Monthly Archives: September 2015

Cook Vegetarian – Steamed Eggplant with Peas & Onion sauce

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#6 steamed egg plant with peas & onion sauce

steamed egg plant with peas & onion sauce

my sis & i had a nice daipaidong 大排档 dinner at 富记大排档tai wai in hong kong recently where they served an entire steamed eggplant in minced meat & onion sauce.

i later recreated this at home & made a much better tasting whole eggplant with meat onion sauce by adding oyster sauce to balance off the tomato sauce.

#6 steamed egg plant with peas & onion sauce

steamed egg plant with peas & onion sauce

i washed & steamed the whole eggplant first, about 10mins.

for the vegetarian take, i cannot use oyster sauce so only light soy sauce + tsuyu sauce, and i replaced the minced meat with frozen peas i bought from sheng shiong. ^^

the key to this dish is the texture of the eggplant, which has to be just cooked & not mushy. i cut it with kitchen sears (scissors) & if it were mushy it would not hold up. 🙂

the pea onions sauce with corn flour was pretty tasty too.

#6 steamed egg plant with peas & onion sauce

steamed egg plant with peas & onion sauce

i served it at a recent 10-course vegetarian dinner for 8pax for my niece’s birthday. everyone liked it.

the presentation can certainly be improved, haha! 🙂

c.h.e.f andy

Cook Vegetarian – Spaghetti alla Nerano (Zucchini Pasta)

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#5 spaghetti alla nerano (zucchini pasta)

spaghetti alla nerano (zucchini pasta)

this the first time i attempted spaghetti alla nerano (zucchini pasta). this btw is an amalfi coast specialty!^^

we first tried this in fresco & cummino in milan & this was 1 of the best vegetarian pasta i had, though i like my funghi linguine equally. 🙂

i followed an internet recipe, & blended 1 yellow zucchini with some onions & vegetable stock after softening them in olive oil. i sliced & pan-grilled another yellow zucchini in some olive oil in a non stick pan over low fire.

#5 spaghetti alla nerano (zucchini pasta)

spaghetti alla nerano (zucchini pasta)

when serving, i tossed the pasta with the grilled cut zucchini & added some butter to give it more body. added browned garlic, shaved parmesan cheese & added a bunch of basil for flavours & garnishing.

#5 spaghetti alla nerano (zucchini pasta)

spaghetti alla nerano (zucchini pasta)

it was a very good pasta, al dente & tasty.

i served it at a recent 10-course vegetarian dinner for 8pax for my niece’s birthday. everyone liked it. son said more parmesan shavings would be good. i think overall it can be improved.

c.h.e.f andy

Ingredients:

  • 300g spaghetti
  • 2 yellow (or green) zucchini, sliced
  • 1 small yellow onion, sliced
  • 100ml vegetable stock
  • 1 bulb garlic in cloves, browned in olive oil
  • sea salt & black pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. peel & brown the cloves of 1 bulb of garlic & set aside.
  2. blend 1 sliced yellow zucchini with 1 sliced small yellow onions & 100ml vegetable stock after softening them in olive oil. add sea salt & pepper to taste.
  3. slice & pan-grill another yellow zucchini in some olive oil in a non-stick pan over low fire & set aside. sprinkle sea salt generously.
  4. when serving, reduce the blended sauce. toss the pasta with the grilled cut zucchini & add some butter to give it more body. add the browned garlic, shaved parmesan cheese & add a bunch of basil for flavours & garnishing.

Cream of Carrot Soup

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#4 cream of carrot soup

cream of carrot soup

was doing a 10-course vegetarian dinner for my niece’s birthday recently.

one of the dishes i prepared was a cream of carrot soup.

carrot coconut soup @ amsterdam

carrot coconut soup @ amsterdam

one of the best carrot soup i had was in amsterdam, a super tasty carrot coconut soup, on our way back after cycling the waterland route.

i am yet to try that. it is a bit adventurous with the coconut milk. i will try it one day before i serve it to my friends at dinner. 🙂

cream of carrot soup

cream of carrot soup

i have done-

this was the very first time i did cream of carrot soup.

