Monthly Archives: December 2016
Great RI Friends Homecooked Housewarming Lunch on 23Nov2016
homecooked lunch
my old RI friend moved into a new 3-storey 4500sq ft freehold strata house recently, and he invited us over for lunch & housewarming on 23.11.2016. ^^
good location & nice environment, very high ceiling like 4.5m in the hall, very good folding sliding doors, & ducted aircon in hall plus cassette in nice & bright basement etc.
his helper cooked lunch for 10 of us – 6 dishes, very competent dishes indeed.
ngoh hiang
ngoh hiang quite impressive, like market or zi char/restaurant standard.
sweet sour garoupa
sweet & sour garoupa well done too.
not a favourite preparation for me, but fish was fried well, fresh & crispy, meat was firm, sauce was also competent.
steamed prawns with mayo
steamed prawns well done too.
steamed prawns with mayo
prawns fresh. i could also do w/o the mayo but light dash of mayo was ok for me too.
pork trotters with bamboo shoots & taukua
the pork trotters was good!
great texture, good “lor” braise sauce flavours, very tasty bamboo shoots & if my memory served me right the harder type of taukua, seldom used but i like them too.
certainly for me, it was…
chap chai
chap chai was ok. basically all the dishes were competent. look like competent, taste like competent, so must be competent! lol! ^^
sauteed mushrooms
so was the sauteed mushrooms.
the guys walloped everything. no residue…
madeleine like cake
one friend brought these french (he said) madeleine like cake. pretty good.
we had a great time together…nice food, great company…
after lunch we had a briefing by another friend about a trip to miri, sarawak, and also to malacca & JB.
c.h.e.f andy
Great 3pax Family Sunday Dinner @ Crystaljade Kitchen Hollandv on 11Dec2016
roast duck portion – S$16.80
wife was back from a mission in cambodia after 11days. we decided to have dinner at crystaljade kitchen @ hollandv. eldest daughter joined us so we had 3pax dinner on 11.12.2016. ^^
crystal jade kitchen hollandv
crystal jade kitchen hollandv
there was a good crowd on level 2 at 6.30pm on a sunday.
roast duck portion – S$16.80
duck was quite ok, the good standard fare, not quite comparable to-
- the london duck at tunglok signature orchard parade,
- the roast duck at xin cuisine &
- the royal london duck.
pomelo drink – S$5.80 dessert with drink
my daughter ordered a drink set. i was quite happy to pay $0.60 for warm water.
xiaolongbao 小笼包 – S$4.80
xiaolongbao 小笼包 was special S$4.80, usual S$5.80.
was good standard, very tasty soup.
har gao 虾饺
har gao 虾饺 likewise good standard.
steamed chicken feet
like the steamed chicken feet here, skin nicely deep-fried & tasty sauce.
dumpling soup S$9.80
dumpling soup was nice too. tasty dumplings, 4 of them. S$9.80 was quite expensive leh by my standard.
crispy fupeiquin 炸腐皮卷
crispy fupeiquin 炸腐皮卷 was also nice, crispy, tasty.
3 combo porridge 三拼粥 S$11.80
the 3 combo porridge 三拼粥 was quite ex for me at S$11.80.
it was tasty, not super smooth so not quite there yet…2 large meat balls, qute a lot of shredded chicken & century egg.
3 combo porridge 三拼粥
anyway, nice la…
aloe vera jelly – S$5.80 dessert with drink
aloe vera dessert was refreshing.
aloe vera jelly – S$5.80 dessert with drink
3 of us shared. i took just a little to taste.
3pax dinner was like S$71. kind of ex, but we had a serving portion of roast duck. anyway food was quite nice & we enjoyed dinner.
c.h.e.f andy
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Crystal Jade Kitchen @ Holland Village
Address:
2 Lor Mambong, Holland Village, Singapore 277671
Contact:
6469 0300
Opening Hours:
| daily |
|---|
Pan Roasted “Sous Vide” Brined Chicken Thigh on 10Dec2016
skin so crispy meat tender, juicy, tasty
did a wonderful pan roasted “sous vide” brined chicken thigh today on 10.12.2016. ^^
skin was so crispy, meat so tender, juicy, tasty, just fabulous la… 🙂
skin so crispy meat tender, juicy, tasty
it was my usual pan roasted skin on brined chicken recipe. a dish i have not done for like 3 years liao..
this time though, i added the “sous vide” part.
i found on the very scientific seriouuseats.com which recommended sous vide at 60degC for 2 hrs.
i don’t have a sous vide machine (yet) so approximate by putting the chicken thigh in a brine bath in a sealed oven dish in a 95degC oven for about 2.5hours. when i measured the internal temp, it was about 65degC…for me just agak-logy not very scientific la…
pan roasted “sous vide” brined chicken thigh
then i did the usual panfry skin down with just a little olive oil to grease the pan, about 4-5mins in a non stick wokpan, first high heat the lower to medim/low.
meat tender, juicy, tasty
& the result was absolutely brilliant.
pan roasted “sous vide” brined chicken thigh
pan roast delivered the crispy skin.
brining with sugar & salt the juiciness & the taste.
and “sous vide” the wonderful tender texture….i think this was very good indeed! ^^
pan roasted “sous vide” brined chicken thigh
i only had thigh today as i did the chicken breast for a friend for a 13pax dinner the day before.
she doesn’t take beef & doesn’t like chicken thigh.
it was ok but i couldn’t grilled/brown the skin for the chicken breast. first my ceramic coated non-stick pan was holding the pink sauce for seafood pasta & i was lazy to transfer & wash the pan. but also the breast skin tends to shrink a bit unlike the thigh which is quite taut.
anyhow i think that it would be great to do this sous vide method on the chicken breast & though lesser skin, it will be no problem to brown the skin properly like what i did 3 yrs back. 🙂
c.h.e.f andy
Ingredients:
- 2 x chicken breasts skin on w/o wings (easier to brown skin)
- 2 x chicken thigh with drumstick (I use a 1.4kg chicken from Sheng Shiong or Giant hypermarket)
brine solution:
- 1 litre water
- 3tbsp salt
- 3 tbsp sugar
Directions:
- Preparing the chicken – use kitchen scissors to cut chicken in 1/2, then knife cut around the drumstick into 1/4 (breast remove wings & drumstick quarters), then cut away & remove the bones under the breast & thigh completely, then cut away the fat, wash & clean
- Brining – add 1 litre water in a large plastic container, mix in about 3 tablespoon salt & 3 tablespoon sugar & stir to dissolve. Put 2x cleaned chicken breasts & 2x chicken thigh into the container and place container in fridge for 24hours. Remove & wash chicken breasts/thighs thoroughly in slow running water & place on a rack to airdry in fridge for 24hrs (can also skip this step & dry with kitchen towels)
- Cooking – Remove chicken breasts/thighs from fridge & leave it at room temperature for at least 1/2hr. place chicken covered with brine in a sealed oven dish in a 95degC oven for 2.5hrs to reach an internal temp of 65degC, or shorter for 60degC if desired.
