Monthly Archives: April 2017

Delicious Homecooked 8pax Dinner For My Friends on 24Apr2017

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8pax homeooked dinner dishes

made 8 homecooked dishes for my friends, a 8pax dinner on 25.4.2017. ^^

not met up with these friend for a while.

wife joined dinner, & son is back from London, so he joined dinner also this evening. 🙂

it’s the same HK daipaidong dishes (and indeed JB & singapore zi char dishes) i made for my RI buddies 10pax dinner recently on 13.3.2017. ^^

(my friends brought nice shuu dessert puffs with 4 flavours-macha, coffe, black sesame, cream;  nonya kueh NOT cakes😜; wine, gimson sauce etc…)

8pax homeooked dinner dishes

the 8 dishes were –

1 Singapore claypot chicken rice
2 HK claypot rice 腊味煲仔饭
3 JB shoon huat claypot wine chicken
4 HK minsheng daipaidong 民声冰室 steamed minced pork in light soy sauce
5 steamed angkorli (seabream) fillet with Jeanette’s gimson sauce
6 steamed pork soft bones
7 zai shun’s egg bittegourd with minced salted egg
8 fried leek with onions

today’s claypot rice was still as good.

wife, son, all the friends liked it.

though as i told them i made a mistake & emptied the marinated wine chicken into the claypot by mistake & had to rescue a bit. haha! :-p

still very tasty, smokey, flavourful la!

the HK claypot rice 腊味煲仔饭 was also good. this time my friends thought the Singapore claypot rice was more flavourful, so 2 against one now, with my RI buddies going for the Singapore claypot rice & my OPS buddies the HK claypot rice.

the steamed minced pork in light soy sauce was again very good.

though i used more fatty minced pork, it was very smooth & very “pang” with top quality light soy sauce.

my friend who brought me again the gimson nonya sauce from JB, liked it especially.

the claypot wine chicken i overcooked a bit this evening, so the chicken breast was not perfect like last time. the thighs etc were still very tender & tasty. my friends liked this dish too.

certainly more tender than Shoon Huat’s & most other such dishes in restaurants which tended to be “old” & more tough.

the nonya steamed angkorli (sea bream) fillet  i used the gimson sauce my friend bought me.

it was more unique than the usual hong kong steamed preparation with the nonya flavour giving it a tangy, distinct flavour.

today though the pork soft bones were very far from perfect.

perfect last time as the meat was very tender from 1 hr 20mins steaming like the steamed pork ribs in any dimsum restaurants.

today though the pork soft bones were “soh”, has a very porky smell. friends said tasted like beef.

these were frozen ribs from QB Food, had always been good previously, and just taken out of the freezer.

the only step i missed was washing, cleaning with salt as my helper blanched it & i didn’t tell her to do this step before blanching.

today my minced salted egg with the egg bittergourd was almost perfect though.

the ast time i did for my brother i added 1/2 egg, and the flabour did not come out.

this time i added the whole salted egg, and the flavour was very good indeed.

this the second time i did this dish, so almost got it right now.

fried leeks & onions

fried leek & onions were ok, the usual, but this dish usually not so popular.

fried leeks & onions

leek something that teochew like my sis & me like, but my wife doesn;t like it & many people do not fancy it much.

nice shuu dessert puffs

nice shuu dessert puffs

nice shuu dessert puffs

nice shuu dessert puffs

a friend borught very nice shuu cream puffs.

there were  flavours – macha, black sesame, coffee & vanilla.

i liked the macha & coffee best…these were light puffs, quite pleasant.

nonya kueh

another friend who last minute could not joined dinner, brought some nonya cake & came after dinner. i missed the lapis sagu, but took couple of the others.

very fun dinner with this group of friends which i don’t meet often.

will do another dinner, a western dinner later when i back from my travel…

c.h.e.f andy

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Delightful Dinner with Son @ La Brezza St Regis on 22Apr2017

