route to a man's heart

from the horse's mouth

noreply@blogger.com (cyanwater) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 03:45:00 +0000

How time flies. I can still remember M's last birthday when I brought her to Wasabi Tei(which I've not even blogged about) for good and affordable Japanese. It's her birthday yet again. Although having a couple more lines isn't worth celebrating, I think every birthday girl(and boy, of course) deserves a good meal on their special day.

I was very excited to bring M to Riders Cafe for brunch when I first learnt about this secluded place. Firstly, she's a horse lover. Secondly, I promise to buy her Eggs Benedict. Thirdly, her birthday was round the corner. Perfect recipe.

Tucked away from the hustle and bustle of city life, Riders Cafe is surrounded by greenery and occasional trotting horses at Bukit Timah Sadde Club. It is in a historical black and white building with high ceiling, old tiles, everything rustic and it is not air-conditioned!

The café is pretty small and it’s may be a good idea to make reservation especially during weekend. Take the seats by the balcony for a nice view to go with your meal.

Nice detail.

We ordered Eggs Benedict($12.00) but they served us Eggs Florentine instead, which was a good thing because M later said she loves spinach and we found them delicious. I'm going to try the poached eggs with smoked salmon the next time.

I'm very glad to discover yet another place that serves Eggs Benedict(reasonably priced!) in Singapore.

The Roast Beef Sandwich($16.00) was served with wholewheat toasts and accompanied by steak fries. A very hearty meal.

I heard that the to-die-for desserts is a must-try especially Death By Chocolate. On my next visit!

nice ambience + good food + great company = happy (birthday)

Yes, I'm born in the year of the Horse. You do the maths. :P

thai-style grilled chicken

noreply@blogger.com (cyanwater) — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 07:41:00 +0000

A follower of my blog asked if I've been fasting.

Sorry for not blogging.

Most would have known, my dearest Power Mac G5, which has served me well for some time, went dead on me about 1 month ago. High time to upgrade.

Finally, I'm back on track with a high drool factor 2.93GHz Intel Core 2 Duo 24" iMac.

So, what's cooking?

This was what I've attempted in the kitchen last Saturday.

Thai-style Grilled Chicken

Ingredients:
4 chicken thighs
1 lime
a few lemon grass to garnish

Marinade:
1 lemon grass stalk, chopped
1" piece fresh root ginger
4 garlic cloves
2 shallots
1/2 bunch coriander roots
1/2 tbsp palm sugar
1/3 cup coconut milk
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce

Steps:
To prepare the marinade, process ingredients with a food processor until smooth.

Marinade the chicken for at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight.

Grill the chicken at 200ºC for about 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked and golden brown, turning the pieces occasionally and brushing with the marinade.
(The chicken will taste better if it was barbecued)

Garnish with lime wedges and lemon grass.

My friends love it to the bone.

I wish for a rich & good man

noreply@blogger.com (cyanwater) — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 07:45:00 +0000

I love swiss rolls. Simply because of its simplicity.

I first tasted Rich & Good's kaya swiss rolls 8 years back when a client of my ex-company bought them for us whenever he passed by the area. I soon left the company and left the tasty memory behind.

Thanks to T who let me relish the goodness of the rich and creamy cake again on my birthday. :)

Instead of the regular fat and short rolls you can get from your neighbourhood bakery, these are long and thin.

What you get for $10 is a long roll of super soft and moist cake filled with rich fillings that are not too creamy or sweet.

My favourite is coffee flavour but kaya and durian are highly recommended. You can actually taste chunks of durian flesh in it. Other flavours include chocolate, mango, strawberry and blueberry.

Rich & Good Cake Shop
24 Kandahar Street

virtual cake

noreply@blogger.com (cyanwater) — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 15:48:00 +0000

Thanks M for the Tiramisu from Obolo. :)

a prime dinner

noreply@blogger.com (cyanwater) — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 06:15:00 +0000

I've tried Astons Specialties but dinner at Astons Prime was a totally different experience. All thanks to CL for the delightful birthday treat. :)

Astons Prime serves more premium cuts of meat. Of course, there's a price to pay but still, both restaurants offer great value.

I really enjoyed the Deep Fried Oysters after having too many(although not even half of what M had) raw ones at The Line. The wasabi mayonaise sauce complimented the starter very well.

