Always Good Curry Chicken Noodles on 18Jan2019

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curry chicken noodles

hong lim food centre re-open after 2months renovation.

3 of us, LKH, LKY and i arranged to go at 11am.

not sure what has changed? well ah heng prices did – now S$5,S$6,S$7, S$0.50 higher than previously.

LUCKILY, chicken and gravy still just as nice, really shiok everytime eating it.

RI bro curry chicken noodles 

now ah heng has another stall across the stairs. when i was there at 11.10am, there was a queue of 6 before me but zero queue at the new stall.

i decided to queue since just 6pax and the old boss and team at this side.

maybe the other is a franchisee.

LKH came another 10mins later, he went to buy from the other stall…somehow the curry and taste managed to be like quite different? i wonder?

curry chicken noodles

anyway what i and LKY had was good, the usual very tender and sweet chicken and very very tasty gravy.

this something i can’t really make myself, and what i truly enjoy.

c.h.e.f andy

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Chinese Wine Chicken 黄焖鸡 – 80th Teban Gardens Community Breakfast on 18Jan2019

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chinese wine chicken 黄焖鸡

made chinese wine chicken 黄焖鸡 for teban gardens community breakfast this morning on 18.1.2019.^^

this my 79th friday breakfast community meal dish at teban gardens community service centre.

i first started doing a community meal dish for teban gardens CSC on 8.1.2016.

the centre was started in 2002 after much effort & challenge by our RI friend who is a pastor of pasir panjang hill brethren church (pphbc) which owns & runs the CSC.

chicken thigh fillet

used about 3.5kg of boneless frozen chicken thighs with skin. 🙂

i seasoned the evening before with – 2tbsp fish sauce, 2 tbsp light soy sauce, 2 tbsp oyster sauce, 2 tbsp corn flour, 1 tbsp sesame oil and 4 tbsp huatiaojiu chinese wine.

overnight in fridge.

chinese wine chicken 黄焖鸡

got up at 7am.

cut sliced ginger, sliced yellow onions, and cut spring onions. fried together in little oil, 1 tbsp.

then added the chicken and fried thoroughly high fire, then covered to cook, medium fire.

there was a lot of liquids in the chicken so no need to add water or stock.

chinese wine chicken 黄焖鸡

about 10 mins.

when ready, transferred to aluminium carrier, the added 3cm cut spring onions.

chinese wine chicken 黄焖鸡

i tasted. it was delicious dish, and chicken were cooked just right not overcooked, very tender and tasty and great bite. the teban gardens residents would love this!

c.h.e.f andy

Excellent Meepok Tar @ Song Kee Tembeling Road 17Jan2019

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meepok tar 

fetched WT & met at WM’s place on 17.1.2019.

walked over to song kee at tembeling. this HC’s favourite noodle place, very good leh!

took S$6 meepok tar very nice!👍

after that went to fei fei had kopi & took lapis sagu & ondeh2 from kim choo..

then walked over to haig road market & ate msw small seeds pretty good.

song kee noodles S$6

the servings come in S$4,S$6,S$8.

server knew we didn’t want too much carbs. she said same amount of noodles, but S$6 gave all the ingrdients, so we obediently ordered S$6.

meepok tar all finished

the noodles came with lots of ingredients, 3 very tasty fish balls, another large fish/meat ball, a taupok and another piece, quite good ingredients for S$6.

but of course the test is in the noodles, qq, and the chilli.

this one obviously very good, so we cleaned up the carbs…limited bandwidth la…so only consumed “worthwhile” carbs…

msw next to haig road market

msw next to haig road market 

after that we went to fei fei wanton noodle coffeeshop and had a kopi. on the way we bought ondeh ondeh and lapis sagu from kim choo.

eating too much leh..

& afterwards we walked to haig road market, WT and WM took chendol.

bought 3packets of msw S$!5 per packet form shop next to market. they were good too, small seeds and good flavours, not the very best msw but good enough and worth it for S$15 per packet. we shared 2 packets.

meepok tar

a great outing with OPS bros.

pity HC couldn’t join us today.

ate too much but we walked a lot too. this days, walking is becoming the new normal for me and my friends. lol! ^^

c.h.e.f andy

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Song Kee Fishball Noodles @ Tembeling Road
Address:
128 Tembeling Rd, Singapore 423638
8W62+9W Singapore
Contact:
9336 2745
Opening Hours:
daily (closed wed)
  • 11:30am–9:30pm

Recipe = Salted Fish Minced Pork Egg White Fried Rice on 16Jan2019

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salted fish minced pork egg white fried rice

sis & bil came for dinner on 16.1.2019.^^.