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lobster tagliolini S$63

son is back for a 6 weeks elective program.

wife has a get-together with some friends, so we sent her then went to labrezza @ st regis for some nice dinner on 22.4.2017. ^^

la brezza @ st regi

this evening the place was full, so they opened up the glass partition, and son & i sat outside at the poolside. 🙂

la brezza @ st regi

quite a delightful ambience.

extra virgin olive oil & balsamic

it is a new young chef, chef armando & a new menu since 3mar2017 or something.

but they are still keeping the excellent extra virgin olive oil & balsamic. seems that everyone like the balsamic, according to our friendly server jannie.

bread + extra virgin olive oil & balsamic

we had breadsticks (not for me), focaccia & baguette.

son asked for a second serving of focaccia. it was nice but cold. it is easy to just warm up the bread, wonder why la brezza does not do such a simple easy step!

angus striploin & lobster tagliolini

son did not want too much carbs & too much food.

so we just ordered the angus striploin & lobster tagliolini on the ala carte menu.

angus striploin S$58

i like the old menu better, especially the price. haha! 🙂

the previous 300g angus ribeye was just S$42. now a poorer cut striploin & it was S$58!

the striploin, recommended medium rare, was very good actually, but it’s always not going to be as good as a ribeye. the grilled green pepper, and some tomato salsa & soil were nice complement to the steak.

for comparison, this would now be inferior to prime portico USDA choice grain-fed ribeye, which is S$46 (same amex discounts).

lobster tagliolini S$63

the same lobster tagliolini was S$51 just 2 months back. 

now it is S$63!

lobster tagliolini S$63

the lobster tagliolini was good, very competent.

my daughters thought previously that the pasta was not as good as the crayfish pasta my wife made.

i do agree too, but still it was very good competent pasta dish, and of course the lobster was quite excellent.

a 600g live lobster cost me S$35 from sheng shiong so this was mighty ok la…

lobster tagliolini S$63

i asked the server to add coarse black pepper & also grated parmesan cheese.

i think it was still a very good, delightful pasta dish, though it was quite plain tasting & not intense.

dinner for 2pax for 2 dishes came to S$78nett after 50% amex lovedining discounts, quite ok la, even though like 20% higher price than 2 months before.

c.h.e.f andy

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

Labrezza @ St Regis
Address:
29 Tanglin Road, The St. Regis Singapore, Level 2, 247911
Contact:
labrezzarestaurant.com
6506 6884
Opening Hours:
daily
  • 12–3PM
  • 7-10PM

Wife’s Fabulous Yong Tau Foo & Mined Pork Noodles on 19Apr2017

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yong tau foo

my eldest daughter like yong tau foo. in recent times we get to eat more of this dish. wife buys yong tau foo from the first stall at the basement next to the lift at chinatown market, so we strated cooking ytf at home.

the ytf items are fresher & have more generous, plump fish meat filling, and generally are much better than most at ytf hawker stalls.

my helper uses yellow beans & ikan bilis to prepare the soup. so the soup standard also comparable with ytf hawker stalls outside.

minced pork noodle

my helper also does an awesome minced pork noodles.

this minced pork is done with some prawns & sliced mushrooms & oyster sauce, and she also has tau gay to add to the stringy hong kong noodles.

this minced pork is quite excellent taken on its own, and about perfect with the tasty ytf. ^^

yong tau foo

wife went to chinatown the day before, so we had quite a lot of yong tau foo for dinner this evening on 19.4.2017. ^^

yong tau foo 

they were all nice.

there was one we like with with pig skin covering the fish meat filling, and all the usual with tau pok & bean curd skin,

the fishballs though were not the best.

yong tau foo 

the piece at the bottom (above photo) had cabbage wrapped inside. quite interesting too ya. 🙂

minced pork noodle, with mushrooms, prawns 

the minced pork topping was very good.

uhakka’s minced pork noodles yong tau foo釀豆腐 

there are a few ytf stalls that do minced pork noodles.