I am no expert when it comes to steaks and can't even recall the names! But I do remember it's supposed to be veal and cost about $30. Served with buttered mushrooms and mashed potatoes, I like the feeling when my steak is served sizzling on the hotplate.

However, we later realized the beef got overcooked after awhile even when it was cushioned by the onions.

This slab of meat(about $20) was soaked in red wine before it was cooked. I can't even remember the portion but it was just enough for me.

The meat was very tender and juicy.

What's red meat without red wine? ;)

There's no ambience and not an ideal place for a romantic dinner. But there's also no service or GST charges. In short, you are only paying for quality food.

I'll definitely recommend Astons Prime to MM, a meat lover.

Top of The Line

noreply@blogger.com (cyanwater) — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 13:51:00 +0000

Sorry for the absence. No, I haven't starved to death. My appetite was poor for the past weeks. Things wasn't smooth sailing and I was sick. Naturally, I was in in no mood to blog. But don't worry for the hungry girl is back! :D

Firstly, I'd like to thank my family, friends and K for all the wonderful birthday treats last month.

Top of the line got to be The Line at Shangri-La Hotel. With over 16 culinary stations, the international buffet spread was impressive! However, buffet at The Line is not just about quantity and eat-all-you-can. It is all about quality. It feels like fine dining less the uneasiness.

These huge and succulent oysters were very fresh.

This was like the size of 2 oysters!

Sashimi was a must-have too.

The cold crabs and prawns were very sweet unlike those I've tasted at other buffets.

Cheese Platter

Roast Beef

Something I usually won't eat at a buffet, local fare. But I didn't know why, the laksa looked really tempting and I had to give it a try. It'd be perfect with cockles though.

By the time we were done with the mains, there wasn't much time or space for desserts.

Chocolate Fountain

My favourite Tiramisu!

Thanks M for such a lavish treat. :)

do not judge a burger by its look

noreply@blogger.com (cyanwater) — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 13:24:00 +0000

Everyone knows the food served never really looks like what's photographed on the menu or poster. The new Scallops Rice Burger at Mos Burger is one very good example. It looked nothing close to the burger featured on their attractive poster!

Ironically, I was once the one who tempted the target audience with irresistible looking food and desserts, I never stop being a victim of advertisements. I never deny that.

Despite looking nothing like the burger that was advertised, it tasted pretty good as a whole. The beans was a good match because the scallops were kind of tiny.

Can give it a try but I'll still go back to my succulent Ebi Rice Burger!

"mos makes my day"

the hunt continues

noreply@blogger.com (cyanwater) — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 13:36:00 +0000

The hunt for a good curry puff never stops. After a satisfying meal at Old Airport Road Food Center, greedy me went around hunting for other good food to bring home since I hardly come here. I spotted Wang Wang Curry Puff easily with newspaper cuttings and awards stuck all over its stall front. How can I not try this hidden gem!

At $1.10 each, it was a bout the size of 1A curry puff. In fact, they look identical because of the multi-layered crispy skin. Flaky and thin but not as fragrant as 1A's.

The filling was moist, which I like, but it was not spicy enough. There were chunks of potatoes and a piece of very tender chicken meat. No sign of egg.

The good thing about this curry puff was that it didn't feel oily at all after gobbling up two. You know how the oil tends to surface on the skin when you reheat it. The skin of this puff was matte after I took it out from the oven.

Wang Wang Curry Puff may not be the best puff around but I'll definitely grab a few back if I happen to be around the area. The highly recommended black pepper chicken flavour is also a must-try on my next visit.

Old Airport Road Food Centre
51 Old Airport Road, #01-125

ice ice baby

noreply@blogger.com (cyanwater) — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 02:35:00 +0000

First, it was bubble tea. Followed by Rotiboy then donuts in all sorts of unimaginable flavours. It's interesting how these food trends come and go. Just like fashion.

I first chanced upon Rotiboy many years back when I used to frequent City Square, Johor Bahru to meet a client. It was love at first bite. I was overjoyed when it came to Singapore. It became so popular that lead to the openings of Rotipapa and other imitations. The trend, however, died after some time. The businessman had made enough money and decided to wind up.

How can they just vanish into thin air completely? There are people like me who still love Rotiboy.

If you notice, there has been a rising number of Taiwan and Hong Kong style dessert houses lately. Perhaps they won't die off like other food trends because of our tropical weather?