- Heat non-stick pan on high heat, add little olive oil to grease pan & turn to medium heat. Place the chicken breasts & thighs 2 at a time skin-down in hot pan. press, hold with hand & move around pan for even temp distribution, fry for 4minutes to get crispy skin. The oil will sputter a bit, turn to low heat after 1 minute. remove chicken breasts/thighs from pan & let them rest for 10 minutes, Serve.
OPS Primary School Classmate 13pax Homecooked Dinner on 9Dec2016
our 8 dinner dishes
OPS primary school friends/buddies came over for a 13pax dinner this evening on 9dec2016. ^^
a friend brought a christmas toy gift – so nice!
a friend brought a christmas toy gift – so nice! daughters will love it. 🙂
first was the usual pumpkin tofu dish prepared by my helper. she fried the cut tofu & roasted the pumpkin the evening before & cut the yellow onions for me.
i dressed the salad with extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar & honey 2 hrs before.
for the rockets, i dressed it just before serving to keep fresh. otherwise will be soggy.
this a dish all my friends like always.
today’s miso cod was the usual good standard, quite consistent. 3 days miso marinade 13mins in 250degC oven. quite straight forward.
i like this dish. the marinade made the cod a bit firmer, still the oily, flaky texture.
taste was wonderful, and the parts near the bones especially nice. i think all my friends liked it.
these were classified as salmon trimmings but these lot was better w/o bones.
it’s a bit potluck.
i had better ones, which had quite a bit of belly, last time on 16.11.2016.
anyway it was a wonderful dish.
nicely grilled (15mins at 250degC), very tasty, & flavourful oily fish belly/trimming.
one friend though doesn’t like salmon – make a note for next time.
this was a large serving, about 800g, all finished. ^^
#4 slow roasted belly pork (photo borrowed from 29.11.2016)
i made the slow roasted belly pork again.
#4 slow roasted belly pork (photo borrowed from 29.11.2016)
dish done & served a bit late. didn’t have time to take photo, so used an old photo.
#4 slow roasted belly pork
quite tasty pork with sauce, but crispy skin was a failure, so had to cut it off. anyhow pork all finished.
a friend doesn’t take beef & doesn’t like chicken thigh.
so i added a dish for her – pan roasted skin on brined chicken breast.
it was ok but i couldn’t grill/brown the skin well. first my ceramic coated non-stick pan was holding the pink sauce for seafood pasta & i was lazy to transfer & wash the pan. but also the breast skin tends to shrink a bit unlike the thigh which is quite taut.
as seen from the photo before the above photo, the chicken was tender & moist, and juicy & quite tasty from the brining, sans the crispy skin. sigh!
i did a seafood (prawn & squid) pasta in pink sauce.
pasta was al dente & sauce had excellent tomato flavour, very tasty with stock from prawn heads & shell.
a nice, delicious pasta everyone liked.
my helper made the prawn & chicken alio olio this evening.
her alio olio usually better than me. this evening it was quite ok, not here best but still delicious.
#8 150day grain fed black angus ribeye
i had 2 pieces of 150day grain fed black angus ribeye, about 300g each.
i made the tagliata di manzo 2 times.
this the favoruite for everyone. very tender, sweet, excellent steak.
for the second steak, a friend helped me arranged the cherry tomatoes & rockets after i rested the steak & sliced it, and dressed the salad for him to arrange.
macadamia cake from amara hotel
a friend brought a very nice macadamia cake
🍰
🎂from amara hotel.
friends brought fruits, durian nonya cake
a friend brought fruits 
🍎
🍐.
another lapis sagu+ durian kuehs 
🍱,
another potty red wine
🍷, & one Christmas toy+present for everyone 
🎄
🎁
another brought bak kua.
everyone had great fun and laughter.
one friend entertain us with his usual standup comedy – chiao ka peng .. ^^
& he even discover a disciple this evening…
all in all very enjoyable evening with good friends for 51years.
c.h.e.f andy
Wine Chicken with Celery – 24th Teban Gardens Community Breakfast on 9Dec2016
did a wine chicken with celery for teban gardens community breakfast this morning on 9.12.2016. ^^
this my 24th friday breakfast community meal 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.
basically i used my chinese wine braised chicken 黄焖鸡 recipe here.
so i debone 2 chicken night before, wake up earlu to marinate the chicken with (best to st aside for 2hrs) –
- 3tbsp fish sauce
- 2tbsp oyster sauce
- 2tbsp corn flour
- 2tbsp sesame oil
- 4tbsp shaoxing chine wine
then very hot wok, fry sliced ginger (4cm), 2 cut chilli padi, then add 2 tsp chopped garlic in 1tbsp oil.
then add chicken, fry (high heat), added another 4 tbsp shaoxing wine & cover (low heat) to cook the chicken.
need about 10mins..then remove chicken pieces except the wings & cook another 10mins & reduce the liquids.
then i placed the chinese wine braised chicken 黄焖鸡 dish in the aluminium carrier.
celery
fry the celery (i used about 14 stems from 2 bunch of celery) separately.
high heat, again cut ginger first then garlic. then add cut celery, fry (high heat) then cover (low heat to cook.
i did not add oyster sauce or fish sauce as there was gravy from wine chicken, which i added.