& it was excellent!^^

it was silky smooth & tasty, among the best soup i made.

cream of carrot soup

cream of carrot soup

i added a lot of sliced/cut vegetables – 1 onion, 1 stalk leek, 1 red pepper, 2 carrots (plus some leftover stems from spinach). i fried them in butter till soft, added 2-3 cups of vegetable stock for vegetarian (or chicken stock) & boiled for further 20mins. then i used a blender to blend & added salt & pepper to taste.

when about to serve, i added 3 tablespoon thick cream, and i have some chopped basil from my garden.

c.h.e.f andy

Ingredients:

  • 2 carrots cut to small pieces
  • 1 stalk leek (or celery) chopped
  • 1 yellow onion chopped
  • 1 red pepper
  • (i used some leftover spinach stems)
  • 2-3 cups vegetable stock for vegetarian (or chicken stock)
  • 3 tbsp heavy cream
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • basil chopped

Directions:

  1. add a lot of sliced/cut vegetables – 1 onion, 1 stalk leek, 1 red pepper, 2 carrots (plus some leftover stems from spinach). fry them in butter till soft, added 2-3 cups of vegetable stock for vegetarian (or chicken stock) & boiled for further 20mins. then i used a blender to blend & added salt & pepper to taste.
  2. when about to serve, add 3 tablespoon thick cream, and some chopped basil from my garden.

Cook Vegetarian – Shallow Fried Silken Tofu in Spinach Veloute

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#3 shallow fried silken tofu in spinach veloute

shallow-fried silken tofu in spinach veloute

my niece & her hubby are vegetarian, so i planned a 10-course vegetarian dinner for 8pax for her recently. this the very first time i tried serious vegetable dishes, like not just frying a garlic kang kong or something..haha!^^

#6 flamed squid in spinach veloute

flamed squid in spinach veloute

one of the dishes was a vegetarian version of flamed squid in spinach veloute.

what i did was replaced the flamed squid with a crispy shallow-fried silken tofu. ^^

i chose silken tofu as i wanted a very soft tofu texture inside while the outside is crispy.

#3 spinach sauce

spinach veloute

for the spinach veloute, i used spinach sauce recipe i self-created for the flame squid dish. i used lots of vegetable to make the veloute so very tasty.

green pepper onions spinach sauce

green pepper onions spinach veloute

i fried in butter 1/2 onion, 1/2 stalk leek, 1 green pepper & a bunch of spinach leafs. then i placed them in a blender & added  2 tablespoon vegetable stock (since this is a vegetarian dish i prepared the vegetable stock beforehand instead of chicken stock) & 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil & salt & pepper to taste.

such a wonderful & tasty veloute complementing the shallow-fried silken tofu. 🙂

#3 shallow fried silken tofu in spinach veloute

#3 shallow fried silken tofu in spinach veloute

for the silken tofu, i used one packet of silken tofu & cut into 8 slices of 1cm+ thickness.

then i heat up enough olive oil in a non-stick pan, added the tofu & lowered the fire. i added sea salt from the grinder dispenser liberally & covered the pan. when it was browned, i turned over & cooked till the other side was browned.

when serving i heat up the veloute, plated the sauce, added the crispy silken tofu & topped with a coriander branch. 🙂

tofu is not squid of course, but nice also, & the veloute is marvellous & the whole dish presentation just very charming. 🙂

c.h.e.f andy

Why Eat Har Prawn Noodles – Good As Always on 10Sep2015

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why eat har prawn noodles

why eat har S$5 prawn noodles

7 of us old RI friends decided to go for a uniquely Singapore “cooling-off” morning walk at pulau ubin on 10.9.2015. ^^

we gathered at 7am at changi food centre & had mizzy corner nasi lemak. i forgot to take a photo of the nasi lemak so will not do a post on mizzy corner this time. suffice to say it was just ok & nowhere as good as selara rasa at adam road. rice not as fragrant, chilli not as tasty.