lazy to plan and do marketing so just cooked whatever i had in the fridge.

i had 4 egg whites leftover from making kaya (which requires 4 egg yokes). so decided to make salted fish minced pork egg white fried rice.

salted fish minced pork egg white fried rice

salted fish minced pork egg white fried rice

i minced a small slice of salted fish, fried chopped garlic then salted fish lightly, then added about 150g minced pork, mixed in corn flour. when minced pork ws cooked, i added a cup rice equivalent of cooked rice and mixed thoroughly. then set aside.

the i added oil and fried the 4 egg white high fire letting them formed a layer and browned, and then added in the rice and mixed the egg white with the rice.

salted fish minced pork egg white fried rice

and voila!

a delectable dish of salted fish minced pork egg white fried rice, excellent wokhae, almost imperial treasure standard la..

add crispy chilli and chopped spring onions to garnish.

c.h.e.f andy

3pax Home dinner with Sis & BIL on 16Jan2019

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spicy black bean sauce song fish head

made 3pax dinner for sis & bil

I made-

  1. spicy black bean sauce song fish head
  2. orh lua – almost hawker standard
  3. egg white minced pork fried rice – definitely imperial treasure standard
  4. some leftover vegetables

spicy black bean sauce song fish head

spicy black bean sauce song fish headmy usual good zi char standard.

sauce was tangy and sweet, fish meat was tender and tasty.

orh lua

orh lua

and i made an almost hawker standard orh lua with big and plump oysters. ^^

vegetables

vegetables 

i used leftover vegetables in the fridge – leek spring onions, yellow onions, celery and some potatoes. just fried with oyster sauce, added some chicken stock and reduced while cooking the potatoes, thickened to a very tasty sauce.

this dish was a champoh put together thingy,but it was also very tasty!

salted fish minced pork egg white fried rice

salted fish minced pork egg white fried rice

and i made the perfect salted fish minced pork egg white fried rice this eveninng.

this was imperial treasures restaurant standard, excellent fried rice with wonderful wek hae.

salted fish minced pork egg white fried rice

3pax dinner dishes

dinner was quite last minute.

it was also very enjoyable and tasty food! sis stayed to make gongfu tea and watched some tv series, then i sent them to mrt to catch a ride home.

wonderful family time together with sis & bil.

c.h.e.f andy

 

Recipe = Kaya ie Coconut Jam 3.0 on 14Jan2019

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kaya bread

out of the blue, decided to make kaya = coconut jam again.

last time i made was on 28.9.2016. 

kaya – coconut jam

kaya – coconut jam

kaya – coconut jam

i vary the recipe a little, increase palm sugar from3 to 4 tbsp and reduce white sugar from 3 to 1 tbsp –

200ml coconut milk
1 tbsp white sugar (15g)
4 tbsp palm sugar (60g)
4 pandan leaves
4 egg yolks

kaya – coconut jam

kaya – coconut jam

boil the coconut milk, white sugar, palm sugar and pandan leaves, stirring constantly. off fire and continue stirring till all sugar melted.

one important step is to pour 1/2 the liquids into the 4 egg yokes, stirring all the time. then add back to the liquids, low fire, stir for 5-10mins until the kaya thickens.

& that’s it! voila!

kaya – coconut jam

kaya – coconut jam

very “pang” flavourful..

and so very easy to make, probably took no more than 15-20mins in all.

kaya bread

kaya bread

kaya and butter bread or toast goes perfectly with soft white bread. ^^

c.h.e.f andy

Recipe = Orh Lua almost Hawker Standard on 12Jan2019

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orh lua

made orh lua with sweet potato flour 1 egg & 8 large oysters on 12.1.2019. ^^

(for the starch, 1 tbsp sweet potato flour 3 tbsp water, 1 egg)

orh lua

i added 3 tbsp water to 1 tbsp sweet potato flour. added 2tsp fisg sauce and some white pepper. mixed thorough and added to non-stick pan 1 tbsp oil on high fire. let the starchy flour form a crispy layer.

then added 1 egg & spread it. added 8 large oysters. covered to cook the oysters while further browning the flour.

this time hawker standard, crispy egg & flour…

orh lua

orh lua

i cooked that again for my sis & bil a few days later, just as good! very good wokhae!

can improve a bit more..maybe add 2tbsp sweet potato flour and less ratio of water  9say 4-5 tbsp) for a thicken starchy base…

anyway overall oysters plump and tasty, egg and flour crisp and yet starchy…quite good but can still improve.

c.h.e.f andy

 