Recently, P, who has sweet tooth, brought me to for desserts after dinner. I frequent Junction 8 but was not even aware of its existence. Mei Heong Yuen 味香园 is located at the basement level where all the snack stalls are. I'm not sure about other desserts because I'm not a big fan of such, but the Mango Ice was commendable.

The flavoured and finely shaved ice was drizzled with mango syrup and topped with fresh mango cubes.

Absolutely refreshing.

By the way, my nephew and niece love the Mango Snow Ice ice-cream at Xin Wang Hong Kong Cafe. It's gigantic. So don't attempt to finish it by yourself.

They also enjoy the milk flavoured shaved ice at Ice Monster.

I shall blog about other non-icy Hong Kong desserts in my next post.

For now, let's chill.

i-ing on iPhone

noreply@blogger.com (cyanwater) — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 03:08:00 +0000

i have been contemplating if i should switch to iPhone. It's the coolest gadget since iPod Touch.

My trusty Sony Ericsson 3.2 mega pixel Cybershot camera phone has been doing a good job on capturing, though not professional, but acceptable pictures of my indulgences. I wouldn't want to lug around a DSLR and make shooting a chore. That's also the reason why K got me the Ricoh GX100 a year ago. But having a film camera with me most of the time, I do not want to add to the weight on my shoulder and only take it with me on holidays.

Then there's the Sony Ericsoon C905 equiped with a 8.1 mega pixel camera. Tempting. But it'll defeat the purpose of owning a compact digital camera, isn't it?

Sadly, one can't have the best of both worlds.

2.0 megapixel is so yesteryear and there's no macro mode. :( Thankfully, there's Griffin's Clarify which may compensate the inadequacy.

I think the switch will force me to fully utilize my GX100. Which is, of course, a good thing.

What am I waiting for?

My birthday!

Haha!

Sunset Grill & Pub

noreply@blogger.com (cyanwater) — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 08:00:00 +0000

This entry is dedicated to E.

I've known E for merely two years. If I remember correctly, I've not gone out with her alone more than twice. They say, it doesn't take a food connoisseur to tell if the food is good. Likewise, it doesn't take a decade to find out E is a nice girl.

She's helpful, kind, caring, sincere, friendly, trustworthy, responsible and the list goes on. One thing all her friends will have to agree is that she is very good at organising.

Lately, I got to discover this really cool dining place and other interesting shooting locations all thanks to her. Sunset Grill & Pub is located at Singapore Flying Club, overlooking a beautiful sunset and, if you're lucky, private jets taking off or landing.

I was a tad disappointed to learn that Sunset Grill & Pub is opened by the owner of Jerry's BBQ & Grill. I'm not sure if Jerry's is related to Buckaroo BBQ & Grill but somehow I prefer the latter. No, I'm not about to start a debate who is better. After all, I love both their signature buffalo wings.

We skipped the main course and ordered a variety of appetisers to share.

Fried Button Mushrooms ($13.50)

Cheese Fries

Fried breaded calamari and prawns

Mussels in creamy olive oil sauce

The highlight got to be the highly acclaimed fiery buffalo wings with spiciness from level 1 to all the way to 30! If you're up for the challenge at level 30, your name will be on the hall of fame. Or rather hall of flame!

Try the wings last in case the spiciness numbs your tastebuds. For the chicken hearted, there's also the non-spicy version.

We started with half a dozen of at level 3($19.50). Tasty, tangy, spicy. Still enjoyable. For someone who can't take spiciness like E, that's her limit. KT thought it was no sweat and we doubled up to level 6 for the next half a dozen($21.00).

First bite, it was just as spicy as level 3. A few seconds later, the spiciness started to bit my tongue. I sipped a mouthful of ice cold beer to put out the fire but it only worsened the situation. After the beer went down my throat, my mouth started burning. I could however finished the whole thing without tearing. KT on the other hand, was screaming for water in between bites. *LOL* And poor KC felt miserable after finishing up his share.

I can't imagine how spicy level 10 is, let alone 30. O_O|||

After the burning sensation which left us with Angelina Jolie's lips, we had something sweet to neutralise our tastebuds.

Happy birthday, E. Hope you had a great time. :)

Sunset Grill & Pub is a nice and secluded laid-back place to chill out. I suppose many came here because of its rustic ambience. You may want to set off earlier as the area is quite a maze.