after ubin, we prior arranged to visit our close friend’s brother’s prawn noodle stall, why eat har located at Thye Hwa Heng Canteen, Blk 29 Eunos Avenue 6. another 4 friends joined us there, so we had 11. 🙂

why eat har prawn noodles

why eat har S$6 prawn bakut noodles

the prawns were smaller today so the stall charged S$5 instead of S$6.

i had my usual prawn noodles dry. some friends ordered the prawn bakut noodles. i had tried the bakut here & it was very good, fork tender but good bite not sinewy &  falling apart & good pork rib taste. 2 pieces for just $1 more definitely more than worth it. for this day though, for myself, i just wanted to eat the prawn noodles.

why eat har prawn noodles

why eat har S$5 prawn noodles

the proprietor, our good friend’s brother, chong loong came by & chatted. i told him the noodles, chilli & soup were now very consistent – QQ noodles, very fragrant, tasty chilli not too oily, and intense flavourful soup. very good in fact!

this the 3rd time i had the prawn noodles here, and unlike (say) ah hui @ balestier food centre which was good one time & so so the next, it is good here every time!

the stall is now only open on even days only ie tuesdays, thursday & saturdays. this is really not an easy commitment, but it is really admirable that chong loong has the passion to continue to dish out such wonderful food.

c.h.e.f andy

Great Pontian Wanton Noodles @ Bedok Interchange Food Centre on 9Sep2015

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S$3 pontain wanton noodles

S$3 pontain wanton noodles

4 of us went to attend worker’s party election rally at bedok stadium on 9.9.2015.

we parked early at bedok mall & walked the distance to bedok stadium.

pontain wanton noodles

pontain wanton noodles

after the rally at 10pm we walked back to our car & stopped by bedok interchange food centre to have the pontain wanton noodles.

S$3 pontain wanton noodles

S$3 pontain wanton noodles

it was very good. nice QQ noodles, very good chilli sauce, good char siew & the crispy wanton were good too.

this certainly is one of the better wanton noodles. so far, the wanton noodles i liked best iskok kee wanton noodles formerly at lavendar food square. i have not tried it at the new location yet.

i also liked the red ring wanton noodles at holland bus interchange.

& i had wanton noodles at KPT coffeeshop after cycling at the punggol waterway park connector.

one wanton noodles i liked very much earlier on is the one at temberling. must go back & try again.

anyway for now, i very much enjoyed this pontain wanton noodles. ^^

c.h.e.f andy

Nice Lunch @ Reddot Brewhouse Dempsey on 9Sep2015

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reddot salad

reddot salad

reddot brewhouse @ dempsey offers good value set lunch in a nice ambience & also free parking. i had a few lunches there previously including the one here.

3 of us went there for lunch again on 9.9.2015. ^^

the 2-course set lunch + drink had gone up to S$20 from S$18 previously (S$24 for 3-course from S$22 previously).

reddot salad

reddot salad

i had the reddot salad – great salad! & a good helping.

smoked salmon salad

smoked salmon salad

1 friend had the smoked salmon salad.

smoked salmon salad

smoked salmon salad

very good too.

seafood marinara spaghetti

seafood marinara spaghetti

& he had the seafood marinara spaghetti.

seafood marinara spaghetti

seafood marinara spaghetti

it was good too & a good lunch choice at this price.

salmon with cold capellini

salmon with cold capellini

i wanted to try the salmon.

salmon with cold capellini

salmon with cold capellini

it came with truffle cold capellini, very sweet vine tomatoes & mesclun. 🙂

salmon with cold capellini

salmon with cold capellini

cold capellini was very nice & fragrant. the salmon was excellent!

panfried seabass

panfried seabass

the special for main course today was pan-fried seabass.

panfried seabass

panfried seabass

my friend said it was great and the plating was quite impressive too.

very pleasant place to have a relaxing lunch with old friends.

c.h.e.f andy

Interesting 8-course Chinese Dinner @ Mitzo on 5Sep2015

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#3 lobster bisque

#3 lobster bisque

there is a ongoing UOB credit card 1-for-1 promotion at mitzo.

i came here for a lohei dinner in mar2015. it was an ok, in fact better than expected, experience.

as mentioned then, mitzo is also apparently positioned as an inventive cocktail bar, serving some cocktails from a teapot. 🙂

mitzo signatures set menu

mitzo signatures set menu

so we decided to try out the S$108pax (S$54pax after 50% discounts) 8-course signature set menu on 5.9.2015.