Good 4pax Family Lunch @ Amo Hongkong Street on 30Dec2018

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tuna tartar crostini with avocado & apple S$26

son bought 4pax lunch at amo today on 30.12.2018. ^^

we had S$200 chope vouchers which we bought for S$118. there was no S$50 vouchers and we didn’t need another S$100. lunch came to S$248 including one wine so total for us 4pax was S$118+S$48=S$166. 🙂

the prices here are steeper than say foc or rosso bianco and even halia etc.

food not better than foc but was good too.

tuna tartar was nice.

zucchini flower S$26

zucchini flower a bit unusual wrapped with ham? anyway it was a delectable dish. 🙂

Tagliolini with Spicy Young Cuttlefish and Squid Ink S$29

the squidink was also unusual. we asked for squid ink to be mixed into the pasta but restaurant said not possible. we found out why when the dish arrived. the portion of squid ink was tiny!

the dish was quite excellent, the sauce was superb, very tasty w/o the squidink. the squid ink was nice too!

bone marrow pizza S$29

bone marrow pizza S$29

the bone marrow pizza was very good. the dough was very good and son finished all the dough. usually he doesn’t!

and the flavour was great!

bone marrow pizza

a very enjoyable pizza for wife & i even though we often do not take pizza.

milk brasied pork neck S$35

the pork was quite ordinary. a nice dish ok but not great and the meat was average not a premium cut.

tagliata di manzo S$48

tagliata di manzo S$48

tagliata di manzo was pretty good, also not the best.

and if we do ourselves at home, our ribeye would be angus grain fed variety much better quality cut than this one. the roasted garlic was good too.

it was a great lunch out for the family, and so offered to take the tab for lunch.

c.h.e.f andy

++++++++++++++++++++++++++

amo @ hongkong street

Address:
33 Hongkong St, Singapore 059672
7RQW+2V Singapore
Contact:
amorestaurant.sg
6723 7733
Opening Hours:
Mon-Fri
  • 12–2:30pm
  • 5pm–12am
Sat-Sun
  • 12–2:30pm
  • 6–11pm

Lovely 3pax Dinner @ Halia botanical Gardens on 14Jan019

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with brother & sil

had 3pax dinner with brither & sil @ halia botanical gardens on 14.1.2019. ^^

we used chope S$150 8.30pm offpeak vouchers so 3pax dinner = S$66+S$9.48=about S$76nett

for-
3 large oysters
wagyu beef carpaccio
2 sides = mixed mushrooms & sunchokes
rack of lamb
sous vide chicken
halibut la papilettte

food was excellent!
had a great time with my bro & sil

3 oysters S$13.50

3 oysters S$13.50

oysters were large, plump and sweet. 🙂

wagyu carpaccio S$18

wagyu carpaccio was excellent, sweet & tender…some may prefer some dressing like balsamic. i am quite ok with plain, natural meat sweetness.

mized mushrooms S$5

sunchokes S$5

both sides/small bites mixed mushrooms and sunchokes were great! 🙂

sous vide chicken S$29

sous vide chicken S$29

chicken was truely a pleasant surprise.

it was one of the best western preparation chicken i had, superb tender and moist, and very nicely flavoured..a really, really nice chicken, i will order this again.

halibut la papilette S$33

haibut was great too, great sauce, tender, tasty sauce, great side of rice too.

medium rare rack of lamb S$35

medium rare rack of lamb S$35

medium rare rack of lamb S$35

we ordered the rack of lamb too, medium rare.

it was good, not exceptional but pretty good.

bill for 3pax = S$76 nett

halia delicious dishes

halia at a nice location, no problems with parking, a short walk to the restaurant, will need umbrella if raining.

ambience was great. relax and food was great.

with chope 50% discounts, the price for very good quality food for 3pax was S$76, very good deal and cannot ask for more la.

c.h.e.f andy

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Halia @ Botanical Gardens

1 Cluny Road, Ginger Garden Singapore Botanic Garden, Singapore 259569
Located in: Singapore Botanic Gardens
8R67+GX Singapore
thehalia.com
8444 1148
Open now
monday – thursday
  • 9AM–9:30PM
friday
  • 9AM–10PM

 

Minced Pork with Vegetables – 79th Teban Gardens Community Breakfast on 11Jan2019

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minced pork with vegetable

made minced pork with vegetables for teban gardens community breakfast this morning on 11.1.2019.^^

this my 79th friday breakfast community meal dish at teban gardens community service centre.

i first started doing a community meal dish for teban gardens CSC on 8.1.2016.

the centre was started in 2002 after much effort & challenge by our RI friend who is a pastor of pasir panjang hill brethren church (pphbc) which owns & runs the CSC.

teban gardens pphcsc pasir panjang hill community service centre friday breakfast

teban gardens pphcsc pasir panjang hill community service centre friday breakfast

teban gardens pphcsc pasir panjang hill community service centre friday breakfast 

a big crowd this morning, like 140pax.