so  far the best ytf  i had was at u hakka ytf at circuit road food centre, which a good friend brought us a year back on 24.2.2016. time flies!

that’s a stall i would like to go back.

noodles, with a dash of oyster sauce 

my helper’s noodles were quite perfect, totally qq & stringy, al dente.

minced pork noodle 

& the toppings were generous.

minced pork noodle 

i took a bit less noodles. with lots of tau gay….

minced pork noodle

& the combination made a very good noodle dish all by its own.

this evening i also bought some manila clams from sheng shiong earlier, so i made wok fried manila clams. lagi shiok la!

c.h.e.f andy

Recipe = Wok Fried Manila Clams 香锅炒蛤蜊 on 19Apr2017

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wok fried manila clams

i have not cooked manila clams for a while.

checking the last time i made a post, i did quite good ones 1.5yrs back in oct2015.

this morning i was at sheng shiong & decided to buy about 700g manila clams. the price was i think S$10.90/kg, some discounts from the usual S$13.90/kg. it was still double the price of chinatown wet market, which is about S$6/kg.

so this evenin gi made wok fried manila clams on 19.4.2017. ^^

wok fried manila clams

today my wife & daughters all said it was very good, the best i made so far.

and indeed it was quite superb. i think better than most zi char. the photos do tell.

the texture was perfect. clams were very fresh & sweet, cooked just right. & the sauce was also perfect.

wok fried manila clams

i cleaned the clams quite thoroughly, first leaving in clean water with ice to chill.

it does get dirty after several hours, so when i was about to cook the clams, i took out the clams & poured away the water then washed the clams couple times, removing the clams to a colander & pouring away the water.

the last bit i washed the clams with salt, and unfailingly the clams looked very fresh & clean & sparkling.

i left it in the strainer/colander, set aside while i cut chilli padi, ginger, red onion, fresh orange peel.

i put about 1 tbsp (15g) butter in the pan, added chilli padi, ginger, red onion, 1.5 stalks of curry leaves, orange peel, fried till fragrant, then added 1 tbsp chopped garlic.

then i added the clams, 1 tbsp oyster sauce, turn fire to high, and cover to cook the clams.

the clams opened up quite quickly as the wokpan steamed up, and then it was ready to serve. the whole process was like maybe 3mins. voila!

wok fried manila clams

& the clams was as wonderfully tasting as it was glorious to look at. ^^

c.h.e.f andy

Ingredients:

  • 700g live manila clams
  • 1tbsp oyster sauce
  • 1 -2 cut chilli padi
  • 1 whole sliced medium red onions.
  • sliced orange peel from 1/4 orange
  • 1.5 stalks curry leaves (about 30 leaves)
  • 3cm sliced ginger
  • 1 tbsp chopped garlic
  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter (15g)

Directions:

  1. clean thoroughly = leave in clean water with ice to chill. when about to cook clams, remove clams clams to colander, pour away water, wash clams well couple times. repeat. last bit, wash clams with salt. unfailingly the clams will look very fresh & clean & sparkling.
  2. set aside. cut chilli padi, ginger, red onion, fresh orange peel.
  3. add 1 tbsp (15g) butter in wokpan. add chilli padi, ginger, red onion, 1.5 stalks of curry leaves, orange peel. fry till fragrant. add chopped garlic.
  4. then add clams, oyster sauce, turn fire to high, and cover to cook clams.
  5. the clams will open up quite quickly as the wokpan steams up, and then it is ready to serve. the whole process like maybe 3mins. voila!

