清汤牛腩 Slow－braised Briskets in Clear Broth (1st Experiment)

Posted on November 30, 2015 by chefquak

slow braised briskets清汤牛腩

my first experiment on 清汤牛腩 using crockpot slow-braise (lazy man) method on 4.10.2015. ^^

this was very much inspired by a friend who brought her excellent slow braised briskets清汤牛腩 for a recent homecooked 17-courses 16pax eat together a short while back on 17.8.2015.

for me that was gold standard. 🙂

slow braised briskets清汤牛腩

one key point was buying the right briskets.

slow braised briskets清汤牛腩

i used to buy from giant but the brisket cuts there did not have the thick collagen layer (the 胶)。

slow braised briskets清汤牛腩

my friend taught me to buy from chinatown so when i was there to get fish & prawns etc i bought 1 kg from the 1st of the 2 stalls there. 🙂

daikon 白萝卜

recipe was simple & strait forward-

scald briskets to remove scum (i used about 700g only for experiment)

add 2/3 of a cut daikon & 5cm cut ginger (i also added 3 sprigs of spring onions & 1 small red onion)

cover with vegetable stock or water

place in cold crockpot on low & set meat thermometer to 90degC.

add salt to taste

slow braised briskets清汤牛腩

theory is 90degC supposedly optimum temperature to convert connective tissues (collagen) to gelatine & give the brisket great favours & umami. ^^

i estimated 6hrs to 90degC but only reached 84degC at 10.5hrs.

part of the reason is the experiment, taking out the brisket, cutting & trying. if w/o interference should reach 90degC faster.

slow braised briskets清汤牛腩

brisket was quite tender & delicious.

the daikon (radish) also tender but firm, and soup is sweet with meat flavours.

slow braised briskets清汤牛腩

i let it reached 90degC then left it in crockpot overnight. it was more tender & tastier the next day.

this the first try, pretty tender & tasty 清汤牛腩. not quite my friend’s gold standard yet. will try a second time, make some adjustments & do an update then.

c.h.e.f andy

Great Lunch @ Mikuni on 27Nov2015

Posted on November 27, 2015 by chefquak

mikuni business bento

went lunch with a friend to mikuni on 27.11.2015. ^^

mikuni is my favourite japanese restaurant, along with kuriya dining.

if i want kaiseki or omakase, it would be hachi.

& for a cheap & really good chirashi don (or maybe it is large cube cut barachirashi) don then sumiya.

mikuni robatayaki counter

today we wanted to take the teppanyaki or robatayaki set, so we sat at the robatayaki counter.

it’s quite an excellent seating actually, very private corner area.

robatayaki 炉烧 is like a charcoal bbq where skewered meats are barbequed. the chef then serves the food with giant oars to reach over the counter.

kinki

i was chatting with the chef before my friend arrived.

this ugly fish is kinki, a quite tasty japanese delicacy, a bit expensive.

kinki

looks a bit like the kinmedai, golden eye snapper.

lobster & king prawn

they was lobsters & king prawns. cannot tell from photo but the lobster was 650g size & the prawns were very large king prawns.

alaskan king crab & oysters

& there was the alaskan king crab & large oysters.

sous vide kurobuta belly

the kurobuta belly were sous vide before bbq.

i am testing one belly now (being pressed with weights) in the fridge (tea brined & 16hrs in the oven at 70degC), and will pan fry skin side tomorrow. let’s see how that goes. 🙂

prawn crackers & salad with goma dressing

my friend ordered the teppanyaki set.

i had the teppanyaki set previously so i decided to try out the business bento (top photo) this time.

1/2 lobster uni yaki

server told me lobster uni yaki was 1/2 lobster.

but then this a very tiny lobster, maybe 350g size, so 1/2 very small serving.

sashimi moriawase

sashimi was good standard but not special, just 2 pieces salmon & a hotate.

futomaki

futomaki was ok.

tofu, daikon & shimeji

yam & mushrooms

the small sides were very average, nicely presented.

if you take the menu prices before discount, 1/2 lobster = S$24, so the remaining almost nothing dishes added up to S$44=S$68-S$24, i would say the set is not worth at all, might as well order a lobster to share.

of course if you take the whole lobster business bento set at S$34 (after 50% feed at raffles discounts) in such a restaurant. i guess it’s ok.

but i would take the chirashi don anytime.

chawanmushi for teppanyaki set

my friend’s teppanyaki set included a chawanmushi. 🙂

golden prawns, miso cod, tenderloin, garlic fried rice (teppanyaki set)

the golden prawns one of the popular dishes here, & miso cod was also good.

the tenderloin was so so here (i tried previously). my friend thought so also. garlic rice was ok.

caramel mousse ice cream

the dessert was a mousse ice cream. quite nice really & my friend liked it.

i prefer the previous panna cotta though.

ambience was super & we had good time together. overall the food & place were great for the price. not the best i had at mikuni. but it ‘s good to try different dishes also.

c.h.e.f andy

Great Value Alacarte Semi-buffet (Beyond Expectations) @ Tim Palace SAFRA Toa Payoh on 24Nov2015

Posted on November 27, 2015 by chefquak

roast duck, char siew & roast pork 烧味

went with my sis & b-i-l to tim palace @ SAFRA toa payoh to try out their ala carte semi-buffet on 24.11.2015.

buffet is S$25.80pax. the added attraction is S$5 discounts for SC aka senior citizens! ^^

there’s a S$2pax for water, tea & peanuts (S$2.50pax or more if other drinks). so it was S$22.80pax for 3 of us, S$27nett each.

tim palace

tim palace is at level 3 of SAFRA toa payoh clubhouse building.

tim palace

it is quite large in capacity, good for functions, tour groups??

roast duck, char siew & roast pork station

i did not have high expectation of the roast meat 烧味 station.

but surprise, surprise, the roast duck was really, really good! very flavourful.

char siu

so was the char siu!. i think this one of the best char siu i had. as good as the excellent chargrilled pork neck at imperial treasure nanbei or (better in fact than) any other good char siu places.

roast duck － second helping

i actually went for a second helping of roast duck, after taking the other food! 🙂

roast duck, char siew & roast pork 烧味

i was quite tempted to taste the salt baked chicken 盐炬鸡, but really no space left. sigh!

appetizer station

nothing much to say about the cold station. prawns was large, plump, fresh & sweet.

scallops & mussels all the frozen type, nothing worth taking.

appetizer station

the scallop tips (front) were quite nice. the prawn & squid salad were ok. sos so la!

cold flower crabs

the flower crabs were soft, mushy “nua nua”, the frozen type, not worth taking also. all these i took very little just to try.

sushi/sashimi station

salmon sashimi was ok. quite sweet. colour didn’t look that great.

i skipped the sushi.

appetizers

so, mainly prawn was good, salmon sashimi ok too, squid/prawn salad & scallop tips passable.

braised small abalone with broccoli

i ordered most of the dishes that they allowed only one order.

small abalone with broccoli was good restaurant standard. no complaints. 🙂

sharksfin soup

sharksfin soup was better than most cheaper sharksfin soup, not very gluey & stock quite tasty.

sea cucumber with yam

sea cucumber with yam was decent competent dish.

scallops & celery in xo sauce

the scallops & celery in xo sauce was pretty good.