minced pork

i fried 1.3kg of minced pork. added 2 tbsp corn flour and 2 tbsp oyster sauce.

minced pork & vegetables

then i prepared the vegetables = carrots, yellow onions and potatoes.

carrots, potatoes and onions

fried the yellow onions and carrots first to soften, about 5mins. added oyster sauce.

then added the potatoes, about 10mins. added chicken stock and reduced.

the vegetables was very sweet & tasty by itself. 🙂

minced pork with vegetable

then i added back the minced pork.

minced pork with vegetable

fried together and mixed thoroughly.

minced pork with vegetable

a simple yet delectable dish. very sweet and tasty just sweetness of pork and vegetables, with some oyster sauce and chicken stock.

minced pork with vegetable

minced pork with vegetable

minced pork with vegetable

i transferred to aluminium carrier and delivered to teban gardens.

it was quite a large serving, but still ran out for the last few in the queue, quite a big crowd today la..

c.h.e.f andy

Recipe = Prawn Tofu & Teochew Braised Belly Pork (4th Cooking Sharing at Teban Gardens) on 9Jan2019

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teban gardens residents

teban gardens PPHCSC (pasir panjang hill community service centre) organised a cooking sharing session on 9.1.2019. ^^.

17 residents attended today.

i first started doing a community meal dish for teban gardens PPHCSC on 8.1.2016.

the centre was started in 2002 after much effort & challenge by our RI friend who is a pastor of pasir panjang hill brethren church (pphbc) which owns & runs the CSC.

i cooked a breakfast dish for teban gardens every friday unless i am travelling or otherwise unavailable. i did my 78th friday breakfast community meal dish at teban gardens community service centre on 28.12.2018.

teban gardens residents

this my 4th cooking sharing session. the first 3 were –

  1. hong kong stemed red garoupa on 29.4.2016
  2. steamed red garoupa, steamed minced pork and salted egg bittergourd on 5.9.2018
  3. 腊味沙煲饭 sausage claypot rice and 黄焖鸡 chinese wine chicken on 10.10.2018.

teban gardens residents

teban gardens residents

today i demo 2 dishes=

  1. prawn tofu; &
  2. teochew braised belly pork..

as before, i tried to demo dishes which they can do easily at home.

also, i planned the dishes such that the cooking could be completed and they could try the food within 1/2hr and not wait too long.

so the dishes were prepared first & heat up or putting on the finishing touches there while i explained the preparation & steps..

braised belly pork

first the braised belly pork, recipe at the bottom.

the braise recipe is my own, and i think it reproduces the very good teochew braises i had in hong kong.

important points to note are (!) texture (2) flavour – the braise must be “pang”

the technique of braising involved small amounts of thick braise (so do not add too much water for the first 1/2hr of braising) initially to infuse the flavours to the meat, while steaming the meat (coved wokpan) so it is moist and tender.

braised belly pork

cutting and presentation is the other important consideration. if the braise is to be eaten immediately, texture need not be too soft so 2hrs is about right, and cut the belly pork and serve right away.

if meat is to be served hrs later or next day, over braise it (between 2hrs and 2.5hrs), and placed in ziploc bag when cook and put in fridge or chiller. then it is easy to cut neatly. can warm up the braise and drizzle over the meat.

today the texture and braise flavours were very good, quite perfect.

frying tofu

next tofu prawns, recipe at bottom.

i used vacuum pack tofu, those that indicate they are for frying.

for today 17pax i used 2 packs so 600g.

fried tofu

fried them with little oil in non stick pan, and drained oil on kitchen towels.

stock for tofu prawns

prepared the broth. fried chopped garlic, spring onions and cut chilli padi, added intense chicken stock, 1 tbsp oyster sauce and reduced. added 1 egg, let it formed then “draw” out a bit..

fried tofu in broth

added the fried tofu to infuse.

prawns

prepared the prawns (15pieces). seasoned in fish sauce and white pepper.

tofu prawns

and the dish was ready for final preparations and serving.

tofu prawns

so when serving, added the prawns, covered the pot and boiled the stock. used chopsticks to stir, turn the prawns and immerse in the broth to cook it thoroughly. like anything else prawns need to be fully cook but not overcook.

the dish was very tasty and the flavours/aroma was wafting in the room, prawns texture was perfect too.

demo dishes

teban gardens prepared some healthy mixed brown rice and everyone was served a portion of the belly pork and tofu prawns with the rice.