P/S: Thanks, E, KC&JT. It was a great trip. :)

Sunset Grill & Pub
Republic of Singapore Flying Club
140-B Piccadilly, Seletar Airbase,
East Camp
6482-0244
Opens daily from 4pm to 10pm

Sim Lim Square Food Court

noreply@blogger.com (cyanwater) — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 08:54:00 +0000

Here's an entry on the soup dumplings(小笼包) at Sim Lim Square Food Court I promised to blog about earlier.

Whenever I step into SLSQ foodcourt, I'll head straight for the soup dumplings from Shanghai Delights(stall 14) and decide what else to have. Because it takes about 10 minutes for the dumplings to be served steaming hot.

I don't know about the number of folds but this is as good as it gets. Soup spilling out from the thin skin as I sunk my teeth into it. No porky taste or smell. Resting on a thin slice of carrot, this "basket" of eight soup dumplings costs only $6.00. Try them if you haven't. You'll be delighted!

I usually end up ordering Garlic Naan with Butter Chicken($6.50) from the stall next door, Indian & Pakistan(stall 15). I’d vouch for the fragrant naan and thick gravy anytime, unless I'm not fit to take spicy.

The naan is cooked in a huge ceramic furnace. Is there a name for it?

The crispy naan was flavoured with of minced garlic and butter and served hot from that huge furnace.

Tender chicken pieces were covered with sizzling curry and served on a hot plate. It wasn't exactly spicy and in fact a tad sweet, but somehow I didn't mind at all.

Perfect match.

Despite looking dry, the tandoori chicken was very tender and juicy.

Apart from roti prata, naan and dosay, I'm clueless about Indian food. I can't compare but I can tell you it satisfies me, anytime of the day.

Besides what I've recommended, the Parklane Abalone Minced Meat Noodles and popiah from Local Delights are very good too.

Sim Lim Square is not just about gadgets at bargain prices but good food too.

Sim Lim Square Food Court
1, Rochor Canal Road, Basement 1

jack 'n jill went up the hill

noreply@blogger.com (cyanwater) — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 03:05:00 +0000

OK, I hear complaints.

I just noticed that I have only made 6 (including this) entries. February is short. OK, no excuse. But, but, I was really busy with other equally important things in my life. :)

How about some snacks to fill you up first?

I used to live in a block with a row of neighbourhood shops conveniently located on the ground floor. My sisters and I loved to visit this mama shop that sells a wide variety of tidbits. (The mama shop is still around!) Before Kettle Chips or Lays and Red Rock Deli, Jack 'n Jill was what made us happy. Our favourite got to be Salsa Chilli flavour.

Now that we are spoilt for choice, I hardly pick up another pack of Jack 'n Jill. Until a few weeks ago, while super-marketing, these attractive packaging caught my eyes. Fusion explosion! New flavours from Jack 'n Jill.

I grabbed all three. For I simply love to try out new and interesting flavours. My favourite is the Jalapeno and Cheez, followed by Mexicana Chilli and lastly Spicy D' Lime. The chips were overall mildly flavoured but pretty tasty.

Nothing earth-shattering really but it's always great to have more variety to choose from. Especially those that bring back good memories. Yes, I will purchase another pack of J 'n J again. In fact, I went NTUC today and was disappointed to find out that the Jalapeno n Cheez and Mexican Chilli were both sold out! :(

By the way, I also picked up a pack of salmon sushi(with wasabi) flavour potato chips. It came in a resealable bag with a bag of chips and a sachet of seasoning in it. You're supposed to empty everything in the resealable bag and shake it. Like McDonald's shaker fries. The chips were rough and K didn't like them. We still prefer Tai Sun's.

That's all for now. I'm going to dig into a bag of Calbee Pizza flavour chips.

Available at any good supermarket and convenience store.

Happy V Day

noreply@blogger.com (cyanwater) — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 08:00:00 +0000

For all lovers out there.

We all know love is sweet.

Sometimes bitter.

Happy Valentine's Day!

P/S: I have to crop the unglam faces of S&L before they kill me! ;)

Obolo
452 Joo Chiat Road

Big O Cafe & Restaurant
501 Orchard Road
#02-04/05 Wheelock Place

join the queue

noreply@blogger.com (cyanwater) — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 18:41:00 +0000

There's this notion that typical Singaporeans love to queue because of their "kia su"(afraid of losing) attitude. Be it freebies, food or hello kitties, the queue goes on and on and on.