crayfish

crayfish was poor!

crayfish

meat has no taste. this dish (thumbs down)!

char siew pao

we did not order the char siew pao, but somehow it was marked on the order sheet, the marking very different from our order markings, think some previous customers marked on it.

anyway no big deal, so we took it. the char siu pao were good!

steamed seabass with sambal sauce

i read that the deep-fried flower garoupa not so good, so we ordered the steamed seabass with sambal sauce.

steamed seabass with sambal sauce

seabass not such a great fish. but this preparation quite ok…so again a competent dish. maybe i will try the garoupa next time. don’t mind coming back again. 🙂

honey ribs

the honey ribs were ordinary. as good as any zi char stall i suppose. not my favourite.

honey ribs

cannot really criticise thsi dish, but the char siu was many times better than this.

drunken prawns

surprisingly also the drunken prawns was very good. must be a very good quality shaoxing wine 绍兴酒.

braised lamb pot

the braised lamb pot was competent dish, but no more.

lamb still retain the gamey taste, and not specially flavourful.

braised lamb pot

i would say it’s a robust dish like a beef stew, so unless the herbs & preparation is special (like say at majestic), it’s not a dish i am particularly fond of.

dessert station

dessert station the usual fare, with fruits, custard puffs & red bean pan cake etc.

sea coconut & longans

i took the sea coconut…quite refreshing.

lotus seed red beans dessert

and a bit of the lotus seed red beans dessert. pretty ok.

the food quality & cooking were pretty ok, not that much different from (i would say better actually) say peach garden miramar’s ala carte buffet, and certainly better than the ala carte buffet at ban heng orchard central.

the outstanding dishes for me here were the roast duck, char siu(tops), drunken prawns, abalone.

the sea cucumber & scallops were pretty good.

c.h.e.f andy

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

Tim Palace

Address :	293 Lorong 6 Toa Payoh #03-01 Safra Club Singapore 319387
Hotline :	6253 5515 (Reservation is needed on Saturday and Sunday)
Fax :	6253 0266
Email :	timpalace@gimtim.com.sg

OPENING HOURS:

Mon – Fri: 11:30 – 14:00; 18:00 – 22:00

Sat, Sun & PH: 11:00 – 14:30; 18:00 – 22:00

Pork Collar Slow-braised in Red Wine Sauce

Posted on November 26, 2015 by chefquak

slow braised pork collar in red wine sauce

this slow braised pork collar in red wine sauce was my second attempt.

it was as good as the first, and if i may say, a really great recipe i created myself.

thoroughly pan-browned before braising

i browned the marbled collar (like gordon ramsay said “no colour, no taste”).

thoroughly pan-browned before braising

for the sauce-

i used 1 cup red wine, 1 tbsp flat sugar, 1 tbsp mirin, 2 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tsp salt.

thoroughly pan-browned before braising

then i fried 1 cut carrot, added 1 cut yellow onions, & added vegetable stock & softened the carrots then added the red wine sauce.

slow braised pork collar

then i placed the pork collar in a casserole & added the sauce & vegetables to cover & slow-braised in the oven for 6hrs at 90degC.

slow braised pork collar

pork has a good amount of fat marbling & connective tissues, and slow braise at 90degC helped turn the connective tissues to very flavourful gelatine.

slow braised pork collar in red wine sauce

the meat texture was very tender, marbled & well infused with the red wine sauce & vegetable sweetness.

slow braised pork collar in red wine sauce

the pork was very flavourful & so tender yet not sinewy & falling apart like the usual braised meat texture.

i served this as part of my homegourmet adventure 4-course dinner on 15.11.2015. ^^

i think this is really an excellent recipe. ^^

c.h.e.f andy

Ingredients :-

500g pork collar (i used frozen pork collar from sheng shiong S$9.95/kg)
sea salt
coarse black pepper
1 large carrot
1 small yellow onions

red wine sauce

1 cup red wine
1 tbsp flat sugar
1 tbsp mirin
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp salt.

Directions :-

pan-browned the pork collar on all side over high fire (like gordon ramsay said “no colour, no taste”)
fry 1 cut carrot, add 1 cut yellow onions, & add vegetable stock & soften the carrots then add the red wine.
place pork collar in a casserole & add the sauce & vegetables to cover & slow-braise for 6hrs at 90degC.

Good & Value Wine Dinner @ Greenwood Fish Bistro on 19Nov2015

Posted on November 25, 2015 by chefquak

smoked canapes

a friend arranged a wine dinner at Greenwood Fish Market & Bistro on 19.11.2015. 8 of us attended. ^^

the same friend arranged fun wine dinners at (1) zaffereno & (2) halia previously

greenwood fish bistro

i’ve been to greenwood fish bistro some years back (before i started blogging) and had the S$39.95 whole lobster promotion twice before (they still have that). it was quite good.

wine dinner menu

this evening we had a S$69pax 5-course eqwines dinner w/o dessert & coffee.

as i don’t drink i look only at the food menu whether i want to pay that just for the food.

for those who don’t drink, the restaurant was kind enough to offer juice etc, very good of them since wine was sponsored by the wine merchant but i guess, not the other drinks. 🙂

prosecco

i decided to take the wine. prosecco was good. i liked the white after this best. 🙂

red wines

reds were quite good too. the restaurant gave me a cranberry juice afterwards too, a great gesture.

smoked canapes

first course were some smoked canapes. these were very good!

smoked canapes

the smoked salmon & mussels were excellent…how to describe? smokey i guess, very flavourful.

the smoked trout (the server said cold smoked) was so-so, not so tasty.

cured salmon with avocado

the second course cured salmon with avocado also very nice. it was though nothing special.

barramundi & pea puree

the 3rd course barramundi was excellent!

not sure if barramundi is farmed in singapore like the smaller local seabass. this one the meat is firmer, not so “hu” liek falling apart.

barramundi & pea puree

however 2 of my friends complained that the meat was soft. the rest of us were ok…maybe they got the local seabass instead? just kidding. 🙂

duck confit – this a disaster

the 4th course was a duck confit?

it was a huge disaster! meat was tough & not edible!

actually the server said it was sous vide then cooked in oven (mayeb the server got it wrong, just don’t sound right!)..

firstly of course duck confit is cooked in duck fat..while the word confit is used loosely to mean slow braise like say pineapple confit or belly pork confit, for duck confit it usually mean strictly duck confit. & i’m not sure you can roast in oven after sous vide.

my own 5hr sous vide crispy skin canard a l’orange

i would think a cold pan method of rendering out the fat & crisping the skin w/o overcooking the meat makes a lot more sense (above photo)…notice the fat had rendered out..

octopus confit

restaurant was great to do a service recovery.

they replaced the dish with a octopus confit.

it was competent dish, not the best but i guess good enough. 🙂

octopus confit

you could say a fish bistro would do an octopus dish better than a duck dish?

belly pork & grilled pineapples

but then for the last course they served a really “kick-ass” belly pork.

belly pork & grilled pineapples

this was one of the best i have taken! ^^

belly pork & grilled pineapples

not really smoked but just a hint of a flavourful ham, very tender & delicious.