F1 complimentary cocktail

F1 complimentary cocktail

we were in luck this evening. F1 is round the corner & they were rolling out some new F1 cocktail, and for this evening, we stumbled onto a free F1 complimentary cocktail promotion. it tasted pretty good actually,  not too sweet. i think it was rum & some citrus & other concoction.

#1 trio of dimsum

#1 trio of dimsum

the dimsum trio was fine food. taste was pretty good, if not awesome. 🙂

radish puff

radish puff

radish puff was a very good pastry, and tasty.

breaded shrimp & foie gras

breaded shrimp & foie gras

the breaded prawn roll was a little heavy, & average.

crispy glutinous pumpkin in custard

crispy glutinous pumpkin in custard

the crispy glutinous pumpkin in custard was good.

#2 mitzo char siew

#2 mitzo char siew

the mitzo special char siew was good, but a tad too salty. it is not the standard of the chargrilled pork neck 炭烧猪项肉 at imperial treasure nanbei we had recently.

#3 lobster bisque with poached scallop

#3 lobster bisque with poached scallop

the lobster bisque with poached scallop was a bit of a fusion oddity. it looked gluey like a chinese sweet sour soup.

but the taste was superb! & with so much cut scallops & lobster pieces! this was the best dish this evening. ^^

#4 deep-fried prawns with creamy lemon

#4 deep-fried prawns with creamy lemon

the deep-fried prawns with creamy lemon sauce was good, very competent. a good crisp outside, tender & tasty inside.

#4 deep-fried prawns with creamy lemon

#4 deep-fried prawns with creamy lemon

its a regular dish like any wasabi prawns or salted egg prawns with a different dressing, ok but not awesome.

#5 oven baked chilean seabass with lemon grass

#5 oven baked chilean seabass with lemon grass

the oven baked chilean seabass with lemon grass was good standard.

#5 oven baked chilean seabass with lemon grass

#5 oven baked chilean seabass with lemon grass

not among the better chilean seabass i had, including oonboard SIA!

#6 pan-fried lamb chop with enoki mushrooms

#6 pan-fried lamb chop with enoki mushrooms

the pan-fried lamb chop with enoki mushrooms was very tender, except it tasted by geyland lor 9 horfun kind of chinese very tenderised kind of tender.

#6 pan-fried lamb chop with enoki mushrooms

#6 pan-fried lamb chop with enoki mushrooms

so i was just ok with the dish not not really my thing.

#7 seafood thick beehoon

#7 seafood thick beehoon

the other very tasty best dish of the evening was the braised thick beehoon soup, with prawns, scallops & cod.

#7 seafood thick beehoon

#7 seafood thick beehoon

i really enjoyed this. finish all the carbs.

#7 seafood thick beehoon

#7 seafood thick beehoon

shiok!!

#8 avocado ice cream & sesame dumpling

#8 avocado ice cream & sesame dumpling

the dessert was not really my type.

avocado cream with ice cream…i took just a little.

sesame dumpling

sesame dumpling

i always like sesame dumpling. still this time i did not finish it.

well, this not a set i would want to take too often. if the consideration were just money vs ingredients, this was certainly a very good deal!

c.h.e.f andy

Sinar Pagi Nasi Padang Lagi Bagus @ Geylang Serai Food Markey on 8Sep2015

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beef tripes

beef tripes

a RI friend brought me to a nasi padang eating stall in geylang serai some time ago. i did not have a blog post, so i guess it must have been like 3 years ago (i started blogging in mar2013).

at the time my favourite was river valley nasi padang at zion road. it had been for many years from the time when children were very young. we even ta pao food for large 10+ parties & really relished the curries. river valley nasi padang was expensive, and some thought the curries were too salty. i quite agree. it is closed now. the other place i liked was at the old tanjong pagar railway station. it was also closed.