the residents were very active in Q&A throughout the session. hopefully they can cook the dish for their family and enjoy the food together. 🙂

c.h.e.f andy

Recipe

teochew braised belly pork 

<braising sauce for 600g belly pork

  • 3 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 1 tsp dark soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp fish sauce
  • 2 tbsp shaoxing wine
  • 1 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 1 tbsp sugar

<fry till fragrant-

  • 3 star anise
  • 1 cinnamon bark
  • 2 clove
  • 2 bay leaves
    ========
  • 1 bulb garlic cloves
  • 2cm cut ginger
  • 1/2 medium red onion
  1. braise for between 2 and 2.5hrs. check texture poke with chopsticks, if go through easily, cleanly then pork is ready.
  2. for the 1st 1/2hr add just 1/2 – 1 cup water, topping up & turning the belly pork that is to keep the marinade thick & intense to infuse the flavours.
  3. after that add water & let belly pork braise & slowly reduce to a thicker sauce, adding water as required.

Prawn tofu

  1. cut 300g tofu for frying into 12 rectangular pieces
  2. fry with little oil on nonstick pan..add some sea salt..
  3. brown the tofu on the sides
  4. Set aside on kitchen towels to drain oil
  5. fry chopped spring onions cut chiili padi chopped garlic in 1tbsp oil
  6. off fire & add intense chicken stock..add 1tbsp oyster sauce 1 tbsp cornflour and reduce over medium fire..taste the very tasty stock
  7. when serving add tofu, bring to boil & cracked 1 egg let it form then use chopstick to “draw” spread the egg..
  8. add 12 shelled deveined prawns, cover to cook the prawns..
  9. add 3cm cut scallions to garnish

 

Ban Leong Wah Hoe Zi Char Takeaway Quite Good on 7Jan2018

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RI makan group

CM arranged zi char dinner for RI makan group on 7.1.2018. ^^

8pax attended & S joined us after dinner..great guy.👍

we decided to tapao so YW preordered the food & SCG & YF collected and brought to my place..

the guys bought dinner for pete & me 🙂

chilli crab 

i wasn’t going to take crabs..tried chilli sauce it was good & i took 1 piece crab ..good..

buns

passed on the buns.

cereal prawns

cereal prawns ok for me..CCG said not so good probably because cold..deep fried dishes best served hot.

pepper venison 

venison surprisingly good…tender & quite a gentle tasty sauce..

harjoengai

mee goreng

romaine lettuce 

harjeong gae, mee goreng, romaine lettuce all quite good.

mua chee

mua chee 

CCG brought mua chee.. he bought 汤圆 last time and this time muah chee..got sweet tooth la..

tofu cheese cake 

I made a tofu cheesecake..

pepper crabs

pepper crab was good too. i didn’t take…

so overall the dishes were pretty ok la…

had wonderful time with my RI bros. pete just back from myanmar with his wife and friends & returning to london soon. he is going to kunming first for a round of golf and meeting friends. we are getting him to come back in mar to celebrate several march birthdays among RI bros.

c.h.e.f andy

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Ban Leong Wah Hoe

Address:
122 Casuarina Rd, Singapore 579510
9RGH+M7 Singapore
Contact:
facebook.com
6452 2824
Opening Hours:
daily
  • 11am–2:30pm
  • 5–11pm

 

 

 

Recipe = Prawn Tagliatelle on 5Jan2019

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prawn tagliatelle

had some intense chicken stock left over.

decided to make a quick 1pax dinner on 5.1.2019. 🙂

just browned garlic cloves in olive oil. added cut chilli padi and basil. then added white wine & chicken stock and reduced. added seasoned (fish sauce & white pepper) prawns, cooked but not overcook, off fire, added tagliatelle, added a bit butter, and tossed.

totally al dente, and so very tasty la! ^^

prawn tagliatelle

prawn tagliatelle

so easy to make. 🙂

prawn tagliatelle

looked great with sweet basil garnishing, and the taste, perfecto! ^^

c.h.e.f andy

Recipe = Beef Balls and Prawn Ichiran Ramen on 1Jan2019

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beef balls and prawn ramen

wife came back and i made her a simple ichiran ramen lunch..