then i placed the celery on the chinese wine braised chicken 黄焖鸡.
all the reisdents & staff enjoyed the dish.
very tasty & flavourful chicken from the shaoxing wine & sesame oil, and celery was crunchy & sweet.
texture is also very important.
chicken was just cook, very tender, & very smooth.
the 3 key to this dish –
- shaoxing wine & sesame oil for the flavours
- corn flour for the smoothness
- cooking just right for the tenderness
most restaurant & zi char places fail in the smoothness & tenderness as the chicken is mostly overcooked thought the gravy is tasty….eg (say) –
- hua tiao wine chicken at chong qing grilled fish
- claypot sesame chicken at shoon huat bakuteh, taman sentosa, JB
c.h.e.f andy
Day 2 – Pro Ganjang Gejang (프로간장게장) Raw Sauce Crab on 11Nov2016 (Seoul 10-13Nov2016)
Ganjang Gejang (간장게장) raw sauce crab
wife had told me how excellent the korean soy crab was. she knew teochews like me like to eat soy crab & raw cockles.
sinsadong’s ganjang gejang alley is the go to place ganjang gejang (간장게장) soy crab!
these days a bit wary of raw shellfish & seafood & their preparation, so at first i was not too excited, but it is a special delicacy in korea, so decided to try it.
anyhow on the itx train back to seoul after nami island 남이선, we decided to go sinsadong, so took subway line 3 to sinsa station.
wife wanted to walk down garusogil a bit, so we walked there first before proceeding to sinsadong ganjang gejang alley. 🙂
Sinsa-dong’s Ganjang Gejang Alley
there were many ganjang gejang restaurants.
live crabs @ Sinsa-dong’s Ganjang Gejang Alley
and all the live crabs in the tanks.
Pro Ganjang Gejang (프로간장게장) raw sauce crab restaurant
wife brought me to Pro Ganjang Gejang (프로간장게장), the restaurant she came with daughter last time. 🙂
live crabs @ Pro Ganjang Gejang (프로간장게장)
all the live crabs.
Pro Ganjang Gejang (프로간장게장) raw sauce crab restaurant
chinese name for Pro Ganjang Gejang (프로간장게장) = 普乐酱蟹。
Pro Ganjang Gejang (프로간장게장) raw sauce crab restaurant
we were directed to level 2. the restaurant was quite full at 4.45pm.
Pro Ganjang Gejang (프로간장게장) raw sauce crab dinner
we ordered 2 medium crabs. prices were all quite expensive here. i think 2 crabs about 65,000won (like S$78). quite steep leh!
Ganjang Gejang (간장게장) raw sauce crab
but the crab was simply fabulous!
Ganjang Gejang (간장게장) raw sauce crab
meat so sweet, very nice light soy sauce flavour, very tender, delicate.
the flesh came out easily, including the legs. just bite & the meat literally oozes out.
Ganjang Gejang (간장게장) raw sauce crab
& the roe simply amazing!
Ganjang Gejang (간장게장) raw sauce crab
this truly an excellent dish.
for me, the best food i had in korea this trip.
spicy monk fish hotpot
didn’t know what to order. everything was quite expensive.
anyhow we ordered a monkfish hotpot. i think small for 35,000won (S$42).
spicy monk fish hotpot
spicy soup was quite good like most korean hotpot.
the monkfish though so so. texture was quite firm, not so tender & flesh was not so sweet.
i guess hotpot was quite a good complementary dish to the ganjang gejang.
the whole dinner came to about 120,000 won (so about S$144). relatively quite steep price to pay in korea. still it is quite a unique dish, so i will probably still do it when i am in korea next time.
c.h.e.f andy
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Pro Ganjang Gejang (프로간장게장)
Address:
9 Gangnam-daero 97-gil, Jamwon-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Contact:
+82 2-543-4126
Opening Hours:
| daily |
|---|
Day 2 – Mr Dakgalbi 닭갈비at Chuncheon 春川 Nami Island Ferry Point on 11Nov2016 (Seoul 10-13Nov2016)
dakgalbi 닭갈비
after the awesome autumn colours at nami island 남이섬 南怡岛, we were back at the ferry point on Chuncheon 春川.
the next train from gapyeong was 1.30pm. so it was just good time for us to have a dakgalbi 닭갈비 chicken ribs lunch at one of the many dakgalbi restaurants here.
mr dakgalbi 닭갈비at chuncheon 春川 nami island ferry point
we picked mr dakgalbi.
they all felt the same to me.another we walked in earlier charged the same 11,000pax.
mr dakgalbi is next to the ‘Topland’ bungee jump tower in the huge carpark area at the ferry point to depart for nami island. while we were dining, we saw one jumper leaping off the bungee tower.
mr dakgalbi 닭갈비at chuncheon 春川 nami island ferry point
we walked in at 12pm. there were still a few tables. shortly, it got quite crowded.
dakgalbi 닭갈비
we didn’t expect much from a dakgalbi dish.
i think we can all cook chicken thighs or ribs better la…anytime really!
but it’s a famous dish in Chuncheon 春川, so since we were here might as well take it. not expensive anyway. 🙂
dakgalbi 닭갈비
some chicken pieces & cabbage.
did not look like a lot for 2pax but it was enough.
dakgalbi 닭갈비
not much effort or skill required also.
dakgalbi 닭갈비
& any meat, belly or pork steak or chicken, all come out nicely with gochujang.
and there were some korean spicy rice cake (ddeokbokki: 떡볶이). ordinary perhaps, but still a gratifying lunch.
c.h.e.f andy
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Mr Dakgalbi 닭갈비
Address:
477-804 경기 가평군 가평읍 달전리 106-2
Daljeon-ri, Gapyeong-eup, Gapyeong-gun, Gyeonggi-do, Korea (477-804)
Contact:
031-582-2739/ 010-8773-6601
Day 2 – Getting to Nami Island 남이섬 南怡岛 in Chuncheon 春川 on 11Nov2016 (Seoul 10-13Nov2016)
itx train tickets
nami Island 남이선 南怡岛 is one of the destinations popularised by winter sonata 冬季恋歌 2002！
it’s one of the many korean dramas my family watched (still watches). haha!