For me, I simply love food more than queuing. Thankfully, there's man! I've always been fortunate to have them queuing for me willingly. :D IL was gentleman enough to offer standing in the line for Ah Lo's yam and carrot cake at Chinatown Market just to satisfy my curiosity.

The stall sells only yam cake, carrot cake and peanut porridge. While queuing, IL learnt from a friendly lady in front of him that the stall owners used to be very arrogant. They would not sell the peanut porridge alone. It was like a side. I think the old couple mellowed down with age over the years.

Twenty minutes of much anticipated wait later, it was finally his turn. IL got us a plate of yam cake and a plate of carrot cake($2.00 per plate) to share. The yam cake was sprinkled with sesame seeds and spring onions on top of the sweet sauce.

I was expecting to bite into bits of mushrooms, yam and shrimps but I could only taste the silky smooth spongy texture of the cakes. No, don't get me wrong. It didn't feel like biting into flour. This was Cantonese-style as I was told. The chilli sauce was very nice and complemented the plain looking cakes. You have to pay an extra $0.20 for more chilli sauce!

I prefer the carrot cake as no one beats the yam cake my sister's MIL made. Hokkien-style.

While we were eating, an uncle asked us if it was worth queuing. Yes, if you have the time.

Since we were already half-filled, we decided to look around the labyrinth of stalls for other good food. We spotted a queue in front of Heng Ji Chicken Rice stall.

The line wasn't as long and we decided to join in the queue. It didn't take too long to get to our turn. Around ten minutes.

The chicken was smooth and very tender.

The thing that was different was the chilli sauce. It wasn't the usual garlic chilli sauce with a hint of lime but something a tad sweet. I love chicken rice chilli and that was a letdown.

The rice was very fragrant but the serving was really small. I think any guy could have easily gobbled down three bowls at a go.

We had this mixed feelings about Heng Ji's chicken rice as we tucked in. It tasted like Yet Con's. After finishing our meal, we decided it wasn't bad. It just wasn't our plate of chicken rice.

In the end, we spent more than an hour queuing and eating which means we could have waited for the famous claypot chicken rice we wanted to have initially. But I'm glad I got to taste other good food I haven't tried before.

And I'm thankful for the great choices of food here that we Singaporeans get to queue for.

@IL: I didn't forget the super bitter chrysanthemum and luo han guo drink! :P

Chinatown Complex Food Centre
Blk 335 Smith Street

din tai fung

noreply@blogger.com (cyanwater) — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 18:39:00 +0000

J is someone who has many friends yet she never fails to send me her blessings on my birthday and greetings every Christmas even when I never really remember hers. :P My bad.

J is my ex-colleague. She is easy-going, unpretentious, laid-back, adventurous and fun-loving. I only came to realize lately that she's as greedy as me. Very much a foodie herself, she follows foodblogs religiously and takes pictures of almost everything she eats with her trusty Canon Powershot(can't remember the model). No, she does not have a foodblog. I guess she's just inspired to be a food stylist/photographer so that she can finish up everything after the shoot. :P

I brought J to Din Tai Fung 鼎泰豐 for dinner when she came to visit on New Year's Day. A couple of years back when it first opened in Paragon, we usually had to wait for over an hour to get a table. No reservation! Now that there are many outlets around Singapore, we can easily savour the goodness of their specialty-soup dumplings( 小籠包 ). Many are familiar with the food at Din Tai Fung so I shall not go on describing how good they are. Some may argue that the soup dumplings at Crystal Jade's are better, I say Din Tai Fung is not famous around the world for no reason.

I've also tried Din Tai Fung at Taipei which a friend claimed to be better compared to Singapore's.

I'm glad to conclude that the standard of their food is consistent throughout the two countries and different branches in Singapore.

Besides the default soup dumplings, the other must-order dish is the Braised Beef Noodle Soup( 紅燒牛肉麵 ).

The noodles with broad bean sauce(酢醬麵) is one of Taiwan's favourites. Not sure if we were just hungry, it was pretty tasty.

The fried prawn fritter was something new on the menu. Wrapped in crispy beancurd skin, you can actually taste the sweetness of the succulent prawns without the excessive oil.

Speaking of soup dumplings, P and I used to patronise the foodcourt at Sim Lim Square for Shanghai xiao long bao whenever we were there to keep up with technology. They were good and affordable. That was before the birth of Din Tai Fung. And that was before everyone has become caught up with their personal lives.