I used 1/2 packet ichiran ramen i bought in tokyo and added beef balls from china and some prawns.

so i boiled the beef balls first to cook thoroughly then added the ramen and the prawns.

we both like ramen al dente like pasta. the instructions was 2mins 30secs to 3mins…i did 2mins 15secs which i think is the standard michine timing at ramen restaurants in japan.

unlike pasta though, ramen needed to bite through but not soft…quite subtle i guess.

beef balls and prawn ramen

the beef balls from my relatives in shantou were just wonderful…not sure if can find any in singapore. my brother said there’s a place we can buy very good ones also.

very simple 1pax dish for wife, reduced carbs. lol!

c.h.e.f andy

Excellent 18pax Family New Year Dinner by JH’s Dad on 28Dec2018

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buddha jumped over the wall

JH’s dad PK invited us over for 18pax family dinner on 28.12.2018. ^^

his dad is the resident chef for a company, managing the daily meals for 100+ employees.

his dishes are restaurant standard. we came for dinner last year, so our family were all looking forward to this evening excellent dinner –

1 buddha jump over the wall
2 topshell salad
3 assam red garoupa
4 scallops with asparagus (forgot to take photo)
5 salted egg prawns
6 vinegar pork trotters (by JH’s mom)

every dish was delicious! 🙂

I contributed a braised 1/2duck, slow braised angus beef boneless short ribs, and tofu cheesecake.

============================

the buddha jump over the wall was excellent. soup was very tasty, flavourful and with good ingredients – small abalone, fish maw, pig trotters, pig tendons, sea cucumber, thick mushrooms and chicken. SM who is quite picky, also enjoyed the soup like everyone else.

i think i will make this for family CNY dinner.

topshell salad

the topshell salad was very nice, very refreshing with a great tangy sauce, just slightly on the sweet side.

salted egg prawns

the salted egg prawns was restaurant & good zi char standard. great salted egg flavour and slight powdery texture, quite perfect!

SM said the one PK made last week was even better..anyhow this one was very good liao..

i think i will make this dish too, lazy me will only be using ready made salted egg sauce.

i didn’t take photo of the scallop dish. it was very well done. the stock was very tasty, and the scallop texture was perfect, and so was the asparagus. many restaurants & zi char made this dish, and not all can produce this standard…

i may try making this dish, but this i have less confident doing it as well…

vinegared trotters

JH’s mom KY made the vinegared trotters..it was very good too. texture was great, gelatinous and flavour was very slight vinegared and great taste and umami..

sambal red garoupa

the sambal red garoupa was very well done.

PK filleted the meat in large bite pieces and served the whole fish so it was great presentation and convenient to eat. he made the sambal sauce himself.

for lazy me i will only use ready made sauce la. lol! :-p

my braised duck

for this evening i contributed 1/2 braised duck. didn’t want to make too much food as PK would have prepared many good dishes, but 1/2 duck was just a bit too little.

duck was very tender and flavourful with the braise, one of the better braised duck i made.

my braised boneless beef short ribs

braised boneless beef short ribs (2hrs in 130degC oven) was my new experimental dish.

i made this for 13pax dinner for my RI makan group just a week ago on 20.12.2018.

it was good enough, tender and quite tasty, though the braise was still some distance form the excellent braised beef ribs at halia and at akira back.

i think i will try one with boned-in short ribs to see if i can produce a tastier version of this dish.

my tofu cheese cake

my tofu cheese cake was very good this evening. JH’s mom KY loved it.

the digestive base was just right thickness and the texture of the cake was perfect this time, not too soft, very smooth. and taste was quite fabulous, slight tangy slight sweet, light cream cheese taste with yogurt and tofu.

tofu cheese cake is a no bake cake so really easy to make & JH’s sis can easily make this anytime… 🙂

we had a wonderful evening, excellent food and afterwards we adjourned to SM’s room upstairs to have coffee chat.

a great family time together.

c.h.e.f andy

 

 

Braised Belly Pork with Long Beans – 78th Teban Gardens Community Breakfast on 28Dec2018

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braised belly pork with long beans

made braised belly pork with long beans for teban gardens community breakfast this morning on 28.12.2018.^^

this my 78th friday breakfast community meal dish at teban gardens community service centre.

i first started doing a community meal dish for teban gardens CSC on 8.1.2016.

the centre was started in 2002 after much effort & challenge by our RI friend who is a pastor of pasir panjang hill brethren church (pphbc) which owns & runs the CSC.

braised belly pork

i was late in preparation becos of the 2018 Year End Celebrations 11pax RI bros Home Dinner on 27.12.2018.

started preparing after my RI bros left so decided to leave it in 130degC oven for 4hrs overnight.

the braise was ok adn flavourful, but since pork is still very warm, it was harder to cut cleanly w/o fraying. 🙂

long beans

fried long beans

i fried the long beans, then added the cut belly pork.

braised belly pork with long beans

braised belly pork with long beans

and fried them together.

braised belly pork with long beans 

added just a bit water and covered to cook the long beans.

braised belly pork with long beans

then plated in the aluminium carrier & trasnport to teban gardens.

dish was ok today but not so great.