we went on a korea tour in 2003 & during winter! covering chuncheon 春川, soraksan, sokcho 束草, yongpyong ski resort, when the children were still quite young.
strangely though, i remembered clearly that our korean driver took us to (to be safe especially driving in treacherous winter roads, we had a personal paid english speaking korean driver & MPV to take us for the entire trip) –
Now though nami Island 남이선 南怡岛 is the goto place.
after reading the many good guides on getting to Nami Island 남이선 南怡岛 by several bloggers,
we booked our tickets from yongsan (seoul) to gapyeong (chuncheon) on itx trains(for ourselves staying at hongdae, we find yongsan to be most convenient!).
its quite simple.
go to the link http://www.letskorail.com/ebizbf/EbizBfTicketSearch.do#
enter yongsan & gapyeong in the “Departure/Arrival” boxes,
choose itx-cheongchun in the “Train” dropdown menu,
pick your date & hit “Inquiry” button (they meant Enquiry la…)
be at the ticket window of a korail station early to collect your tickets
be at the ticket window of a korail station early (with passport & reservation confirmation slip) to collect your tickets – like 1/2hr before.
itx train
train was quite comfortable.
on our way back though, we did not make reservation, so had to stand (sit on the floor) almost the entire journey! it was a friday! so look at the timetable & book your return as well.
gapyeong station
we arrived at gapyeong station in chuncheong about 9.30am.
commuter bus stop opposite side of road, gapyeong station
we crossed over the road to take the commuter bus. can’t remember the fare. paid with our T-money card.
tour bus stop outside gapyeong station
the tourist shuttle bus cost 5,000 won. we were taking just one stop to nami island so did not need that.
nami island ferry point shops
there are many dakgalbi (chicken rib) 닭갈비 restaurants at the ferry point carpark area.
we later had lunch at mr dakgalbi. ^^
nami island ferry point shops
but first to get to the ferry to go over to nami island 남이섬 南怡岛.
ferry to nami island 남이섬 南怡岛
on the ferry leaving for ferry to nami island 남이섬 南怡岛
the return adult ferry fare is 8,000won.
view from ferry
view from ferry
view from ferry
view from ferry
arriving at nami island 남이섬 南怡岛
arriving at nami island 남이섬 南怡岛
nami island 남이섬 南怡岛 ferry point
ferry leaving nami island 남이섬 南怡岛
arrived at nami island 남이섬 南怡岛 & took some photo at the ferry point.
nami Island 남이선 南怡岛
nami Island 남이선 南怡岛
they also aspire to be secret garden, one with a hundred maples….
what is merlion in nami Island 남이선 南怡岛?
thye got merlion too? a bit commercialised here…
nami Island 남이선 南怡岛?
nami Island 남이선 南怡岛..
nami island
rest stop for coffee & red bean pastry, nami Island 남이선 南怡岛
a great rest stop, for coffee & more…
queue for red bean fried pastry nami Island 남이선 南怡岛
red bean fried pastry nami Island 남이선 南怡岛
a nice treat, very tasty red beans, not too sweet, & hot & crispy dough….
red bean fried pastry stall nami Island 남이선 南怡岛
red bean fried pastry stall nami Island 남이선 南怡岛
red bean fried pastry nami Island 남이선 南怡岛
fast food factory, can ram up production quite a bit…
red bean fried pastry nami Island 남이선 南怡岛
we bought a second one…it was very nice.
red bean fried pastry stall, nami Island 남이선 南怡岛
see again the fallong leaves…in slow mo…
nami Island 남이선 南怡岛
happy mother nursing sculture, nami Island 남이선 南怡岛
happy mother nursing sculture, nami Island 남이선 南怡岛
like this happy mother nursing sculture…
nami island
nami island
nami island
nami island
another view of this awesome red maple…
sake bottles, nami Island 남이선 南怡岛
sake bottles, nami Island 남이선 南怡岛
sake bottles for the wall…
nami island
we walked to the quiter side of the island.
nami Island 남이선 南怡岛
nami Island 남이선 南怡岛
& along the coastline back towards the ferry point.
nami Island 남이선 南怡岛
nami Island 남이선 南怡岛
nami Island 남이선 南怡岛
what about the ostrich? nami Island 남이선 南怡岛
rows of ostrich toys….
zip wire to nami Island 남이선 南怡岛
you can also take a zip wire to nami Island 남이선 南怡岛.
see the 2 black specks?
zip wire to nami Island 남이선 南怡岛
zip wire to nami Island 남이선 南怡岛
it’s a one directional journey from the tower, then by same ferry as we were taking back.
zip wire nami Island 남이선 南怡岛
back at the ferry point on the mainland.
we checked the itx train schedule…we were in good time for lunch then catch the bus to gapyeong station to take the itx train back to yongsan station in seoul.
c.h.e.f andy
Day 2 – Awesome Autumn Colours on Nami Island 남이섬 南怡岛 in Chuncheon 春川 on 11Nov2016 (Seoul 10-13Nov2016)
how do one begin to describe autumn colours?
nami Island 남이선 南怡岛
nami Island 남이선 南怡岛
nami Island 남이선 南怡岛
nami Island 남이선 南怡岛
nami Island 남이선 南怡岛
nami Island 남이선 南怡岛
nami Island 남이선 南怡岛
we were hoping to catch the tail end of autumn splendour in this seoul trip.
at nami Island 남이선 南怡岛, we were rewarded with the embrace of autumn everywhere we turn.
nami Island 남이선 南怡岛
nami Island 남이선 南怡岛
nami Island 남이선 南怡岛
nami Island 남이선 南怡岛
nami Island 남이선 南怡岛
nami Island 남이선 南怡岛
red bean fried pastry stall, nami Island 남이선 南怡岛
a nice coffee break..
red bean fried pastry nami Island 남이선 南怡岛
& a warm red bean fried pastry to warm the stomach…
autumn leaves
autumn leaves
amidst fallen leaves, falling leaves….