Anyway, J promised to bring me to Dragon-i to try Malaysia's famous Shanghai soup dumplings the next time we meet up in KL. ;) I hope that won't take another year.

J, where's the picture of the soup dumpling you promised to contribute to my blog? I also figured that there's a Din Tai Fung at The Gardens in KL! Didn't you know that? :P Should have brought you somewhere else.

shot by J

开心点心

noreply@blogger.com (cyanwater) — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 16:53:00 +0000

The dim sum at Hwa Nam Chinese Restaurant (华南菜馆) may not be the best around but the dining experience is certainly delightful.

Hwa Nam Chinese Restaurant sits along the same stretch of food stalls as the famous Roti Prata House along upper Thomson Road. Besides a variety of decent dim sum, they also serve Cantonese dishes. The place is not only filled with nostalgia and the fragrance of comfort food, love was in the air. Every dish was served with a smile. And it didn't stop there. As we were enjoying our food contentedly, the aunties and uncles were chatting and laughing away happily. It is heartwarming to know find such lighthearted working environment.

E also noticed a Chinese quotation that highlights the importance of happiness stuck on the retro tiled wall.

Anyway, here are some pictures of the nice food we had.

K loves the Lor Mai Kai(glutinous rice with chicken).

I thought the 纸包鸡(chicken wrapped in paper) was really good.

Sometimes it's really the overalll dining experience and not just the food itself that constitutes to a truly satisfying meal. Of course, having quality friends to share the food was just as important as the quality of the food.

Thank you, IL, E and K for the company!

Hwa Nam Chinese Restaurant (华南菜馆)
244F Upper Thomson Road, Thomson Garden Estate
64533645
7am-11.30pm

旺来

noreply@blogger.com (cyanwater) — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 19:04:00 +0000

Sorry for the absence. Chinese New Year has been really busy. No, I haven't been busy feasting but I was out of town for more than a week and missed my steamboat reunion. In fact, I even fell sick on the second day of CNY. But no worries, I'm in the pink of health now and had my yearly dosage of yusheng and abalone. :)

I'm no big fan of CNY goodies but this year I got my share of delicious homemade pineapple tarts in different shapes and sizes.

These are from a good friend, V. Melts-in-your-mouth pastry with moist filling made from honey rock sugar. $25 per box.

These are from my cousin, the one who taught me how to make bread. The pastry was buttery and fragrant. The pineapple filling was chewy and not too sweet.

These pineapple tarts from auntie S were crisp and had a slight milk powder flavour. The filling was similar to those by my cousin.

They all tasted really good and it depends on your preference. Let me know if you guys want to order next year. ;)

By the way, T gave me a box of my favourite shrimp rolls from home's favourite. Packed in nice tin, the skin of the shrimp rolls was a tad hard but filling was very spicy and tasty. (I can't stand those that are sweet!)

年年有余

noreply@blogger.com (cyanwater) — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 09:26:00 +0000

祝你在这新的一年里，吃得饱，睡得好。

幸福饮茶
181 Lorong 4 Toa Payoh
#02-602 Singapore 310181
63631717

Miharu Authentic Ramen

noreply@blogger.com (cyanwater) — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 13:55:00 +0000

Gallery Hotel? Where is that? That was my response when F suggested dinner at Gallery Hotel. Little did I know hidden at a corner of this hotel is a humble-looking Japanese restaurant, Sapporo Ramen Hiharu (美春).

The homely restaurant seats about 20 or so only. Yet there was no crowd when we were there on a Friday night. I came to realize that it's the Japanese culture that the customers usually slurp up their noodles quickly and leave for sake bars.

There are also two floor seating tables available for a truly authentic Japanese dining experience.

Spotting Japanese at Miharu is a sign that the food is authentic!

So what exactly is authentic at Miharu? The popular Sapporo Nishiyama brand noodles served at Miharu, were made with well water and are specially imported from Japan. These noodles were frozen when they arrived and has to be thawed for 3 days in order to achieve the perfect texture. Sapporo noodles were very popular in Japan and has no doubt attracted many Japanese here in Singapore.

The menu was nothing fanciful. Mainly Sapporo Ramen in different soup base and sauces. It costs about $12.50-$13.00 for a huge bowl. The noodles was chewy and good, the soup brimming with flavour, was however too salty. You can request for the soup to be less salty as stated on the menu though.

The egg which looked like braised egg tasted nothing like Chinese. It was soaked in a secret soy blend for half a day and later boiled to perfection with a melt-in-your-mouth orange yolk.