 

Nonya Steamed Angkorli (Sea Bream) Fillet with Cloud Fungus – 33rd Teban Gardens Community Breakfast on 21Apr2017

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nonya steamed angkorli fillet

i did nonya steamed angkorli (sea bream) fillet with cloud fungus for teban gardens community breakfast this morning on 21.4.2017. ^^

this my 33rd 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.

teban gardens community service centre

recently, the residents coming for this friday community breakfast have been increasing.

the staff keeping attendance told me the high was 119 in a recent week. 🙂

teban gardens community service centre

today, the sky opened up & there was a huge downpour.

i had to reroute by commonwealth avenue west to jurong town hall road as i expected AYE to be jammed, when there was such heavy downpour.

teban gardens community service centre

i still got to teban gardens before 8.45am.

today the crowd was thinner but it looked to be close to 100 still. 🙂

nonya steamed angkorli fillet

my steamed angkorli dish today was the same preparation as what i did a fortnight ago.

gimson nonya sauce

except that i added gimson nonya sauce to the fish. ^^

that gave the dish an added tangy nonya sauce flavour.

the staff & residents all liked it.

nonya steamed angkorli fillet (before steaming)

sheng shiong was still having promotion, but instead of S$6.60/kg, it was S$7.50/kg.

i bought 2 larger fish >3kg, and got the fishmonger to fillet the fish.

in total i estimated about 1.8kg of fillet for today to serve about 100pax.

nonya steamed angkorli fillet (before steaming)

preparation was simple as before.

just added 1 tbsp(big heap) gimson nonya sauce, 2.5 tbsp light soya sauce, 3 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp mirin.

then added the sliced ginger, cut chilli padi, chopped garlic, cut spring onions, and lastly the cloud fungus.

nonya steamed angkorli fillet (before steaming)

& voila the dish was done, steamed in steam oven for 17mins.

nonya steamed angkorli fillet

i tasted the angkorli fillet.

texture was great, just cooked, not overly, and the nonya sauce was excellent.

nonya steamed angkorli fillet

it was a great variation form the usual hong kong steamed style, which was also very good, but it’s good to have a change.

always like the tanginess of nonya & thai chilli dishes.

c.h.e.f andy

Wonderful Dinner Delicious Dishes @ Tunglok Signature Orchard Parade on 19Apr2017

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lobster steak noodles – S$28

had another wonderful dinner at tunglok with wife this evening on 19.4.2017. ^^

cloud fungus – S$5

today we experimented on a few new dishes on the ala carte menu we had not tried or seldom ordered.

the cloud fungus just $5.

the goma (sesame) sauce kind of overpowering. so not quite kai garden’s standard. otherwise a pretty nice dish.

cloud fungus – S$5

I think reduce the goma sauce a bit. I still liked it. 🙂

half pot pumpkin soup – S$16

the lie tong 例汤 always good. 1/2 pot = S$16. we had 4.5 bowls of wonderful, delicious goodness for 2pax.

pumpkin soup

this evening the pumpkin soup was just perfect, so sweet & tasty. the best!

pork soft bones for pumpkin soup

& I love the pork soft bones.

pork soft bones for pumpkin soup

today I asked for chilli padi with light soy sauce, and the server brought me also chopped garlic.

pork soft boneswith chilli padi & chopped garlic

it was so good, I finished every piece, so sweet, tender, tasty. I think I must do this soup at home liao.

fish maw S$8

tried the fish maw 花胶. 2 pieces of fish maw. the veg (shanghai green?) & the soup quite sweet & tasty…

fish maw S$8

but non-descript, nothing special, can do without la…

8 vegetables – S$24

another dish which we might have ordered once before was the stir-fried 8 vegetables.

this a really delectable dish. I like everything, from the lotus roots to the bean curd skin, asparagus etc… all good stuff!

lamb rack S$12

the lamb always good..

lamb rack S$12

tender, no gamey smell/taste, and the sauce not the very sweet type, very good lamb for a Chinese style preparation.

next time I must try the beef & the pork ribs. I had tried the kurobuta in the set.

lobster steak noodles – S$28

save the best for the last!

the lobster steak noodles here was super! top draw!

we had an individual serving each. this one must take la..

far better than the lobster noodles at xin cuisine.

lobster steak noodles – S$28

lobster steak was so fresh, & tasty.