i have a tea brined belly pork in the fridge now. planning to sous vide then pan-charred the skin. see if i can get anywhere close or similar to this excellent piece. 🙂

thanks to our friend, we had many fun evenings trying out different wine dinners & spending great time together.

i am not sure how their service is on normal days but for this evening, i think service was really quite exemplary & they really tried their best (from offering non alcoholic drinks to replacing the 4th course – even though they did not have much choice with the duck being such a quite monumental failure).

c.h.e.f andy

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

Greenwood Fish Market & Bistro
No. 34 & 38 Greenwood Ave S289236
Tel: 6467 4950
Fax: 6467 4965
email: greenwoodbistro@yahoo.com.sgOPENING HOURS: Mon – Sat: 12:00 – 22:30, Sun & PH: 11:00 – 22:30

Macha Lava Cake (Second Experiment)

Posted on November 25, 2015 by chefquak

macha lava cake

experimented on a macha lava cake today on 25.11.2015. ^^

i used heytheresia’s macha lava cake recipe. 🙂

i tried a second time on 8.12.2015 & the results were much better, so i used the later batch of photos (& recipe). 🙂

i vary it a little = using 3 eggs, 100g white chocolate, 100g butter, NO sugar (instead of 6 tbsp), 2.5 tbsp flour instead of 4

macha lava cake

i still had problem removing it from the muffin tray, which means the top (bottom when tray was inverted) was not hardened enough.

there were lots of lava, & the taste was what i liked. ^^

it’s exactly the texture i like – not too doughy, very mildly sweet, good macha flavours, and a flowing, a bit less viscous lava, good cake texture too. 🙂

macha lava cake

it is a substantially different recipe from my usual chocolate lava cake.

here i followed heytheresia’s recipe & put the cake mixture in the freezer for 1 hr & then 11 mins in a preheated 200degC oven.

macha lava cake

looks i have to use individual cupcake holder instead of a 6-cup muffin tray.

c.h.e.f andy

Ingredients :-

100g white chocolate
100g unsalted butter
1 tbsp flat brown sugar
pinch of salt (i used 1/2 tsp)
3 eggs
2.5tbsp all purpose flour sifted
1 tbsp macha powder

Directions :-

melt broken chocolate and butter 1mins 10secs in microwave
add macha powder & whisk
crack 3 eggs & whisk
add sugar, flour, salt & whisk
grease 6 cups muffin tray (or ramekins or cups) & pour in the cake mixture (recipe quantity is good for 6 cups muffin tray
place in freezer for 1 hr
then put in 200degC oven for between 10 & 15 mins (i did 11mins for 6 cups muffin tray)

Excellent BBQ Baby Pork Ribs

Posted on November 24, 2015 by chefquak

bbq baby back ribs

had some nice pork ribs at a friend’s place recently.

and then last saturday 8 of us went to georges beach club at east coast parkway & rather a surprise for me the pork ribs were very good.

i had a slab of baby back ribs in my freezer so i thought let’s give it a try, which i did on 23.11.2015. 🙂

i googled some online recipes. the st louis styled bbq seems to use very sweet, overpowering sauce.

anyhow i picked a recipe at cookinglouisiana for reference.

bbq baby back ribs

i created my own recipe – both the marinade (see below) & cooking method.

louisiana ribs

the marinade was an adventure i guess, but i tasted it as i go, and managed to get a taste i like. 🙂

bbq baby back ribs

i used 1 slab of baby back ribs.

scalded in boiling water to remove scum. seasoned generously with seasalt & pepper & browned on all sides. then i rub the dry marinade i mixed over the ribs, added 2 tsp olive oil & wrapped fully with aluminium foil.

then i placed the ribs in preheated oven at 90degC for 7hrs (i actually set 10hrs but took out at 7hrs, tested & got the texture i like). then i open foil & broiled using oven broiler function (preheated to 250degC) for 8mins to get nicely charred surface.

bbq baby back ribs

i did not know what to exepect, but as it turned out, the pork ribs were quite marvellous, very browned outside & tender inside. ^^

bbq baby back ribs

the texture was just what i like, very tender but retaining the bite & not falling to pieces.

bbq baby back ribs

this is kind of a personal preference. i like a well seasoned ribs that is fork tender too, but maybe the lower temperature cooking produced a very tender rib that is firmer than the very soft, sinewy braised meats.

c.h.e.f andy

Ingredients :-

1 slab of baby back ribs

marinade

1tsp cumin
no salt (since already salt & pepper when browning)
1tbsp soy sauce (to taste)
1tsp brown sugar
2tsp garlic powder
1tbsp cajun seasoning (optional)
1tsp yuzu jelly (optional)
1tbsp honey
1/2tbsp red pepper
1/2tsp rosemary
1/2tbsp parsley
(no thyme)
1tbsp hunts honey mustard (can use dijon mustard & maybe increase honey)

Directions :-

scald in boiling water to remove scum.
seasoned generously with seasalt & pepper & browned on all sides (in high fire stainelss steel pan0.
rub dry marinade over the ribs, add 2 tsp olive oil & wrap fully with aluminium foil.
place ribs in preheated oven at 90degC for 7hrs
open foil & broiled using oven broiler function (preheated to 250degC) for 8mins to get nicely charred surface.

Nice Music OK Food @ Georges Beach Club on 21Nov2015

Posted on November 23, 2015 by chefquak

S$12.90 pork & chicken satay

a friend arranged a night out to georges beach club on 21.11.2015. ^^

7 of us went for dinner & drinks. another friend could only make it later for drinks.

georges beach club

many of us came here for the first time. it’s a family place right by east coast park fronting the sea, cosy & pleasant not really chic (not really sports bar type).

la chicago=resident song group

songs by the resident group la chicago for oldies like us. ^^

ala care menu

menu is the regular bar/diners menu.

S$12.90 pork & chicken satay

we had a dozen pork & chicken satay, & added another dozen later.

satay was good, small but tasty.

S$29.90 georges platter

& a georges platter.

georges platter

chicken wings were ok, like any.

the bbq ribs were like louisiana ribs, great taste & fork tender. though i felt it was just slightly sweet, the overall taste was great. the recent very good ribs also at a friend’s house & this (which was better) made me want to try out making pork ribs. i had not been very successful in the past, the period before i started blogging & cooking more often.

the sausage was not so popular among my friends, and what showed as lamb rendang on the menu tasted like braised oxtail to me. it was good though also not that popular with my friends.

S$14.90 ebi furai & S$12.90 calamari

the prawn tempura was more like ebi furai (“fry”), not a tempura batter, but nice actually.

S$14.90 ebi furai & S$12.90 calamari

calamari was good though not chewy, rubbery. competent bar food i guess.

S$21.90 1/2 rack bbq pork ribs

the bbq ribs were the best food for me this evening so we added an order of 1/2ribs.