秋的气息
the chilly air,the awesome colours all round, the falling leaves…
nami Island 남이선 南怡岛
nami Island 남이선 南怡岛
nami Island 남이선 南怡岛
nami Island 남이선 南怡岛
nami Island 남이선 南怡岛
nami Island 남이선 南怡岛
nami Island 남이선 南怡岛
秋色离靡
endless embrace of autumn everywhere you turn.
nami Island 남이선 南怡岛
a red maple in all its splendour…
nami Island 남이선 南怡岛
nami Island 남이선 南怡岛
nami Island 남이선 南怡岛
nami Island 남이선 南怡岛
nami Island 남이선 南怡岛
nami Island 남이선 南怡岛
nami Island 남이선 南怡岛
nami Island 남이선 南怡岛
nami Island 남이선 南怡岛
nami Island 남이선 南怡岛
all the ginkyo leaves…
nami Island 남이선 南怡岛
nami Island 남이선 南怡岛
we walked along the further quieter side of the island, far from the usual crowd…
nami Island 남이선 南怡岛
nami Island 남이선 南怡岛
nami Island 남이선 南怡岛
nami Island 남이선 南怡岛
a delightful stroll.
calm, peaceful, everything in its rightful place.
c.h.e.f andy
S$5 Fish + Wings @ Adam’s Nasi Lemak, Adam Road Food Centre on 8Dec2016
S$5 fish + wings = 4 ikan kuning, 1 chicken wing, 1 egg, ikan bilis, kachang
passing by adam road food centre, decided to pick up some nais lemak, 9.50am on thursday, 8.12.2016. ^^
S$5 fish + wings = 4 ikan kuning, 1 chicken wing, 1 egg, ikan bilis, kachang
there was this S$5 fish + wing.
i asked makcik “2 fish”? she said “don’t worry i give you more”.
anyway, 4 ikan kuning, 1 chicken wing, 1 egg, ikan bilis, kachang = that’s what i got for S$5….
4 ikan kuning (albeit 2 smaller ones) a bit of overkill, but i “ngiau” so more ikan, merrier la…
S$5 fish + wings = 4 ikan kuning, 1 chicken wing, 1 egg, ikan bilis, kachang
i bought 2 packets.
but today, taste-wise so-so leh.
2 larger ikan kuning quite tasteless. 2 smaller ones quite nice especially with chilli…i think my helper can do better la..
the chicken wing ok but again my helper can do better la…i can can also do better…
chilli & fragrant rice always good, and ikan bilis & kachang also so.
cannot be too picky la..for S$5..
son likes the second stall, selara rasa, which is a lot more popular & forever longer queue.
i like that selara also la, just not enough to queue long long…
c.h.e.f andy
+++++++++++++++++++++++
- ADMA’S NASI LEMAK
- ADDRESS
- #01-01 Adam Road Food Centre, 2 Adam Road, 289876
- OPENING HOURS
- Mon: 08:00 – 14:00
Wed – Sun: 08:00 – 14:00
Closed: Tue
Durians, Bakuteh, Old Town White Coffee Original Cendol = an afternoon with Good Friend on 6Dec2016
D13 durians from sin kian choon tiong bahru
3 of us (OPS primary school buddies) decided to meet for durians.
one friend went to sin kian choon at tiong bahru to get the durians.
as the durians arrived about 1.30pm, we decided to meet at another friend’s place at 2pm on 6.12.2016.^^
D13 durians from sin kian choon tiong bahru
our friend bought 3 fruits, 5kg of D13 durians. it was quite a lot of durians for 3pax but knowing us, where got problem to sapu all right? piece of durian la…
D13 durians from sin kian choon tiong bahru
we always like D13. MSW has come down to S$15/kg but we didn’t get this time.
D13 was sweet, fragrant. 2 of the fruits were tastier, one was plainer, bit 淡.
very enjoyable for us, of course not quite the best D13 we had previously. still, good enough la…
bakuteh spices
we were tired of going out, so decided to just cook bakuteh at the friend’s place & try out a new packet of bkt spices (the teochew bkt spice on the right).
bakuteh
bakuteh is the easiest thing to make. close eyes oso can do la…
bakuteh
my friend had the really good fresh monstrous indonesian 龙骨 long prime ribs (T-rex…lol!) from his usual wet market supplier.
i brought 2 packet of the teochew spices (instruction says 500g 1 packet). the ribs were >1kg so we added 2 packets.
we cooked 10mins longer than my usual 45-50mins! but actually the ribs were still slightly tough, though we still walloped 3 pieces each (2 long & one short so maybe 2.5).
later my friend cooked another 15mins for his mom & family, and he said the ribs texture were softer & soup also tasted better.
bakuteh
i actually like a texture that is firmer & has more bite & not falling apart. but in this case, post testing afterwards, we know now that these ribs needed about 1hr 10-15mins.
for the soup, this was also very tasty, and one friend prefers this teochew bkt spices.
my friend’s prime ribs were the far superior fresh ribs. i just use frozen prime ribs from sheng shiong.
old town white coffee original cendol
after durians & bkt, one friend said he wanted cendol, later cannot sleep if don’t eat that. lol!^^
it’s quite true really, jokes aside!
want to do something, just do it lor….
the haig road food centre was closed. we walked over to onekm & found the old town white coffee place which serves original cendol.
old town white coffee original cendol
it was pretty good!
lemak coconut milk, good gula melaka, sweet red beans. at S$3.90++
for me still no comparison to four seasons cendol, more flavourful gula melaka, intense coconut milk, & kidney beans which one class above red beans la…
c.h.e.f andy
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Old Town White Coffee
Address:
11 Tanjong Katong Rd, B1-K26/K27 One KM, OneKM, Singapore 436950
Located in: One KM
Contact:
6702 4044
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Simple, Great 3pax Home Dinner on 4Dec2016
pangrilled 400 day australian wagyu MBS 3/4
wife away youngest daughter flying off this evening. her boyfriend sending her to airport.
we decided to have 3pax home dinner on sunday 4.12.2016.
i still have 2 pieces of 400 day australian wagyu MBS 3/4 from qbfood in the freezer, so defrosted one piece about 300g.