so i have not had nasi padang at the stalls for a really long time. i did have some at rendervous @ central.

sinar pagi nasi padang

sinar pagi nasi padang

this time the same friend brought me to sinar pagi nasi padang at geyland serai market on 8.9.2015. ^^

sinar pagi nasi padang

sinar pagi nasi padang

i had wanted to try this the last time when i saw the food beautifully displayed & the long queue, but at the time we already had our lunch at the nasi padang stall across sims avenue on the joo chiat side.

well, never too late. another RI friend joined & my friend bought lunch.

the beef tripes curry (top photo) was very good. it was not as salty as river valley nasi padang so on that score i guess it was better.

curry chicken

curry chicken

curry chicken was lovely too! curry was very tasty. somehow in my memory, the yellow & red curry chicken at river valley nasi padang at zion road was still better.

assam curry fish

assam fish curry

assam fish curry was as good as any.

chilli brinjal

chilli eggplant

chilli eggplant was ok, but i think not great. my helper can make it better & tastier.

egg

egg

egg kind of non-descript.

lunch was S$21. actually not cheap, no cheaper, i guess, than river valley nasi padang at zion road.

anyway, company of old friends was great. we chatted about GE2015. & over food i liked and enjoyed.

lagi bagus!^^

c.h.e.f andy

Very Good Lai Heng Bakchormee @ Changi Airport T3 B2 Kopitiam on 6Sep2015

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lai heng S$4 bakchormee

lai heng S$4 bakchormee

wife & i sent son to airport on 6.9.2015.

after he had checked in, there was some time so we proceed to kopitiam at B2 at T3.

there was a long queue at lai heng fishball noodle stall & we queued for 20mins. this a bakchormee i like. the last time i sent my son off we had the bakchormee here as well.

lai heng S$4 bakchormee

lai heng S$4 bakchormee

this the tai hwa crawford-style with mushroom sauce & lots of vinegar. the meepok was QQ, done just right. i like the vinegar, the mushroom & chilli sauce were great & there were lots of ingredients.

soup

soup

soup was tasty with lots of minced pork.

my wife still prefers the jalan tua kong meepok tar at 6th avenue, i like both. ^^

c.h.e.f andy

Great Chirashi Sushi Don & Sashimi @ Kuirya Dining on 4Sep2015

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chirashi sushi don

chirashi sushi don

the chirashi sushi don at kuriya dining is one of our perennial favourite, so when son is back it is one of the goto place.

son arranged for a 6pax dinner on 5.9.2015.^^

chirashi sushi don

chirashi sushi don

the S$62 lunch chirashi sushi don set at kuriya dining is great value. it includes salad, chawan mushi, miso soup, dessert & coffee.

there is chirashi sushi don w/o the set for dinner ala carte, and it was S$78, so quite a bit more. still we all love the chirashi sushi don, with its large serving & quality sashimi cuts.

chirashi sushi don

chirashi sushi don

we ordered 4 sets. 2 of us (include me) had 1 by ourselves & the others shared the remaining 2 sets.

jap wagyu ikura uni don

jap wagyu ikura uni don

i ordered a jap wagyu ikura uni don for sharing.

jap wagyu ikura uni don

jap wagyu ikura uni don

it is a very small bowl of don heaped with very tasty marbled japanese wagyu & uni & ikura. a bit ex at S$68 but good quality stuff.

kimchi chigae

kimchi katsudon

the kimchi katsudon was ex also at S$32.

flavour-wise it was no match for aburiya’s kimchi chigae at S$11.90, fraction of the cost. but here we had katsudon not sliced belly pork so it was not apple for apple for apple comparison. still for shiok factor, i will go for aburiya’s kimchi chigae anytime!

kurobuta pork

kurobuta pork

we had the kurobuta pork, something we all liked.

kurobuta pork

kurobuta pork

it was done very nicely, tender & tasty!

sashimi moriawase

sashimi moriawase

i had something to celebrate so i was buying dinner for the family. we ordered a sashimi moriawase.