S$21.90 1/2 rack bbq pork ribs

looking at the menu now maybe should have ordered the full ribs.

la chicago=resident song group

the lead singer has a quite powerful voice. we like the oldies. a relaxing & fun evening. few of us though adjourning to a friend’s place to watch nadal vs djokovic match at 10pm so we left quite early.

bill was about S$31pax nett for food & drinks. my friends don’t drink much but price was quite ok too.

c.h.e.f andy

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

Georges Beach Club

Address : 1010 East Coast Park Singapore 449893, Carpark C3

Tel : +65 6449 0019

Opening Hours : Mon – Fri : 3.0pm – 1 am | Sat, Sun , PH : 9.00m – 1 am

(My First) Bread Pudding

Posted on November 22, 2015 by chefquak

bread pudding

seems to be doing many “my first” these couple days. ^^

reason is we are doing a RI friends eat-together at a friend’s house & maybe the theme is kampung spirit. it requires a bit of logistic planning eg packing food in aluminium serving dishes or tupperware etc, and hence the type of food best suited to be served to say 20pax and ferried by car with minimum transfers/heating up etc before serving.

hence i was testing out 2 other dishes these 2 days for the first time –

chicken rendang; &

babi pongteh

recently we had a gathering at another friend’s house & someone brought a bread pudding. that is a convenient party dish, no need to cut, just scoop out so easy to serve. 🙂

bread pudding

i decided to try out a bread pudding.

i looked at online recipes. i found a good recipe = best bread pudding with vanilla sauce at allrecipes & decided to follow it.

turned out that it is one of the easiest (maybe the easiest) dessert to do. 🙂

bread pudding

i cracked 3 eggs into a mixing bowl, added 3 cups milk, 60ml melted butter, 1 flat tbsp white sugar, 2 flat tbsp brown sugar, 1 tsp vanilla essence, & 1 flat tsp cinnamon; and whisked.

(my sugar totalled only 3 tbsp whereas the allrecipes had 1.5cups white sugar & 2 tbsp brown sugar – that’s like 8x the sugar i added)

bread pudding mixture

i then cut 7 pieces of stale bread diagonally into 4 pieces each, and added & combined with the liquids. added some macadamia nuts & dried cherry tomatoes.

i pulled a cling firm over the mixing bowl & leave it for 1/2hr for the bread to absorb the liquids.

transferred to oven dish

the i greased the bottom & sides of an oven dish (don’t have spray), and emptied the bread pudding mixture into the oven dish. 🙂

transferred to oven dish

i had the oven preheated to 180degC, and placed the oven dish for 50mins. it’s ready when a tooth pick of fork comes out cleanly after inserting into the pudding.

bread pudding

must say the result was quite wonderful.

bread pudding

although after it cooled the pudding sank & shrank, but taste wise it was quite perfect especially when served with vanilla ice cream, which my daughter bought & brought home.

it is really a very convenient party dessert, can serve many people, very easy to make & to transport. 🙂

c.h.e.f andy

Ingredients :-

7 slices stale bread
some nuts & raisins (i used what i have available which are macadamia nuts & a dried cherry tomatoes).
3 eggs
3 cups milk
60ml butter
2 tbsp flat brown sugar
1 tbsp flat white sugar
1 tsp flat cinnamon powder
1 tsp vanilla essence

Directions :-

whisk in a mixing bowl 3 eggs, 3 cups milk, 60ml melted butter, 1 flat tbsp white sugar, 2 flat tbsp brown sugar, 1 tsp vanilla essence, & 1 flat tsp cinnamon.
cut 7 pieces of stale bread diagonally into 4 pieces each. add & combine with the liquids.
add some macadamia nuts & dried cherry tomatoes.
pulled a cling firm over the mixing bowl & leave it for 1/2hr for the bread to absorb the liquids.
grease the bottom & sides of an oven dish and transfer the bread pudding mixture into the oven dish.
bake for 50mins in a preheated 180degC oven.
serve with ice cream (i did not prepare the sauce this time)

(My First) Chicken Rendang

Posted on November 22, 2015 by chefquak

chicken rendang

first time i am cooking chicken rendang on 22.11.2015. ^^

actually first time i cooking any rendang.

chicken rendang

like the babi pongteh i did yesterday, i am thinking to do this for a RI eat-together at a friend’s house on 3.12.2015. 🙂

my nonya curry chicken

i initially thought of doing my nonya curry chicken.

a friend is now doing the curry chicken, so i thought either to skip the chicken, OR to do a different style – a dry chicken rendang. 🙂

chicken rendang

i looked at some online recipes. the one i like best is by nonya cooking.

i mostly followed that with some minor variations.

lemon grass, dessicated coconut, galangal

i went to sheng shiong to get some ingredients like lemon grass, galangal & dessicated coconut.

dessicated coconut

i added about 30g dessicated coconut and fried under medium to low fire.

kerisik

until golden brown=kerisik.

kerisik

set aside the kerisik.

blended chilli, ginger, galangal, lemon grass etc

i blended 12 dry chilli (soaked in hot water & seeded), 4cm galangal, 3cm ginger, 7 shallots, 3garlic cloves, and 3 stalks lemon grass (white part).

frying the rempah

then i fried in 3 tbsp oil till the rempah is fragrant.

deboned chicken pieces, about 800g

i had earlier deboned 1.4kg chicken. i kept the 2 drum sticks for future use, and the legs & bones for soup.

fyring the chicken

i added the cut chicken breast meat & 2 wings & fried with the rempah to coat the chicken.

chicken rendang

i did for about 10mins.

chicken rendang

then i added 200ml coconut milk.

added the kerisik and cooked for another 20mins, adding salt & tasting. & tried the chicken that it was cooked & not overcooked.

then i added some cut kaffir lime leaves.

then reduced to a drier, very fragrant chicken rendang dish.

chicken rendang

i did the final taste & added 1 tbsp fish sauce.

chicken rendang

overall, it was really quite an excellent dish.

it was intended for dinner to be eaten with rice. daughter & later wife came back & we finished more than 1/2 without any rice.

looks like we are going out for dimsum dinner instead.

daughter & wife thought the lemon grass could be reduced. otherwise quite perfect.

i did have a superb S$5 chicken rendang rice at kopi roti central with mei mei & my good dentist friend on 19.9.2015.

i think that one still better than mine la…just S$5!

c.h.e.f andy

Ingredients :-

800g cut chicken
30g dessicated coconut
1 heap tsp salt
1 tbsp fish sauce
6 kaffir lime leaves

for rempah paste –

12 red chilli seeded (i used 12 quite old dry chilli so colour not red enuf!)
3cm ginger
4cm galangal
2 stalks lemon grass (white part) – (i used 3 will reduce next time)
7 shallots
3 clove garlic

Directions :-

fry 30g dessicated coconut and fried under medium to low fire to lightly golden brown (kerisik). set aside.
blend 12 red chilli (or dry chilli soaked in hot water & seeded), 4cm galangal, 3cm ginger, 7 shallots, 3garlic cloves, and 2 stalks lemon grass (white part) for rempah paste.
fry in 3 tbsp oil till the rempah is fragrant.
add cut chicken breast meat & 2 wings & fry with the rempah to coat the chicken. fry for 10mins.
add 200ml coconut milk. add the kerisik and cooked for another 20mins (add some water & cover), adding salt & tasting. try chicken, to see that it is cooked & not overcooked.
add some cut kaffir lime leaves. then reduce to a drier, very fragrant chicken rendang dish.