pangrilled 400 day australian wagyu MBS 3/4
did my usual pangrilled tagliata. 🙂
very hot pan, a bit of butter, season with sea salt & coarse black pepper, char in pan, move around pan for even heat distribution, flip over & char the other side…finger test to get medium rare (actually just agak-logy for me la..)..then rest meat for 5mins…
& what a beautiful piece of wagyu…flavourful sweet tender…
as i said, this was so much superior to the grass fed ribeye at momor izakaya, but of course NOT apple with apple…that was S$38. my piece would be like S$25, but then it was far far better.
seafood spaghetti in pink sauce 1.12.2016
i did the usual seafood pasta in pink sauce.
photo above i did on 1.12.2016. that was the best, so tasty the sauce, sotong, prawns & pasta!
prawns & sotong for seafood spaghetti
i cut 1 large sotong & 6 pieces large prawns (basically whatever i had in the freezer). some of the quite large prawns i sliced in 1/2. marinated with fish sauce & white pepper.
pink sauce
i made the pink sauce with 1/2 bottle prego traditional sauce, 1/2 can whole peeled canned tomatoes, 1/2 bottle (150ml) thickened cream. had 1 whole bulb of garlic cloves in olive oil with chilli padi & basil before adding the sauce. & i added 1 cup of prawn stock & reduced.
250g spaghetti
boiled 1/2 packet=250g spaghetti, just below al dente.
seafood spaghetti in pink sauce 1.12.2016
cook prawns first then add sotong, make sure both are cooked but not overcooked, then add pasta, off fire & toss.
my was just right, but can add salt to taste as required. add parmesan cheese & basil to garnish. voila!
seafood spaghetti in pink sauce 4.12.2016
the one i did on 1.12.2016 was the best la…
seafood spaghetti in pink sauce 4.12.2016
the one i did today was pretty good too, nearly as good.
c.h.e.f andy
Can’t Make It S$3 Market Prawn Noodles Dry @ Ah Meng Delicious Food on 5Dec2016
S$3 prawn noodles dry
went to blk 353 clementi ave 2 food centre to get a phone card, but shop was closed today monday on 5.12.2016.
ah meng delicious food
there was this ah meng delicious food stall selling big prawn noodles, fried hokkien mee & char kuay teow.
it was 8.50pm & they were closing, there are 4 other customers waiting for their food, makan there & tapao.
S$3 prawn noodles dry
i thought i gave the prwan noodle a try. ordered S$3 beehoon noodles dry.
3 small prawns, some fish cakes, sliced porl.
but mainly the soup & chilli cannot make it!
soup, thin some taste but not smooth no deep flavours. my own prawn stock just for cooking would beat this…
S$3 prawn noodles dry
chilli is such an important ingredient!
this one totally non descript, no taste no fragrance…
S$3 prawn noodles dry
i think even for a market stall, this prawn noodles still tak boleh la…
S$3 prawn noodles dry
i finished less than 1/2. anyway i bought it just to try no need to finish.
it was quite far from adam road noo cheng prawn noodles standard.
this ah meng delicious food seems to have some regular customers from the nearby blocks. maybe the fried hokkien noodles is good?? certainly the prawn noodles cannot pass!
c.h.e.f andy
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Ah Meng Delicious Food
Address:
blk 353 clementi ave 2 market & food centre, #01-67
A Simple, Nice 3pax Home Dinner with my OPS Buddies on 2Dec2016
my 2 close OPS primary school buddies came over for dinner on 2.12.2016.
it’s an impromptu dinner. i whatsapped them in the morning, & we decided to have 3pax home dinner.
i did not go out to do marketing, just used whatever i had in the fridge, so just 家常便饭.
i had some frozen pork prime ribs. sheng shiong about 500g, not quite enough, so i added some from qbfoods.
i washed them with salt & scalded them to remove scum & clean thoroughly. then just added them with a whole bulb of peeled garlic cloves with “ilc bakuteh spice packet” in 1.5 litre water & cooked for 50mins.
& the simple dish was so delightful.
my friends were surprise how sweet & tasty the soup was, and quite natural meat sweetness. nothing else added, just ilc spice packet + garlic + pork ribs.
& the frozen prime ribs were very good too. granted cannot compare with fresh pork ribs, but for me the prime cut is more important, so a frozen prime ris with some fat better than fresh spare ribs for me…
recently i ate twice at tuan yuan bakuteh. it was very good.
one bowl = S$9. whereas i had nearly 1kg for S$9. of course not as good, but almost leh…
my fish head was so very good! ^^
the black bean paste was excellent. my friend said better than the chinatown shops. i quite agree actually. it was as good as most song fish head places out there.
again it was quite easy to do.
i had two frozen 1/2 song fish head in the freezer. so i took out one & washed with salt thoroughly.
then i made the black bean sauce paste-
- 3 tbsp flat lee kum kee spicy black bean sauce
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp olive oil (or vegetable oil)
- 2 tbsp mirin (optional)
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp flat sugar
- 1 tbsp flat corn flour
heat a bit once paste starts to coagulate off fire.
i added cut spring onions & chilli padi, and steamed for 13mins. added some longer cut spring onions when almost done.
garlic fried kang kong
to balance the meat dishes, i fried a kang kong.
salted fish fried celery
& i had some leftover celery, the more tender shoots inside.
i fried with salted fish, like my sis always do.
both vegetables were quite good la…celery was crunchy, tasty, nice salted fish flavours. kang kong was very good too.
a simple dinner for 3pax, no much preparation or effort required.
c.h.e.f andy
Wonderful 5pax Family Dinner @ Momor Izakaya on 30Nov2016
wed ladies night S$2 oysters
wife been buying dinners lately. i oso bought quite a few la…^^
there is this momor izakaya she & the children had been to which has this free lobster promotion. she was going away for 11days for a mission trip & wanted me to try before the promotion ended.
so we had a wonderful 5pax dinner at momor izakaya on 30.11.2016. ^^
mussels with garlic toast
a japanese izakaya with more modern european food. anyway japanese does all the french & italain food very well & french desserts too.
wed ladies night S$2 oysters
it was ladies night on wed. wife & 2 daughters had their free 1st drink cocktails. i tasted pretty good.
so we ordered the max 3 oysters ea for 3 ladies = total 9 oysters.