c.h.e.f andy

2018 Year End Celebrations 11pax RI bros Home Dinner on 27Dec2018

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2018 celebrations 11pax RI bros home dinner

made 11pax 2018 year end dinner for RI bros this evening on 27.12.2018-

Menu

1 chicken rice
2 1/2 braised duck
3 braised pig trotters
4 claypot liver
5 white belly pork
6 steamed salted fish minced pork
7 steamed nonya sauce tilapia
8 salted egg bittergourd
9 fried kang kong
10 fried manila clams
11 tofu cheesecake

CCG brought 汤圆..HK brought 2 mumm champagne
TKF brought a red…WL brought haagen dazz ice creams
TCH brought strawberries ….HAB brought very sweet longans

#1 白斩鸡chicken rice & #2 braised 1/2 duck

my 白斩鸡 chicken rice chicken very good standard now better than most outside. and i also made good chilli and a very good drizzling sauce.

so chicken was nothing less than excellent, but the rice today not that great..not sure why. the guys said it was ok, but of course it was distinctly not as good as before when the fragrant was so evident even before you ate it.

braised duck i had not made for many years. but today’s was excellent as well. i served 1/2 and kept 1/2 for next day dinner at my in laws place (& it was just as excellent everyone loved it just that 1/2duck was a bit little).

#3 white belly pork

i did a very good white belly pork this evening.

as i had braised hock & trotters i decided to have a different serving just plain boiled belly pork in chicken broth.

the texture was very good, taste wise of course it did not have the intensity of the braised meat, but like the 白斩鸡 chicken rice chicken, it was perfect with the chicken rice chilli.

#4 braised pork trotters

i somehow managed to forget to serve the braised hock and trotters though it was in the kitchen the whole time, until we all finished the dinner.

anyway the guys decided to just ate it, so we finished about 3/4, and CL packet home the remaining 1/4.

CK took the cabbage which was used to shield the bottom from getting burnt. braising turned connective tissues and released the flavours to very tasty collagen which was starchy, and will sticked and burnt when reheat so i placed a few cabbage before reheating to serve, and the cabbage became very tasty with the infused braises.

#5 steamed salted fish minced pork

today i made steamed minced pork with salted fish, a very traditional dish served in many zi char. quite shiok!

#6 steamed tilapia with gimson nonya sauce

my steam oven went on strike, failed on me, so i had to replate the 2 tilapia and steamed eahc separately 8 mins.

this dish is always delightful with the gimson nonya sauce. made a cheap fish with mud taste quite exquisite, as the meat was fresh and smooth and few bones and the tangy taste of the sauce combined well with the hk steam flavourful light soy sauce.

#7 claypot liver

claypot liver i seldom cook. everyone loved it. i use one and a half pieces becos i did not want to crowd the dish. after that i cooked the other 1/2 piece as the guys quite happy to have it.

#8 fried manila clams lala

the lala manila clams very good. i cooked with curry leaves and oyster sauce, and a bit of stock. timing/texture was perfect but it was easy in any case, just cover, make sure opens up and don’t overcook.

#9 fried kang kong

fried kang kong as usual..just oyster sauce, do not add water…very nice & fragrant.

#10 salted egg bittergourd

and today’s salted egg bittergourd very good.

i fried the salted egg and bittergourd first, and set aside. when serving i fried 3 eggs, let them firmed with a tasty fried layer, then added back the bittergourd and folded the fried egg over and mized. very nicely done today. ^^

tang yuan 汤圆

tang yuan 汤圆

tang yuan 汤圆

CCG brought nice tang yuan 汤圆, some with ginger sauce, some with peanut soup.

we split among the 11 of us.

#11 tofu cheesecake

tofu cheesecake

i made tofu cheese cake.

this evening it was excellent! i didn’t do this for last few years and the one i did on christmas eve was not so good. base was too thin as a different brand of digestive had different weight and 7 pieces was not the right amount, so this evening i used 9 pieces.

this time it was perfect, thicker just right base and a good mild tangy sweet smooth cake.

strawberries

longans

rock melon

haagen dazs

haagen dazs

2018 celebrations 11pax RI bros home dinner dishes

and we adjourned to the tv room for karaoke, and had fruits and ice creams. HCK the standout cantonese & chinese crooner…

a fun evening for all and a wonderful time with RI bros to celebrate 2018 and to welcome the new year.

c.h.e.f andy

 

 

 

Good Congee @ Empress Porridge on 26Dec2018

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porridge steamboat

our RI bro CL bought 13pax congee buffet lunch @ empress porridge, leng khiang’s galaxis restaurant at fusionopolis..on 26.12.2018.^^

to celebrate his recent summitting kilimanjaro, 5895m. that was without doubt a special & crowning achievement at our age…although our friend never have enough so he is thinking of going even higher…

as before i will actively discourage him, and if he nevertheless decided, then actively support him. lol!