(My First) Babi Pongteh

Posted on November 21, 2015 by chefquak

babi pongteh

did my first babi pongteh today on 21.11.2015. resonably satisfied. ^^

babi pongteh

sauce was wonderful! tau jeon & gula melaka really did the trick! 🙂

texture was gelatinous (“ga ga” in teochew), still have good bite, not falling apart. 🙂

i used only 400g belly pork. was supposed to braise for 2 to 2.5hrs, but at 1.5hrs, already softened & gelatinous, so i took out the pork, added the taupok & reduced. 🙂

seasoned 0.5 tbsp dark sauce

for recipe, i referenced (followed quite closely actually) –

annielicious’ babi pongteh recipe;

mummymoo’s babi pongteh recipe.

for my first attempt, i did not add potatoes. & since i used 400g instead of 800g for experimentation, i 1/2 the recipe. anyway i always taste (ie drk sauce, light sauce etc to taste, in this case i did not add salt) but the recipe quantities provided were quite accurate actually. 🙂

seasoned 0.5 tbsp dark sauce

i blanched 400g belly pork & cut into large pieces (i think if pieces were too small they may dry out & overcook).

i marinated with 1/2 tbsp dark sauce & set aside.

i had 5 chinese dried mushrooms in hot water overnight.

browning shallots then garlic

i fried 5 chopped shallots till translucent, added 2 tsp chopped garlic & lightly browned.

added tau jeon

i added a tbsp tau jeon & fried till fragrant, medium fire.

coating & stir-fry

i added the belly pork & stir-fry a bit. then i added 1/2 tbsp dark sauce & 1 tbsp light soy sauce.

coating & stir-fry

& coat the belly pork & stir-fry a while longer.

then added 5 mushrooms & the mushroom water (less the sediments) & deglazed.

slow braising 1.5hrs

transferred to pot, added water to cover, brought to boil & placed on an induction heater at low 100W.

i set timer at 2hrs but tried the pork at 1.5hrs & the texture was what i liked, tender & gelatinous, with bite not falling apart. 🙂

i took out the belly pork & put the sauce back to the wok, added cut taupok trips (4pieces taupok) & reduced, about 10mins. 🙂

babi pongteh

when serving, garnish with coriander. 🙂

mushrooms were very tasty infused with the sauce, just like the belly pork.

so was the tau pok.

babi pongteh

i did not add salt throughout as the taste was just good for me. 🙂

for this experiment i did not add potatoes.

i am planning to include this dish for a RI eat-together at a friend’s house on 3.12.2015. ^^

it is more than passable. i will see if i can improve a little.

c.h.e.f andy

Ingredients :-

400g belly pork
5 chopped shallots
2 tsp chopped garlic
1 tbsp oil
1 tbsp dark soy suace
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp tau jeon
1 tbsp gula melaka (palm sugar)
5 chinese dried mushrooms
coriander for garnishing
2 cups water (include mushroom water)

Directions :-

blanch 400g belly pork & cut into large pieces (i think if pieces were too small they may dry out & overcook). marinate with 1/2 tbsp dark sauce & set aside.
soak 5 chinese dried mushrooms in hot water overnight.
fry 5 chopped shallots till translucent, add 2 tsp chopped garlic & lightly browned.
add a tbsp tau jeon & fried till fragrant, medium fire.
add belly pork & stir-fry a bit. add 1/2 tbsp dark sauce & 1 tbsp light soy sauce, & coat the belly pork & stir-fry a while longer.
add 5 mushrooms & the mushroom water (less the sediments) & deglazed.
transfer to pot, added water to cover, brought to boil & placed on an induction heater at low 100W. set timer at 1.5hrs.
take out the belly pork & put the sauce back to wok, add cut taupok trips (4pieces taupok) & reduce, about 10mins. garnish with coriander.

The Best Crab Beehoon Soup @ Uncle Leong Jurong East on 17Nov2015

Posted on November 20, 2015 by chefquak

S$63 crab beehoon soup

i bought a S$200 groupon voucher & 5 of us went to uncle leong seafood at 262 Jurong East Street 24, #01-485 Singapore 600262 for crabby dinner on 17.11.2015. ^^

all my friends agreed this was the best crab beehoon soup we had for years!

uncle leong jurong east

2 of us were there slightly earlier at 6.45pm. the crowd came in later & place was quite well patronised, not sure if it was because of the groupon deals.

S$63/kg sri lankan crab

we managed to get 2x1kg sri lankan crabs. ^^

at first the lady server said may not have 1kg (only bigger) but she went anyway to check & i went over also, and she got the 2x1kg crabs. 🙂

display shelves

they had display shelves. 🙂

our enjoyable crabby dinner

we decided on 1 crab beehoon soup. i asked about the dry crab beehoon but seemed that it was not a popular order. we picked the golden sand crab + 1 deep-fried mantou 馒头 (or buns).

crabs were S$63/kg, so that took up S$126 of the S$200 voucher. we ordered 4 other dishes – a 3eggs spinach, spicy minced pork tofu (锅仔豆腐), sea cucumber seafood pot and a pumpkin prawns. 🙂

S$63 crab beehoon soup

the crab beehoon soup was pure heaven!!! ^^

so intense, smooth, sweet, and the crab was firm & “solid” (there was actually a clause on the online menu saying they do not guarantee that the crabs are “solid”). 🙂

S$63 crab beehoon soup

for me, heaven was a long time coming.

last time i had crab beehoon soup was december 2014 at mama kong. no comparisons really!

& before that, maybe fast backwards 15 years? at melben toa payoh ave 8. that was heavenly too. in between? don’t know but i don’t remember…

S$15 spicy minced pork tofu (锅仔豆腐)

the other dishes we ordered turned out to be good, very good to excellent too.

the spicy minced pork tofu (锅仔豆腐) belonged to the just “good” category. a very competent dish actually, can’t really criticise it, but the spicy chilli not the type i like. it was not so matching food and by comparisons, the other dishes were much better.

S$15 – 3 eggs spinach

this 3 eggs spinach was quite excellent.

S$15 – 3 eggs spinach

one of the best tasting i had. it is a common dish at zi char & i thought of not ordering it.

3 eggs spinach

but it was done really well. spinach was crunchy not overcooked & you could taste the 3 eggs distinct flavours quite well. 🙂

S$30 sea cucumber seafood treasure pot

& this was a really, really good sea cucumber seafood treasure pot.

S$30 sea cucumber seafood treasure pot

the sea cucumber were not the top quality thick ones, but still quite good quality. the prawns, fish, razor clams, scallops etc were all very fresh & the broth was really delicate, smooth but super tasty, par excellence! 🙂

sea cucumber seafood treasure

for me, this dish can rank with what top chinese restaurants here can deliver.

S$25 pumpkin sauce prawns

the pumpkin prawns was very competent dish. prawns were fresh, same preparations basically deep-fried. only difference with wasabi, salted egg etc was the sauce.

a friend preferred the salted egg version. for me the pumpkin sauce was good too, but somehow i remembered they tasted better at ah yat turf city (quite sometime back) in pumpkin crabs but i think those had curry leaves flavours.

S$63 golden sand crab

for me, the golden sand crab was very good too. this was their signature dish.

my friends were ok with it, not so wowed as the crab beehoon soup! 🙂

the crab though same 1kg, somehow had smaller claws, still good but overall the crab beehoon soup trumped this.

deepfried mantous

deep-fried mantou 馒头 (or buns) to dip in the creamy sauce.