yuzu jelly to complement shucked oysters
oysters were good. & came with yuzu jelly, nice citrus condiment.
wed ladies night S$2 oysters with yuzu jelly
very enjoyable, wouldn’t mind more but this S$2 special limited.
excellent pork jowl
pork jowl was among the best dishes for me this evening!
really so good, so tender & smooth & flavourful, will order 2 next time. 🙂
mussels pot with garlic toast
wife liked the mussel pot a lot.
mussels pot
& it was very good.
mussels were the small french ones & very tender & sweet, not the large local ones. i asked & server said about 500g for the serving. i think about S$34.
mussels pot with garlic toast
the gravy or almost like a very tasty veloute (soup) was excellent.
it didn’t wow me as much though as i thought it was very competent but not special, certainly i have had this before equally good in other places.
ika sugatayaki – grilled whole squid – really good!
the ika sugatayaki (definitely japanese) wowed me a lot though.
it was really very good. the excellent flavours with bbq, slight sweet & great texture.
wonder how i can do this.
grilled cauliflower
grilled cauliflower always very good in many places including indian restaurants. a great complement to the savoury dishes.
grilled grass fed ribeye
my youngest daughter was greatly enamoured by the australian grass fed ribeye.
for me it was quite mediocre la! so on this dish our opinions vary widely.
grilled grass fed ribeye
the cooking, grilling, beef sauce condiments, salad all great, but the quality of beef was mediocre, so it was tough, has residue (connective issues) & way below any good beef.
grilled grass fed ribeye
any of my tagliata would be far better than this…
of course i used mostly 150day grain fed balck angus ribeye, sometimes 400day grain fed wagyu 3/4 or 6/7.
but even my grass fed black angus ribeye is better. black angus quality of meat quite different la…
so for me, this dish ranked second from bottom after the cauliflower, not including dessert. of course i am talking here about ranking among all great dishes!
crabmeat linguine
crebmeat linguine for me a competent dish, no more…
i have had equally good if not better crab linguine or other good wine sauce or creamy pastas in other restaurants, even say a place like alfresco gusto.
crabmeat linguine
so this was ok but not overly impressive for me.
wife liked it a lot, so manybe i should try it again. a lot of crabmeat & good canned crabmeat very ex.
carbonara
the carbonara was very good. it’s not among our preferred pastas so we seldom order this.
so in a way this impressed though as a pasta dish it was not better than the crabmeat linguine which i still prefer.
complimentary grilled mentaiko lobster
& here it is the complimentary grilled mentaiko pasta.
it was very good! the grilling was very well done, lobster meat cooked just right, not overdone, bouncy, plump & tasty.
complimentary griled mentaiko lobster
reminded me of ash & elm’s lobster.
ash & elm’s of course better, fine dining standard la…
creme caramel with ice cream
wife & i not much into desserts, but this evening she fancied the creme caramel with ice cream. daughter said becos there was liquor in it. lol! ^^
for me the lobster, pork jowl & ika sugatayaki were the best dishes!
the oysters, mussels, crabmeat linguine were good too…
dinner still came to about S$350 i think for 5pax, including a sake wife ordered. the place not cheap la…but maybe ok if go for food only.
anyway, a very enjoyable family dinner. 🙂
c.h.e.f andy
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Momor Izakaya
Address:
#B1-01, 56 Tanglin Rd, Singapore 247964
Contact:
+65 6463 8080
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Delicious RI VSOP (Very Special Old Pals) Makan Besar on 29Nov2016
makan besar
had a 16pax RI friends VSOP (Very Special Old Pals) makan besar on 29.11.2016. ^^
so i did most of them but for a larger group of 16pax insteand of 10pax.
a friend made the miso white fish, so i skipped my nobu miso cod, and added a teriyaki salmon belly.
another friend made an excellent fruit salad with chantily cream so i skipped my chocolate banana cake.
& i added also braised oxtail, a new recipe i experimented once after the recent FGS dinner where my friend’s helper made a kickass oxtail stew, which was very good indeed!
#1 pumpkin tofu salad
my helper made the usual pumpkin tofu salad.
i marinated with extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar & honey 2hrs before. when serving i marinated the rockets & added to the salad.
#1 smoked duck from phoon huat delicatessen
had a good experience with phoon huat delicatessen’s smoked duck, so save the trouble of doing my own tea smoked duck breast.
#2 miso white fish
my friend was thrilled with my nobu miso cod at the recent FGS dinner.
he decided to experiment with the recipe. he also prepared some sauce that he drizzled over. i was busy so forgot what he told me. will check with him next time.
the miso white fish was firm & tasty. for me, while i like the texture of cod better & also a stronger miso taste, this white fish was good. 🙂
i did a teriyaki salmon belly.
nice flavours, especially with the fatty belly pieces. very tasty.
this time though, the 2x500g packets i bought from phoon huat delicatessen had more bones than belly. & i went to giant & sheng shiong to check, but there was nothing better.
crackling skin was very good during the recent FGS dinner.
& today when i tasted hot from the oven, it was also crackling.
but unfortunately a few hours later when serving, that crackling skin did not turn up today. skin was tough, not edible la.
anyway pork was still very tasty & all finished. 🙂
my friend’s filipino helper made an excellent oxtail stew at the recent FGS charity dinner.
today, i had 2 packets about 2.5kg from phoon huat delicatessen.
i think this was the favourite dish by far for all my friends.
it was very tasty. i like it very much myself.
meat was tender, great texture, gravy was smooth & deep-flavoured, a really wonderful dish.
i did 2 pastas, a seafood alio olio, & a prawn pasta in pink sauce.
most friends i asked liked the alio olio better.
olio was pretty tasty, still not as good as what my helper can make. as i told my friends, it was more for fun & a challenge that i did it myself rather than asked her to do.
i made a tagliata di manzo. this was an excellent cut – 150day grain fed anugus ribeye.
tagliata has been a favoruite in all my dinners & also at the recent FGS Charity Dinner. no exception this evening.^^
we had 2 pieces of 300g each. i served the dish 2 times. beef was very sweet & tender & great taken with the cherry tomatoes & rockets with olive oil, balsamic.