& the noodle & sauce were simply delicious.

my own king prawn noodles (黄焖大虾面)

I had attempted my own big prawn noodles in golden broth, modelling after tunglok’s, and it was pretty good too.

I am yet to do a fresh lobster preparation that is comparable to this one. will give it a try.

best was the price. after 50% amex lovedining discounts for 2pax, bill was S$78 = S$33++ pax.

such a delicious, wonderful dinner!^^

c.h.e.f andy

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

Tunglok Signatures @ Orchard Parad

Address :
Orchard Parade Hotel #02-18
1 Tanglin Road
Singapore 247905

Contact :
Tel : +65 6834 0660
Fax : +65 6834 0550

Opening Hours :

Lunch :11.30am – 3.00pm (Daily)
Dinner :6.00pm -10.30pm (Daily)

Great 3pax RI Friends Lunch @ Spize Temasek Club, Rifle Range Road on 19Apr2017

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thai sweet chilli seafood fried rice

i returned to my weekly jog with my RI friend & jogging buddy after quite many weeks of lay-off as I was indisposed.

i was meeting another RI friend at temasek club at rifle range road, who was helping me to prepare something for an upcoming occasion. so 3 of us decided to have lunch at spize @ temasek clubon 19.4.2017. ^^

spize @ temasek club rifle range road

first time I was here.

we were like the only ones here at 11.30am. the restaurant was almost full soon afterwards. 🙂

spize @ temasek club rifle range road

ambience was great.

high ceiling, great lighting. we were seated by the full length windows overlooking the swimming pool.

thai sweet chilli seafood fried rice

I wanted to order a lighter lunch, like a wrap, but the server said the mayonnaise could not be served separately & came together with the flat bread. didn’t sound great. so I changed my order to the thai sweet chilli seafood fried rice.

taste wise, it was competent. and it looked good, well presented.

there were good helping of mussels, sotong & some chicken too, and the slightly sweet thai chilli salsa. I didn’t mind it.

thai sweet chilli seafood fried rice S$11.90

rice was very fragrant, tasty, though I took very small portion of it.

I think price was S$11.90. it was good & comptent café food.

chicken biryani

my friend said the chicken biryani was good too.

the basmati rice looked great, there was a whole thigh, some dhal, a papadum & some achar, quite complete.

chicken biryani

nicely presented too.

biryani most important, rice must be flavourful, separate grains not mushy.

couldn’t really remember the price but it should be like  S$16.90 or S$18.90.

seafood mee goring

the seafood mee goring looked mighty impressive too.

but my friend said it was “kiam” – salty. later I asked him was it just a little salty or like quite salty? I think it was quite salty.

I did ask him to change right at the beginning if he didn’t like it.  but my friend persevere with it.

seafood mee goring

looked beautiful, but quite salty, so that would be poor for me.

we had a great lunch together. one of them travelling with me to UK next week. I got couple of things done too. good fun with great friends.

my jogging partner bought lunch. he is a member of temasek.

c.h.e.f andy

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

Spize at RTemasek Club Rifle Range Road

Address:
131 Rifle Range Road #03-04 Singapore 588406

Contact:

+65 6337 7493

Operating Hours:
Weekdays: 8am to 11pm
Weekends: 8am to 11pm

My Favourite Weiyi Laksa 唯一辣沙 on 18Apr2017

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weiyi laksa 唯一辣沙 18.4.2017

did some chores this morning & passed by tanglin halt food centre on 18.4.2017. ^^

it was 9.45am, but there was a queue at weiyi laksa 唯一辣沙. about 9pax. luckily everyone buys one bowl so just about 10mins+ queue, not so bad.

weiyi laksa 唯一辣沙 18.4.2017

ate here a few times this year.

i always take the S$5, cockles + chicken + taupok (no. 6 combination) with thick beehoon mee.

everything the same. good as always.

weiyi laksa 唯一辣沙 18.4.2017

i like weiyi laksa 唯一辣沙 particularly because it is lemak but not very lemak (& sweet) like katong laksa.