S$63 golden sand crab + mantous

some may prefer chilli or pepper crab. i don’t mind this at all or the pumpkin crab, probably like them better than the salted egg version.

dinner came to S$234, so with the groupon voucher discount (S$119.80 for S$200), it was S$154 for 5pax, 6 excellent dishes with 2x1kg crab dishes & a really “right up there” sea cucumber seafood treasure pot. about S$31pax nett.

i must add that the service & attitude (almost entire army of chinese servers) were really good. i gave them a sizable tip when leaving.

we all enjoyed the dinner & company tremendously. after that we adjourned to a friend’s place nearby for a nice cuppa, nespresso. 🙂

i bought another voucher when i got back. ^^

c.h.e.f andy

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

Uncle Leong Seafood (Jurong East)

Address: #01-485, 262 Jurong East Street 24, 600262

OPENING HOURS:Mon – Fri: 12:00 – 22:00 Sat, Sun &: 14:00 – 23:00

PHONE:+65 68972881

Prawn Capellini Alio Olio

Posted on November 20, 2015 by chefquak

prawn capellini

prawn capellini was done alio olio style. i also did not have uni & ikura (nor mentaiko).

prawn capellini

still my own prawn capellini was a very tasty pasta.

i guess nothing so unusual, and no better than my regular seafood alio olio, but it was a different & drier style, adding butter like for my mentaiko pasta or squid-ink pasta.

stellar’s king crab uni & sakuri ebi capellini

didn’t have the top ingredients of stellar’s king crab, uni, ikura & sakura ebi pasta (above photo).

but just the taste of the pasta alone, i think mine was just as good though differernt (w/o the unique salty uni & ikura flavours).

we had this for our homegourmet adventure 4-course dinner on 15.11.2015.^^

prawn capellini

i prepared the usual browned garlic in olive oil with nice aroma. added cut chilli padi, then white wine, 1 tsp sugar & prawn stock & reduced.

for the prawns, i used my dry wok prawns method to produce a very tasty prawn with great texture, then cut them into small pieces & left a few whole prawns.

then i off the fire, added butter & tossed the capellini.

prawn capellini

it was a simple & easy dish to prepare.

the pasta was al dente & very tasty. i did not have basil to garnish this evening, so i guess it is a shorthand & slightly different style from my usual seafood spaghetti alio olio.

c.h.e.f andy

Red Tomato Gazpacho

Posted on November 19, 2015 by chefquak

white cucumber & red tomato gazpacho

this a counterpoint to my white cucumber gazpacho. ^^

each gazpacho is delicious on its own, but they combine so beautifully, both aesthetics & also taste. shiok!

stellar at 1-altitude’s gazpacho in 2 styles

we went to stellar at 1-altitude for dinner on 9.11.2015.

other food so-so, but stellar’s gazpacho was just so good!

yes, i got inspired to try out the gazpacho at home. hehe! 🙂

red tomato gazpacho

& so i googled online recipes. some i used & adapted-

gazpacho is 2 styles

& produced 2 gazpacho just like stellar’s – a red tomato gazpacho & a white cucumber gazpacho.

red tomato gazpacho

for tomato gazpacho i used 4 large tomatoes, 1 large red pepper, 1/3 peeled japanese cucumber, 1/2 red onions, 1 clove garlic remove heart, 2.5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 1.5 tbsp red wine vinegar, 1 tbsp sugar, 2tsp sea salt, 1 slice bread, 1 cup stock or water

& blend.

& i also did croutons like for the white gazpacho –

put sliced baguette on a on-stick pan on low fire, added sea salt & some shaved parmesan.

so easy to prepare!

& the result of my first attempt was a really delicious tomato gazpacho. not quite the standard of stellar’s for sure, but almost there.

we had this for our homegourmet adventure 4-course dinner on 15.11.2015.^^

so refreshing, smooth, & you could really taste the wonderful sweetness of the red pepper & tangy tomatoes, and the delicious combination of onions & other ingredients.

c.h.e.f andy

Ingredients :-

4 large tomatoes
1 large red pepper
1/3 peeled japanese cucumber
1/2 red onions
1 clove garlic remove heart
2.5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1.5 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp sugar
2tsp sea salt
1 slice bread
1 cup stock or water
few slices of baguette

Directions : –

place all ingredients (except baguette for croutons) in blender & blend till smooth. taste!
put sliced baguette on a on-stick pan on low fire, added sea salt & some shaved parmesan.

White Cucumber Gazpacho – Soooo Delicious!

Posted on November 19, 2015 by chefquak

white cucumber & red tomato gazpacho

gazpacho not my favourite & i hardly take gazpacho by choice.

stellar at 1-altitude’s gazpacho in 2 styles

we went to stellar at 1-altitude for dinner on 9.11.2015.

other food so-so, but stellar’s gazpacho was just so good!

white cucmber gazpacho

so i googled online recipes. some i used & adapted-

gazpacho is 2 styles

& produced 2 gazpacho just like stellar’s – a red tomato gazpacho & a white cucumber gazpacho.

white cucmber gazpacho

for cucumber gazpacho i used 1.5 cucumbers, 1/2small yellow onions, 1 clove garlic (removed heart), 1x140ml plain yogurt, 1 slice bread, 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 1 tbsp red wine vinegar, 2tsp sugar, 1tsp sea salt, 1 cup vegetable stock & blend.

& i also did croutons for the first time!

i just put sliced baguette on a on-stick pan on low fire, added sea salt & some shaved parmesan.

so easy to prepare!

& the result of my first attempt was a really delicious gazpacho. not quite the standard of stellar’s for sure, but almost there.

we had this for our homegourmet adventure 4-course dinner on 15.11.2015.^^

so refreshing, smooth, & you could really taste the wonderful coolness of the cucumber, and the delicious combination of yogurt & onions & other ingredients.

c.h.e.f andy

Ingredients :-

1.5 large cucumber (peeled & cut)
1/2 small yellow onions (cut)
1x140ml plain yogurt
1 clove garlic (remove heart)
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp sea salt
1 slice bread
1 cup stock or water
few slices of baguette

Directions : –

place all ingredients (except baguette for croutons) in blender & blend till smooth. taste!
put sliced baguette on a on-stick pan on low fire, added sea salt & some shaved parmesan.