#9 excellent fruit salad with chantily cream
& a friend brought an excellent fruit salad with chantily cream.
#9 fruit salad
very refreshing fruit salad.
excellent chantily cream
the cream was out of this world, so supremely good. best i had la!
later we took it with 2 very nice ice creams – a chocolate nut & a red velvet ice cream. ^^
junmai sake 纯米
my friends brought a lot of stuff leh…
flavoured sake
- we had junmai sake + melon & strawberry flavoured sake
- 2 moscatos
- a white
- a red
- the nice red velvet & chocolate nuts ice cream
- & organic longan
we had a wonderful makan, old pals special friends, great food, drinks, dessert & fruit, & a splendid evening chatting & sharing, not to say listening to american politics.
c.h.e.f andy
Still Good Sungei Road Laksa S$3 + S$1 extra Cockles on 1Dec2016
sungei road laksa S$3 + S$1 extra cockles
was on the way home along jln besar after a-
- nice lunch treat at 祥源记xiang yuan ji; followed by
- expensive flat white & hot chocolate coffee treat at CSHH Coffee Bar.
by my OPS primary school buddies.
sungei road laksa S$3
passing jln berseh food centre, last minute, decided to turn in kelantan lane & passed by the sungei road laksa stall at jln berseh.
carpark was full at 3pm, but i managed to park along the roadside, also jln berseh.
laksa is now S$3. I asked for extra cockles, now S$1, so total is S$4.
sungei road laksa S$3
there was not much queue, so 2 pax ahead of me.
gourmet street
the place is named gourmet street. quite bright & airy, and the ngoh hiang stall next to the laksa looked quite good. maybe try next time if coming here with friends.
sungei road laksa S$3 + S$1 extra cockles
the laksa still good, still lemak & tasty. the extra cockles were quite a fair bit, & they were large & plump.
on my FB, i recorded-
On the way home I decided to stop by for sungei road laksa $3+$1 extra cockles
Ok but just don’t have the shiok factor like ah heng curry chicken noodles…not as shiok as the 生煎包lunch
so maybe i am less attracted to the dish nowadays la…
c.h.e.f andy
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Sungei Road Laksa
Address:
Blk 27 Jalan Berseh #01-100, Singapore 200027
Contact:
Opening Hours:
| daily (closed wed) |
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Great Coffee Expensive Hot Chocolate @ CSHH Coffee Bar on 1Dec2016
flat white & hot chocolates
after 祥源记xiang yuan ji, we decided to walk over to chye seng huat – CSHH Coffee Bar for a cuppa. ^^
another of my OPS primary school buddy boguth coffee.
i had a flat white. it was good as expected, very strong & good flavour coffee & velvety smooth.
& my 2 friends had the S$6.50 expensive hot chocolate.
CSHH Coffee Bar
this was the hardware stall turned coffee bar which my daughter introduced 2 years back.
CSHH Coffee Bar
CSHH Coffee Bar
CSHH Coffee Bar
this place quite busy.
the interior was a nice chill-out ambience. at 2.15pm there were quite many customers but not full & we sat at the back wall with a ledge & tall stools.
CSHH Coffee Bar prices
hot chocolate S$6.50
prices not cheap.
my small cup flat white i think was S$5.50, & the hot chocolate was really expensive at S$6.50. something anyone can make at home.
cakes & pastry
cakes & pastry
they sell decent looking pastries but we just had a good lunch & didn’t need the cakes.
nice place, ambience, crowd & nice coffee. if it is taking hot chocolate better have milo at coffeeshop la…lol! 🙂
c.h.e.f andy
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
CSHH Coffee Bar
Address:
150 Tyrwhitt Rd, Singapore 207563
Contact:
6299 4321
Opening Hours:
| daily (closed monday) |
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Great 3pax Lunch @ 祥源记Xiang Yuan Ji on 1 Dec2016
生煎包 S$5
my OPS primary school buddy bought lunch at 祥源记xiang yuan ji 405 jln besar on 1.12.2016.^^
祥源记xiang yuan ji
祥源记xiang yuan ji
we were there at 1pm.
we heard a chinese customer at the next table saying the food here more 道地authentic than in china!
haha oxymoron maybe! but guess that means it is really good la…
祥源记xiang yuan ji – menu
the card menu. very few items, basically both sides of the card.
生煎包 S$5
the 生煎包 the best i have eaten (i haven’t eaten many though…lol!)
there’s a lot of soup inside, & very very tasty soup (better than many xiaolongbao), so eaten like xiaolongbao, just bite a hole & suck.
the pork filling very tasty & the dough not too thick & great texture & taste.
have to say it’s very very good 生煎包!
咸豆腐花savoury bean curd dish S$4.50
& the 咸豆腐花savoury bean curd dish, was impressive too.
the bean curd is smooth, but the savoury sauce is what made it tick…
拌三丝 3 veg salad S$4
the 拌三丝 which looked like carrots, cucumber & 百叶 fried gluten puff.
spring rolls S$4.50
the spring rolls was quite excellent.
unlike usual spring rolls which are quite packed, these ones quite empty in the crispy shell, yet very tasty.
breaded pork chop S$6.50
the breaded pork chop like any good hainanese pork chop, as good as loo’s curry.
breaded pork chop S$6.50
quite unusual really, anyway it was very good.
curry beef tanhoon S$6.50
the curry beef tanhoon a dish i can pass.
but really quite worthwhile trying for first time.
curry beef tanhoon S$6.50
not that it was not good.
in fact it was more than competent, quite a nice dish actually.
maybe the best way to characterise it is that it is a very good curry beef tanhoon dish, just not my kind of dish.
must say the beef (i think just 3 pieces) was excellent. very very tender..i think better than most taiwan braised beef noodles.
the soup is ok, not the style we are used too. would prefer the intense kambing soup.
祥源记xiang yuan ji bill
lunch was S$38 for 3pax.
we all enjoyed it thoroughly.
c.h.e.f andy
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
祥源记生煎包xiang yuan ji
Address:
405 Jln Besar, Singapore 209011
Contact：
6291 1101
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c.h.e.f 