 degrees Celsius and fry the still frozen “donuts” for 5-6 minutes until they are golden brown and start to float. (You may need to adjust cooking temperature and time.) Drain and coat with castor sugar. Plate alongside glasses of espresso panna cotta and serve.

My favorite curry noodles

2006-03-31T19:03:00.000+08:00

The Khao Soi Gai that I made at the Four Seasons Resort's Cooking School

From my very first bite, I was hooked on Khao Soi. Usually served with chicken ("Gai"), this Northern Thai curry noodle dish, most famously served all over Chiang Mai, has become one of my all-time favorite foods. My wife S and I first tasted it a few years ago, while S was on an assignment in Chiang Mai. She was there to write a story for an American magazine on the best Northern Thai restaurants in the area; I was playing hopalong hubbie, tagging along and happily helping her consume the massive amounts of food she needed to try over a 4 day period. However, as soon as I tried my first Khao Soi Gai, my plans changed. I had a new agenda. I began, much to S's chagrin, a mad quest to find the very best version in the city. Over those 4 days, I must have eaten at least a dozen versions, declaring--at the end of the trip--that the best Khao Soi Gai in Chiang Mai could be found at a quaint, modest, old and very famous restaurant called Huen Phen.

Khao Soi Gai from Samoe Jia

For the uninitiated, Khao Soi is a dish of egg noodles cooked in two different ways--deep fried and boiled--served with curry. The boiled noodles are placed in the bottom of a serving bowl and topped with some sawtooth coriander. Over this is ladled a coconut milk based, yellow curry with tender pieces of chicken. On top of this is placed the crispy, deep-fried noodles. This is then served with a variety of condiments, which you add to your own taste: fish sauce, sugar, chili oil, pickled mustard leaves, diced shallots, and some fresh lime wedges. It's interesting to note that this is the only curry from the Chiang Mai region that uses coconut milk.

S and I are just back from another quick 4 day trip to Chiang Mai. This time, S was there to write a story, for the same magazine, on the coolest design and homeware shops in Chiang Mai. Once again, this chubby, hopalong hubby went with her and not only tasted several versions of Khao Soi, but also learnt how to make it at the stunning Four Seasons Resort's Cooking School. The first one we tasted was at a streetside cafe called Samoe Jai Khao Sawy. Samoe Jia is very well-known for its Khao Soi. And while I have to agree that their Khao Soi is very good, it was a tad too spicy for my taste. I did like, though, that the dish was served with little winglets/drumsticks that were so tender I could literally suck the meat off the bones. Curiously, this version also had amost no coconut milk in it.

The Khao Soi Gai from Samoe Jia has almost no coconut milk

My second Khao Soi was at Modiva, a trendy restaurant off the equally trendy Nimanhaemin Road. The Khao Soi Gai here was good, but not outstanding. The curry was rich, with a good, healthy amount of coconut milk. This version was also served with little chicken drumsticks. My next Khao Soi was at the very new and very exciting D2 hotel. This hotel is the first in a hip new line extension of the Dusit group. The hotel itself was awesome, with modern and whimsical interiors and a very cute orange accent that ran across all of the hotel's branding. Their restaurant, Moxie, had a nice menu of local and international dishes. I ordered a Khao Soi with pork meatballs. It was both excellent and beautifully presented. The curry was mild and flavorful. The pork meatballs made for a nice change from the usual chicken. I really enjoyed this one.

The Khao Soi with pork meatballs from D2 hotel

My last Khao Soi (not counting the one I cooked for myself in the cooking school) was the most unusual, a Khao Soi with Osso Buco. We had this at the gorgeous, classy and very romantic restaurant at the Rachamanka hotel. Of all the Khao Sois we ate, S liked this one the best, both because of the unusual meat choice but also because the noodles used with this version had soaked up the very mild and delicious curry. It was, because the curry was the lightest and most flavorful, and because of the surprising choice of meat, also my favorite.

S hard at work prepping condiments for her Khao Soi Gai

Another Khao Soi that I ate--as mentioned--was one that I learnt to prepare myself. S and I had enrolled in a half day "Best of Thai Curries" course at the Four Seasons Resort's truly stunning cooking school. It was a fun course taught in one of the most beautiful settings imaginable. I've included below the recipe that the Four Seasons used to teach us how to make this delicious dish.

Khao Soi Gai
1portion

100g chicken pieces
2 small portions egg noodles
1 teaspoon red curry paste
1 teaspoon yellow curry powder
1 cup coconut milk
1 cup chicken stock
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon white sugar
2 pieces sawtooth coriander, sliced
1/2 tablespoon spring onion, sliced

condiments
3 teaspoons pickled mustard leaves, chopped
1/2 piece lime
1 tablespoon shallots, diced
chili oil

Heat some vegetable oil in a wok. Deep fry 1 portion of the egg noodles. Set this aside.

Blanch/boil the other portion of noodles in boiling water, drain and place in a soup bowl with some of the sawtooth coriander. Heat another wok and when hot, add half of the coconut milk, the red curry paste, the yellow curry powder, and stir until everything is blended together and it starts to boil. Add the rest of the coconut milk, the fish sauce and the sugar. When it starts boiling again, lower the heat and add the chicken and chicken stock. When the chicken is cooked, pour the chicken and the curry sauce/soup over the noodles that are in the soup bowl. Then put the fried noodles on top and garnish with some spring onion.

You can add more fish sauce and sugar to taste. Also, add in some of the mustard leaves and shallots and squeeze some lime juice over the noodles. If you like things hot, you can add some chili oil.

S presents her finished Khao Soi Gai

Good simple duck and char siu rice

2007-01-11T10:15:00.000+08:00

One of my favourite simple meals is a good plate of Cantonese roasted meats served with some rice. I'm partial especially to a beautifully roasted duck. The skin has to be just a tad crispy and the meat juicy and tender. And while I'm usually not a huge fan of char siu (barbecued pork), if it's done well, i.e. it's very umami, soft and succulent, it can be delicious.

While there are several very popular and famous places for duck and char siu rice around town, one of my favourites is little-known. Ming Kee Cantonese Roasted Duck is situated in Coffeetown, a small hawker centre tucked in a rather far-off corner of Rochor Centre (1 Rochor Road) in Singapore. I like that Ming Kee is never too crowded. Even during lunch hour, I never really have to wait too long for my food. Too often, we go to celebrated hawkers, wait for far too long in line, and then receive mediocre and underwhelming food. Ming Kee is the opposite. You get really good food here without the hassle of waiting in queue.

I also like that despite being an open-air hawker centre, it's never too hot here. S calls it smart tropical architecture. The seating area is well-shaded by the surrounding tall buildings. It's a surprisingly pleasant environment. You can eat here at noon on a sunny day without sweating through your lunch.

As said, the duck is good, as is the char siu. The one time I tried the siu yuk (crispy roasted pork), it was okay but not stunning. Ultra-finicky gourmets might find a few faults with the food here, but for a quick, reasonably-priced and fuss-free lunch, I think Ming Kee is just about perfect.

Ming Kee Cantonese Roasted Duck is open every day from 1030am to 7pm.