Pan Seared Scallops in Prawn Vegetable Veloute

Posted on November 18, 2015 by chefquak

my own pan seared scallops in prawn vegetable veloute

i did a homegourmet adventure 4-course dinner on 15.11.2015. ^^

one of the 4 courses was a pan seared scallops in prawn vegetable veloute. 🙂

stellar’s diver scallops. parmesan. bacon. carbonara style

had dinner with wife at stellar at 1-altitude on 9.11.2015.

one of the dishes was pan seared scallops with carbonara sauce.

disgruntled chef’s 100gourmet pan sauteed scallops

scallops were good, but not comparable with disgruntled chef’s scallop dish which also had a wonderful sauce.

my own pan-seared Hokkaido scallops

i do a good pan seared scallops myself.

pan seared scallops in prawn vegetable veloute

i was thinking how to make a sauce, and decided to use the prawn shells from the prawn capellini dish.

i did the usual prawn bisque preparation. fried prawns shells with butter till fragrant, add vegetable stock (i had some in the fridge). then i cut & fried some chinese cabbage, added cut yellow onions, then added some prawn stock & stew the cabbage. then blended the cabbage/onions & prawn stock.

result was a really wonderful veloute. my daughter commented it was not really a prawn or shellfish bisque (i did not add brandy & cream).

but that combination was just superb! intense yet smooth combination of shellfish & vegetable sweetness. i would say one of the best soup i created mostly by accident! ^^

in fact i did not do the searing well this evening but the scallops were still very tasty & great texture.

the prawn vegetable veloute though was an accidental discovery. it was just so good! ^^

intense yet very smooth, and very tasty, and just the right body & texture. this really is an excellent recipe & among the best soup i have made.

i would say for myself, though the scallop itself was not comparable to stellar’s, but the overall taste experience including the prawn veg veloute was better than stellar’s, but not comparable with disgruntled chef’s 100gourmet scallop dish.

very happy with the new dish, principally the prawn & vegetable veloute, which was a very rewarding discovery for me. 🙂

c.h.e.f andy

OK Only Quick 3pax Lunch @ Two Chefs Commonwealth Crescent on 18Nov2015

Posted on November 18, 2015 by chefquak

S$15 black bean sauce song fish head 松鱼头

went with sis & b-i-l to two chefs @ commonwealth crescent for a quick lunch today on 18.11.2015. 🙂

my last post on two chefs was 2 years ago, no change in opinion..haha!

two chefs @ commonwealth crescent.

it was 11.35am. they were open, no customer yet. we were the first. 🙂

S$7 see-hum (cockles)

we ordered a see hum (cockles).

see-hum (cockles)

cockles were tiny! & the serving very small for S$7. inflation la..usd going up? whatever…

S$5.50 san lo hor fun

for me the best dish was this S$5.50 san lo hor fun.

S$5.50 san lo hor fun

really flavourful, the real meaning of wok hae, good serving of sliced snakehead too. ^^

S$15 black bean sauce song fish head 松鱼头

the S$15 black bean sauce 松鱼头 was good.

fish head was fresh. sauce was good. but fish head was so very tiny leh…super tiny…eh…never see before..haha! 🙂

special sauce song fish head (松鱼头)

but really no comparison with 香港街珍记 – Hong Kong Street Chun Kee, just 1 level up at the market next door

the sauce at chun kee has a nice tangy lime taste, & it’s like 2x the size.

& even the zi char stall hong man ji delights 鴻满记小吃 at mei ling market & food centre sells a good S$13 hk steamed song fish head 港蒸松鱼头.

S$15 black bean sauce song fish head 松鱼头

lunch came to S$27.50. not ex but then servings really tiny. so for me only the san lo hor fun consider good (but then it was not always consistent!). the song fish head & cockles were just ok only…

& lastly, the old lady server had a poor service attitude. haughty, unfriendly, told us curtly there was no sliced fish beehoon soup here, the S$5.50 hor fun was very small, & looked very fed-up when we didn’t order a larger portion.

& interestingly, the young fella who took the bill was quite courteous, maybe he’s the boss..

i think no chance i will come here again for the song fish head la when hk street chun kee is one step away.

c.h.e.f andy

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

Two Chefs Eating Place 双厨菜馆 (Commonwelath)

Address: #01-129, 116 Commonwealth Crescent, 140116

OPENING HOURS:

Mon: 17:00 – 23:30

Tue – Sun: 11:30 – 14:30

Tue – Sun: 17:00 – 23:30

Closed on Every Last Mon of the Month

PHONE:+65 64725361

Nice Vietnamese pho & cold beehoon lunch @ Saigon Baguette on 17Nov2015

Posted on November 18, 2015 by chefquak

vietnamese homelies

went to my good friend’s clinic at central for a dental follow-up on 17.11.2015.

mei mei was working afternoon shift starting at 2pm. i got an extra 8″ springform cake tin to pass to her, so we arranged to have lunch at saigon baguette at central. ^^

saigon-baguette

i was first at saigon baguette at 12pm, but by 1230pm most tables were taken up.

saigon-baguette

a small, cosy, pleasant ambience.

S$9.90 pho (pronounced “fur”)

they had a lunch set comprising a main, a side & drink at S$14.90. it included mains like the beef combo pho at S$9.90 & the vietnamese grilled pork at S$10.50. the drinks were like S$2.50 & S$3 etc, so the S$14.90 set was pretty ok.

i ordered a vietnamese drip coffee. they said they do inside & served me a black coffee like at coffeeshop. i asked for sugar on the side. coffee was nicely flavoured not sour so i did not add any & took it black.

S$9.90 pho (pronounced “fur”)

the pho (& the garnishes) were good. soup was excellent, a very delicate, light, fragrant sweetness. i thought the serving of ingredients were small for S$9.90 dish. overall quite a light, enjoyable dish. we didn’t want too much carbs also.

rice rolls

we ordered 1 side for each set.

rice rolls

the rice rolls were good, and quite nice with the sauce. skin was thin & smooth, prawn was fresh, competent la.

deep-fried chicken wings

deep-fried chicken wings were a bit dry. just the chicken wings alone, my helper does it much better (& sometimes i do also myself). what was interesting was the caramelised garlic. we usually take with thai sweet chilli sauce at home. the caramelised garlic was no better (in fact i still prefer thai sweet chilli dip) but maybe i will try that a t home – chopped garlic & honey? caramelised. 🙂

vietnamese grilled pork & srping rolls on beehoon2

S$10.50 vietnamese grilled pork & spring rolls on beehoon

the mildly sweet fish sauce condiments that came with the dry beehoon was very good. but actually also not better than my own la…

vietnamese grilled pork & srping rolls on beehoon

S$10.50 vietnamese grilled pork & spring rolls on beehoon

the spring rolls & the grilled pork which was basically i guess home-made pork balls like the beef balls were good especially with the chilli on the table.

my own vietnamese chargrilled pork cold beehoon

but really my own vietnamese chargrilled pork neck cold beehoon + condiments still better la…

S$9.90 pho (pronounced “fur”)

food was good, nothing really special.

comparing the pho, i would prefer the S$9.50 combo pho at mrs pho (it had briskets!).

likewise comparing the vietnamese grilled pork dry cold beehoon also, mrs pho’s was better!

the S$14.90 lunch was quite good value.

the ala carte prices were ok for the food.

anyway, great lunch with mei mei. she bought me some curry puffs too.

c.h.e.f andy

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

Saigon Baguette (The Central Mall)

Address: #01-58/59, The Central, 6 Eu Tong Sen Street, 059817

OPENING HOURS:

Daily: 11:00 – 10:00

WEBSITE: http://saigonbaguettes.com.sg/

Homegourmet Adventure 4-course Dinner on 15Nov2015

Posted on November 16, 2015 by chefquak

pan seared scallops in prawn vegetable veloute

had great fun discovery yesterday experimenting several “first” for a wonderful 4-course dinner on 15.11.2015. ^^

truly a homegourmet adventure. 🙂

all 4 dishes had some new elements-

prawn veloute was an accidental invention.

gazpacho was completely first attempt.

prawn capellini was a new preparation &

slow-braised pork collar was my second try on a new preparation

in a sense, my recent dinner at stellar at 1-altitude spurred my interest, not so much an inspiration (excepting the gazpacho at stellar which was really good!), as i thought the food was expensive & not value-for-money. i thought i could recreate something similar. ^^

pan seared scallops in prawn vegetable veloute

first course was pan seared scallops in prawn vegetable veloute. 🙂

i did not do the pan-searing well this evening. still the scallops were very good, plump & tasty & very good texture, not really the standard of disgruntled chef’s 100gourmet scallops, nor the stellar’s scallops.

the prawn vegetable veloute though was an accidental discovery. it was just so good! ^^

intense yet very smooth, and very tasty, and just the right body & texture. this really is an excellent recipe & among the best soup i have made.

disgruntled chef’s 100gourmet pan sauteed scallops

#2 white cucumber & red tomato gazpacho

my second dish was entirely new.

gazpacho not my favourite & i hardly take gazpacho by choice but stellar’s gazpacho was just so good!

so i googled online recipes & produced 2 gazpacho just like stellar’s – a red tomato gazpacho & a white cucumber gazpacho.