These meatless gyoza($6.00) were filled with chives only.

We ordered the long beans also known as Yasai itame($4.50) just to complete our diet with some greens. Nothing special.

Overall, dinner was good. But in comparison, I still think Marutaman Ramen at Central(now at Liang Court too) is better. Marutaman Ramen is however pricey and forever crowded. (I will blog about it next time.)

So if you want a quiet and authentic Japanese dinner without having to queue for hours, why not head down to Gallery Hotel which is just down at Robertson Quay.

Sapporo Ramen Miharu
76 Robertson Quay #01-11
Gallery Hotel
6733 8464
Open 12-3pm, 6-10pm
Closed on Wednesdays

The Little Nyonya

noreply@blogger.com (cyanwater) — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 08:00:00 +0000

Because of the highly rated drama The Little Nyonya (小娘惹), my mum like many, was hooked on TV for the past weeks. To relive the nyonya experience, I took her to Ivins for authentic peranakan food on her birthday last weekend.

As expected, the place was packed. We waited for 15mins before we were seated and that was after I reminded the waitress that I had made a reservation. It took another 40mins before the food was served. Nevertheless, I must say it was worth the wait. But by then, we were all famished and I didn't want to prolong everyone's agony and took a snapshot of each dish quickly before they were attacked.

My first visit to Ivins was ages ago when it was at the other end of Upper Thomson Road. It has since shifted to Jalan Leban which is further down the road, along with other restaurants. Limited parking lots but there's a carpark behind the hawker center not too far away.

The Curry Fish Head($13.20) was the highlight. Served in a claypot, it kept the the flavourful dish warm throughout our meal. The gravy was thick and the fish fresh.

The Ayam Buah Keluak($5.90) is not my favourite. The gravy tasted like peanut sauce which I don't prefer and the buah keluak(according to M) is an accquired taste. My mum, however, was digging into it literally.

The interesting thing about Peranakans is that they are allowed to eat pork even when they are originated from an intermarriage of Chinese and Malay.

"The Peranakans were partially assimilated into the Malay culture (especially in food, dress, and language), while retaining some Chinese traditions (religion, name, and ethnic identity), thereby creating a fusion culture of their own."

K told me it's because the marriage involved a Chinese royal family and they had the rights not to follow the book but set their own rules. I googled and couldn't find any fact to back this up. Can someone enlighten me?

Anyway, like the origin, the Babi Ponteh($4.90) is allegedly a very popular nyonya dish. Lean pork was stewed for hours with preserved bean paste. My niece loved this(and she's also a huge fan of The Little Nyonya).

The Lady's Fingers Sambal costs $3.20 for a really small plate. The good thing about small serving is that you can order a wide variety to share. Even when there's only two of you. It was by the way, very good.

Udang Goreng Assam($5.00), was not too sweet and just enough zest. MM loves the unique taste of the tangy tamarind sauce.

To complete your meal, there are also a good variety of decent desserts in small portion for only $1.20 a bowl. The Chendol was quickily sold out when we wanted to order another.

Gula Melaka Sago (Tapioca jelly bits served with coconut milk and brown sugar)

Buboh Cha Cha(Sweet potato and yam in sweet coconut syrup)

It's a totally different experience dining at Ivins compared to True Blue which is more upmarket. Authentic and unpretentious, if Ivins is not the best peranakan restaurant, it's definitely the most affordable. Go early because the Nasi Kuning(coconut-flavoured rice) and otah were sold out by 8pm.

Happy Birthday, Mum. Today is her birthday. :)

IVINS @ Jalan Leban
No. 2/4 Jalan Leban,
Upper Thomson Road
6451 4622
11 am to 9 pm (Lunch/Dinner)
Closed on Thursday

IVINS @ Binjai Park
19/21 Binjai Park Bukit TImah
64683060
11am-3pm (Lunch), 5pm-9pm (Dinner)
Closed on Thursday

Coffee, tea or me?

noreply@blogger.com (cyanwater) — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 18:10:00 +0000

Matchazuki Latte($7.20) at TCC is a concoction of Matcha (Green Tea) with Azuki (Red Bean) and Latte. Sounds like a weird combination but it is surprisingly good.

Satisfying Smoked Salmon Salad

noreply@blogger.com (cyanwater) — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 23:17:00 +0000

It's always nice catching up with old friends. Met up with IR and AD for lunch at Coffee Club a week ago.