uni

uni

it had heaps of uni with nori (seaweed) as a roll.

aburi toro

aburi toro

& about 7 pieces of aburi (torched) toro,.

sashimi moriawase

sashimi moriawase

and nice salmon cut include belly, kampachi, and chopped hotate (which was not as good as usual sliced hotate). 🙂

food was great & dinner was very enjoyable. sashimi just arrived on the day & quality was super!

price a bit ex actually at S$150pax & we brought our own very good sake and paid the S$30 cockage.

c.h.e.f andy

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

Kuriya Dining
Address:
1 Kim Seng Promenade, #01 – 127 Great World, Singapore 237994
Located in: Great World City
7RVJ+7Q Singapore
Contact:
kuriyadining.com.sg
6736 0888
Opening Hours:
daily
  • 11:30am–2:30pm
  • 6–10:30pm

Cuppa Fix at Dutch Colony Pasarbella on 3Sep2015

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flat white large

flat white large

had a flat white with son at dutch colony pasarbella on 3.9.3015.

last time we came here was on 26.12.2014, also when son was back from london.

flat white large & small

flat white large & small

i had the large S$5.50 & son had the small S$4.50.

one of the best coffee i had was a nice cuppa with wife was at chye seng huat at tyrewhitt road on 17.9.2014.

after that i was introduced to assembly coffee, and later carpenter & cook by my daughter.

another friend introduced me to aeiou.

for me, assembly coffee have the best barista & latte art, and chye seng huat & dutch colony have among the best coffee. ^^

c.h.e.f andy

Great Tapas @ FOC on 27Aug2015

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chorizo & egg

chorizo & egg

son was back for summer holidays. this evening we went to FOC for a family dinner on 27.8.2015.^^

foc restaurant

foc restaurant

restaurant has a chic ambience.

foc restaurant

foc restaurant

it is supposed to be for fine food & fun dining from barcelona. for us, it’s tapas. 🙂

foc restaurant

foc restaurant

FOC supposed to be fire in catalan.

chorizo & egg

chorizo & egg

chorizo & egg was a good start. its was a good tasty dish, the egg gave it a silky texture. maybe its a bit like my spanish omelette but deconstructed, no?

ham croquettes

ham croquettes

like the ham croquettes.

mushroom croquettes

mushroom croquettes

at first taste, the mushroom croquettes had much more intense flavours & bested the ham croquettes by comparison. but i tried the ham croquettes again & it had a very nice lingering flavour. i like both. ^^

patatas bava

patatas bravas

the patatas bravas, a deep-fried potato dish was very good too.

patatas bravas

patatas bravas

really well done enjoyable dish.

pork trotters carpaccio

pork trotters carpaccio

the pork trotters carpaccio was delightful.

pork trotters carpaccio

pork trotters carpaccio

especially with the condiments & sauce it came in.

slow braised & grilled octopus

slow braised & grilled octopus

the slow braised octopus was excellent too.

slow braised & grilled octopus

slow braised & grilled octopus

taste & texture wise, it was almost comparable with the very good ones i tried recently –

the grilled cotopus dish at da luca

the octopus dish at zafferano

& i still prefer the tako kakiage at mikuni. ^^

squid ink paella

squid ink paella

i think this squidink paella is the best of all squidink i had. really flavourful, smooth & buttery. good enough for us to order a second serving.

squid ink risotto

squid ink risotto

i think it is better than (maybe) the dish i squid risotto i had at follia (which was outstanding).