& the result of my first attempt was a really wonderful gazpacho. so refreshing, smooth, & you could really taste the coolness of the cucumber & also tangy tomatoes.

stellar at 1-altitude’s gazpacho in 2 styles

not quite the standard of stellar’s (above photo) for sure, but almost there.

#3 prawn capellini

prawn capellini was done alio olio style. i also did not have uni & ikura (nor mentaiko).

#3 prawn capellini

still my own prawn capellini was a very tasty pasta.

i guess nothing so unusual, and may not be better than my usual seafood alio olio, but it was a different & drier style, adding butter like for my mentaiko pasta or squid-ink pasta.

stellar’s king crab uni & sakura ebi capellini

didn’t have the top ingredients of stellar’s king crab, uni, ikura & sakura ebi pasta (above photo).

but just the taste of the pasta alone, i think mine was just as good though differernt (w/o the unique salty uni & ikura flavours).

#4 slow braised pork collar in red wine sauce

the slow braised pork collar in red wine sauce was my second attempt, it was as good as the first, and a really great recipe i created myself.

slow braised pork collar in red wine sauce

the pork was very flavourful & so tender yet not sinewy & falling apart like the usual braised meat texture.

i think this is really an excellent recipe. ^^

c.h.e.f andy

Good But Expensive Dinner @ Stellar at 1-Altitude on 9Nov2015

Posted on November 16, 2015 by chefquak

king crab uni & sakura ebi capellini

celebrating an occasion & went with wife for dinner at stellar at 1-altitude on 9.11.2015. ^^

marina skyline

there was a roof top bar like at me @ oue & also at zafferano (1-altitude is much higher floor).

marina skyline, the panoramic view were of course fabulous.

stellar at 1-altitude rooftop

nice place to have a drink, but it was a bit hazy this evening.

stellar at 1-altitude

we were there at 6.30pm first seating, it was 1/2 full for the evening.

amuse bouche

we were deciding between the regular S$95++ 3-course menu (full portion) or the 6,7,8-course autumn gastronomic (1/2 portions). wife decided to have the 3-course & i was advised that if i took the S$120++ 6-course menu alone i would have 2 desserts.

so we both took the 3-course. wife had 2 appetizers & i ordered a dessert.

amuse bouche

we were served only 1 amuse bouche. so we missed the mushroom tea which other reviewers raved about.

this amuse bouche was ok but forgettable.

how i missed the incredible mushroom tea amuse bouche we enjoyed at jaan previously.

fin de claire & some pacific oysters

wife ordered the oysters. there were 4 in 1 order.

fin de claire & some pacific oysters

again it was ok but not those very creamy ones. we had better S$3 oysters at tess bar & of course the superb ones at the prime society (only S$2.50ea after palate 50% discounts).

diver scallops. parmesan. bacon. carbonara style

i ordered the diver scallops carbonara style.

diver scallops. parmesan. bacon. carbonara style

the scallops were wonderful, large, plump, tasty, & still have the slightly gummy sashimi bite. i loved the scallops.

disgruntled chef’s 100gourmet pan sauteed scallops

but as an entire dish with the carbonara sauce, it was simply outclassed by the excellent scallops at the disgruntled chef 100gourmet dinner we had recently (above photo).

pan seared scallops in prawn vegetable veloute

i decided to create a dish myself with my usual pan-seared scallops using a prawn vegetable veloute. my scallops were very good but not really comparable, however my veloute was excellent & the overall experience was much better, though just as outclassed by the scallop dish at the disgruntled chef 100gourmet.

gazpacho in 2 styles

wife ordered the gazpacho in 2 styles.

gazpacho in 2 styles

the cold soup was light, refreshing, tasty.

white cucumber & red tomato gazpacho

this was such a wonderful soup, i went home & recreate one myself, and a pretty good one at that. not quite stellar’s top standard, but pretty good la. 🙂

the main courses

we ordered the king crab, uni, sakura ebi pasta & the rack of lamb.

king crab uni & sakura ebi capellini

the pasta was tasty & i liked it.

wife though was not impressed. somehow the uni sauce tasted cheesy (same saltiness?). it was good but not great.

prawn capellini

i went back & recreated a very tasty prawn capellini myself in the same style.

victorian lamb rack

the lamb rack was i guess mediocre, at best above average.

it was done medium according to the server’s recommendations.

array of sauces & dips

there was a nice array of sauces & dips, mustard, bearnaise etc& a butter which was very nice with the lamb.

victorian lamb rack

the sides were good.

but actually for the lamb, though it was ok, it was also quite mediocre. there are countless restaurants here that does this better, and much better!

i would prefer my own pistachio crusted lamb to this.

almond croquant

overall, food was good, ambience was fabulous.

the dinner though was quite underwhelming for the price, quite below our expectations. purely on the matter of food enjoyment, we had much better at cheaper places like foc & tess bar.

wife was saying basically we were paying for the view. i guess we were.

c.h.e.f andy

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Monthly Archives: November 2015

清汤牛腩 Slow－braised Briskets in Clear Broth (1st Experiment)

Great Lunch @ Mikuni on 27Nov2015

Great Value Alacarte Semi-buffet (Beyond Expectations) @ Tim Palace SAFRA Toa Payoh on 24Nov2015

Pork Collar Slow-braised in Red Wine Sauce

Good & Value Wine Dinner @ Greenwood Fish Bistro on 19Nov2015

Macha Lava Cake (Second Experiment)

Excellent BBQ Baby Pork Ribs

Nice Music OK Food @ Georges Beach Club on 21Nov2015

(My First) Bread Pudding

(My First) Chicken Rendang

(My First) Babi Pongteh

The Best Crab Beehoon Soup @ Uncle Leong Jurong East on 17Nov2015

Prawn Capellini Alio Olio

Red Tomato Gazpacho

White Cucumber Gazpacho – Soooo Delicious!

Pan Seared Scallops in Prawn Vegetable Veloute

OK Only Quick 3pax Lunch @ Two Chefs Commonwealth Crescent on 18Nov2015

Nice Vietnamese pho & cold beehoon lunch @ Saigon Baguette on 17Nov2015

Homegourmet Adventure 4-course Dinner on 15Nov2015

Good But Expensive Dinner @ Stellar at 1-Altitude on 9Nov2015

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