IR loves salad. In fact, she's the one who introduced me to salad. Before I got to know her, the word salad does not exist in my dictionary. Haha! Still, to me, salad is an appetizer. Or a side. There are just too many choices on the menu for me to settle for salad as the main course.

I won't order salad alone because it's not filling enough for my big appetite. The taste is always expected and it's too simple to prepare. And salad is boring for I'm never a health conscious person. :P If there's any salad that appetizes me, it got to be the Classic Caesar Salad with Smoked Salmon($10.80) from Coffee Club.

Crisp romaine lettuce drizzled with signature caeser dressing and served in a homemade cheese bowl. The savouriness of the smoked salmon and crispy cheese bowl complemented the less exciting vegs. Nothing out of this world but the combination was just perfect. Perfect for me.

The Warm Duck Confit Salad tasted very Chinese. Reminded me of braised duck with a touch of balsamic vinegar.

The Roast Beef sandwich with caramalised onion was a tad too sweet for my liking. :(

I much prefer salad with oil based dressing but the smoked salmon caesar salad has just whet my appetite for more. :)

The crab is out of the bag

noreply@blogger.com (cyanwater) — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 13:59:00 +0000

I'm glad the truth is finally out in the papers.

I've been wanting to blog about this since the opening of the other "copy crabs". Because I'm related to the crab chef, Mr Tan Yau Heng, I've received many calls from friends asking me if Mr Tan has left First Grade Seafood in Joo Chiat Place.

The answer is no. Just like the The Sunday Times(11 Jan 09) has clarified.

House of Seafood@180 in Yio Chu Kang claimed to be 'formerly known at Joo Chiat Place', is obviously a marketing ploy to mislead the customers. The Chef who once worked at First Grade Seafood Palace was in charge of cooking other dishes, not its signature crabs.

Then came the Chef's Crab Seafood Restaurant which declared that the "famous black pepper crab from the Joo Chiat area has made its way to Katong" in an ad they put up. This is even more ludicrous because the chef was only responsible for killing crabs and slicing the ingredients back at First Grade Seafood Palace.

The chefs may have worked at First Grade Seafood Palace at some point but never the key chef for crabs. Yes, they may have picked up a trick of two but experience is something they can never possess overnight.

Having said that, I'm not jumping to conclusion that the copy crabs are not as good. Perhaps not everyone bothers who's the real McCoy or can taste the difference. But the fact that the one and only crab chef, Mr Tan, who has worked at First Grade Seafood for over 20 years, is still cooking up a storm in Joo Chiat Place remains a fact. The customers should have the rights to make their own choice and not be misled by ambiguous declarations.

So if you want the good old authentic Joo Chiat Place black pepper crabs, head nowhere else but Joo Chiat Place.

Here are some exclusive photos of Mr Tan at work. :)

Besides black pepper crabs, they serve Singapore's favourite chilli crabs too.

Mr Tan handles four woks at a time. The orders for crabs alone are enough to kept him busy throughout the night.

The Mee Goreng is also one of their specialties. It's very spicy and yummy, unlike the sweet Indian version which I don't prefer.

I love the crispy Seafood You Tiao too.

All I can say is only the original gets copied.

For those who are interested to read the above article, drop me a note. :)

First Grade Seafood Palace
247 Joo Chiat Place
6440 5560
(Closed on Wednesday)

A Healthy Supper

noreply@blogger.com (cyanwater) — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 15:52:00 +0000

Besides the 24Hr Prata shops, where do you usually go for supper? Swee Choon Tim Sum is not only a great alternative(fully air-conditioned) but a healthier choice for midnight snacks too. ;)

There's a wide variety of regular dim sum and other dishes like xiao long bao(dumplings) and la mian(handmade noodles). The unique Mee Sua Kueh(fried vermicelli cake) is a must-try! It's something I haven't tried anywhere else. Sorry I didn't have a closeup shot of it because everyone was starving.

Overall, food was good. Although it's not as fantastic as 搵到食, it offers better value. I'll definitely go back for supper and better pictures some day.

By the way, Swee Choon is also frequented by celebrities if you're interested in star-gazing in the middle of the night. :P

Swee Choon Tim-Sum Restaurant Pte Ltd
187 Jalan Besar
Tel: 6294 5292
Mon to Sat, 6pm to 10am
Sun, eve of PH and PH, 6pm to 12pm