& my own very good squidink pasta.

kith’s squidink pasta would be quite behind by comparison.

scampi fiduea alio olio

scampi fiduea alio olio

the first serving of scampi fiduea alio olio was excellent, very sweet, tasty, intense. unfortunately there was a hair in it!

scampi fiduea alio olio

scampi fiduea alio olio

restaurant did the right thing & replaced it with a new dish. again unfortunately the new dish was not tasty as before. i guess hair made a difference to the taste? :-p

rack of lamb

rack of lamb

rack of lamb was pretty ok.

rack of lamb

rack of lamb

it was very tender yes, but actually flavour-wise, my own pistachio crusted rack of lamb was a lot better!

iberico pork rack

iberico pork rack

the iberico pork rack was superb!

iberico pork rack

iberico pork rack

not only it was fork tender & yet not sinewy, it was very flavourful, excellent!

foc restaurant

foc restaurant

the hanging sculpture.

chocolate galaxy

chocolate galaxy

daughter wanted to try the chocolate galaxy.

it’s the chocolate bomb i thought of trying for my anniversary dinner but didn’t.

apple tart

apple tart

we tried the apple tart. it was ok, nothing special & can do without. nothing like da luca’s crispy apple tart!

french toast

french toast

the french toast was good. looked at a dessert i may try myself at home.

i think minus the drinks it was about S$50pax. not cheap but doable.

c.h.e.f andy

 

Mediocre Food @ Tunglok Xihe Grandstand on 30Aug2015

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tan jia sharksfin fishmaw soup

tan jia sharksfin fishmaw soup

we go to tunglok often but have never tried tunglok xihe. this evening we decided to try the food at tunglok xihe @ grandstand on 30.8.2015. 🙂

tunglok xihe set menu

tunglok xihe set menu

there was a 6-course S$68 menu which seemed ok at 50% palate discounts, so we ordered that.

tunglok xihe @ grandstand

tunglok xihe @ grandstand

there are ample parking at grandstand & the ambience of the restaurant was pretty good.

tunglok xihe @ grandstand

tunglok xihe @ grandstand

there were quite a few expat family tables. guess grandstand is quite a go to place for expat.

tan jia sharksfin fishmaw soup

tan jia sharksfin fishmaw soup

the tan jia braised sharksfin fishmaw soup turned out to be the best dish for the evening.

it was chokeful of ingredients & wife liked it a lot.

tan jia sharksfin fishmaw soup

tan jia sharksfin fishmaw soup

very good standard, like tunglok signature. i think majestic’s is better though.

steamed fish fillet with ginger & orange peel

steamed fish fillet with ginger & orange peel

the steamed fish was very poor. not sure what fish? menu said 野生鱼wild snakehead? the bill said sea fish.

it had soil taste so maybe it was snakehead. it could be garoupa. not sure

steamed fish fillet with ginger & orange peell

steamed fish fillet with ginger & orange peel

anyway it was very poor. our steamed fish (red garoupa from chinatown market) at home would beat this every time & by a long margin.

prawn in 2 ways

prawn in 2 ways

prawns were pretty good. both preparation were crispy outside & tender, bouncy inside. 🙂

asparagus, fungus, bamboo shoots

asparagus, fungus, bamboo shoots

the vegetable was good. as good as the mixed vege we like at tunglok signature orchard parade.

asparagus, fungus, bamboo shoots

asparagus, fungus, bamboo shoots

it had wok hae, colour & good taste.

lion's head meatball with rice

lion’s head meatball with rice

can’t say the lion’s head meatball with rice dish was bad. but it was no comparison to (say) the cheap 凤爪排骨饭 steamed chicken feet & pork ribs rice at timhowan in hong kong.

lion's head meatball with rice

lion’s head meatball with rice

there was no kick in this preparation – rice not fragrant, meatball just meatball & sauce non descript. at least it was not a bad dish, just non descript.

hashima with pear & ginseng

hashima with pear & ginseng

hashima dessert was pretty good though.

hashima with pear & ginseng

hashima with pear & ginseng

quite refreshing & i guess good ingredients.

the bill was higher than i expected. i think S$87 for 2pax. the reason was that the 10% service was charged on the full amount & not after the 50% discount. i queried the staff as this was not the practice of other tunglok outlets. the staff explained that since June2015 they had changed to the current system. i guess it was not as good as having the previous deal. it’s just a matter of what one considered the “real” price but anyway i am ok for the staff to have the 10% service at the “normal” un-discounted price.

i may still come back during weekdays to try the ala carte items & dimsum. for this set i think it was really mediocre & don’t think i will take it again.

c.h.e.f andy