empress porridge

empress porridge

empress porridge is the creation and devotion of our RI friend leng khiang and his wife swee hong. 🙂

this is his second outlet..the first is in NUH…this is my first time to his porridge place.

the location itself does not appear to be a high traffic location…we were early at 11am…during lunch time there were quite a good flow of people, so the restaurant has quite a good following…

white carrot cake with sambal chilli

glutinous rice

harjeongai prawn paste chicken

leng khiang served up several complimentary dishes.

the white carrot cake was pretty good, and with tasty nasi lemak sambal chilli.

the glutinous rice was very good, very “pang” fragrant.

the harjeongai prawn paste chicken was good standard also.

porridge steamboat

porridge steamboat

CL arranged a porridge steamboat. i think it was S$15pax…

congee was delicious, very tasty…buffet included free glow of congee and set of meat and seafood.

the set was quite limited, like 1 prawn per pax, some fish, chicken and beef, and vege. it was good for many of us, since we didn’t need a heavy lunch.

and because leng khiang plied us with a lot of of other complimentary dishes, so it ended up a very filling lunch overall. 🙂

empress porridge set

the congee was excellent, and we all took more than our fair share. i think about 3 refills of congee. steamboat may seem ordinary, just adding meat to the congee, the overall combination though was most satisfying…

i would come and try separately the porridge set here sometimes.

chicken dish of the day

leng khiang also served us a complimentary dish of the day. ..the wed special ginger chicken rice  was pretty ok too.

porridge steamboat

& we ended with a christmas log cake courtesy of swee hong, who dropped by later & took a group photo with us…

afterwards we had $1.20 kopi at attap cafe around the corner. Jeff bought coffee.

c.h.e.f andy

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Empress Porridge

Address:
1 Fusionopolis Pl, #01-15 Galaxis, Singapore 138632
7QXQ+V6 Singapore
Contact:
empressporridge.com
9384 5639
Opening hours:
Sunday
  • Closed
Mon-Fri
  • 7:30am–7:30pm
Sat
  • 8am–12pm

Always Shiok! Frog Porridge @ G7 Sinma on 25Dec2018

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frog porridge 

after the nice 1.5hrs walk at BTNR and hindhede nature park, wife wanted to have frog porridge at G7 sinma across the road at cheong chin nam road. ^^

son came to join us..

frog porridge 

we ordered the S$22 3+2 frogs with free porridge.

it was a good deal, 5 frogs for just S$22.more importantly it was very tasty. i must try making this, not the frog but the gongbao sauce, can do with chicken equally well, or with toman, batang or other fish.

porridge

and a pot of free porridge, more than enough for 3 of us.

gongbao catfish 

we added 500g gongbao catfish. first time trying this. 鲇鱼catfish may not be the best fish, but i like it…will try out myself if i make this sauce, with other fish.

price is S$4/100g and minimum 400g so S$16 minimum order. i ordered 500g. 🙂

both frog & catfish very good!

gongbao catfish

gongbao catfish & frog

we all enjoyed this gongbao forgleg and catfish very much. 🙂

string beans 

ordered some string beans. quite ok for S$7, may not be my most preferred vege, but pretty nice.

ice jelly

S$3.50 ice jelly is refreshing ok…

bill $53 for 3pax

frog porridge

bill was S$53.40 for 3pax. less the fish it woud be like S$34. anyway we enjoyed the fish and all.

great dinner!

c.h.e.f andy

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Address:

G7 Sinma Live Bull Frog Claypot Porridge (Cheong Chin Nam Rd)

ADDRESS:

AT , 599730

PHONE:

+65 64677317
OPENING HRS:
12PM – 2.30AM

Hindhede Nature Park & BTNR on Christmas Day 25Dec2018

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hindhede nature park

went with wife for  a walk at bukit timah hill BTNR….

decided to take a walk at hindhede nature park.

hindhede nature park

hindhede nature park

hindhede nature park

bukit timah quarry 

quarry view nice at hindhede park..

seems that the water level here is rising slowly as rain water cannot get out…

BTNR = bukit timah nature reserve

BTNR = bukit timah nature reserve

BTNR = bukit timah nature reserve

BTNR = bukit timah nature reserve

BTNR = bukit timah nature reserve 

south view path was closed, tree fell down due to rain.

so we took the taban loop took 35mins instead the usual 25mins to bukit timah summit..took longer coming down too 20mins instead of 15mins.

bukit timah quarry

with the slight detour to hindhede park and a slower walk bup bukit timah hill, the walk was 1.5hrs in total. 🙂

c.h.e.f andy