& it is a lot more savoury, and the sweetness also comes from the ingredients like chicken & taupok.

weiyi laksa 唯一辣沙 18.4.2017

a nourishing bowl of goodness.

now i need to be more careful of my diet, so maybe have to reduce. 🙂

c.h.e.f andy

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

Weiyi Laksa 唯一辣沙 @ Tanglin Halt Food Centre

Address

#01-20,Tanglin Halt Food Centre, 48Tanglin Halt Road, 142048

Contact

+65 97821012

Opening Hours

5.30am – 2.00pm

(Closed on Mon & Fri)

Kurobuta & Prawn Alio Olio (Own Recipe) on 18Apr2017

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kurobuta & prawn alio olio

eating alone this evening on 18.4.2017. been doing that a bit recently. 🙂

kurobuta & prawn alio olio

had some leftover shabu kurobuta in the freezer. decided to use them.

shabu (涮) simply means to poach for few seconds (8secs) in boiling water, like in a hotpot or steamboat, meaning the meat are very thinly sliced for that purpose.

i decided also to add 4 prawns. these are items are could be easily defrosted &prepared.

kurobuta & prawn alio olio

basically it was making alio olio.

& i figured any ingredients that makes it flavourful & tasty would deliver a great pasta.

kurobuta & prawn

alio olio is easy to do.

usually i browned a whole bulb of garlic cloves in olive oil. since kurobuta has lots of oil, so i cooked kurobuta first (real quick for the thin slices), set aside & used the oil to brown the garlic. i also added cut chilli padi & thai sweet basil.

then i cooked the prawns, seasoned with fish sauce & white pepper.

kurobuta & prawn

and that’s it. that’s all there is to it for making a very tasty pasta.

kurobuta & prawn alio olio

i boiled the pasta per instructions (8mins for instant spaghetti) to just below al dente.

kurobuta & prawn alio olio

the drained & added to the base.

kurobuta & prawn alio olio

off fire & tossed the pasta.

that’s it!

really delicious la…the shabu(thin sliced) kurobuta was so very flavourful!

c.h.e.f andy

Very Enjoyable Early Birthday Dinner for a Very Close Friend, 6pax @ Kai Garden 嘉苑 on 15Apr2017

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five coloured peking duck – S$88

did a very satisfying 6pax birthday dinner for a very close friend at Kai Garden 嘉苑 on 15Apr2017. ^^

this my 3rd time at Kai Garden 嘉苑.

the most recent time was also an early birthday dinner for my wife on 8.11.2016.

Kai Garden 嘉苑 has regular promotions. this time it was a free braised maine lobster (& can order a second lobster for S$48) for S$300 minimum spend before service & GST, and we found out also before drinks (tea) though they did not say so on the website. its’ ok la for me. 🙂

Kai Garden 嘉苑

Kai Garden 嘉苑 is opened about 1 year 4 months now, a team that hailed from taste paradise.

it’s actually quite a large place. quite good traffic this evening.

pickled lotus roots

there was pickled lotus root appetizer, very thinly cut like ginger, quite sour, quite nice appetizer. it is free with the tea. wife ordered a 黄金桂 S$3.20pax.

roasted pork – S$14.80

after i ordered the dishes, the captain/head waiter advised that still missing S$12 to reach S$300 minimum spend (tea not included). so i added a roast pork.

roasted pork – S$14.80

the roast pork was very good, though as i said before no better than crystal jade or imperial treasure. it was very tiny, yes real tiny, helping.

i didn’t really mind it but for a better deal, probably will order the wasabi prawns S$28 next time.

five coloured peking duck – S$88

the 5 coloured peking duck was impressive as always, i think the best peking duck i had.

the thin wraps were very well done, whatever the piquant taste of the different colours – charcoal, spinach, pumpkin, traditional & beetroot, such delicate taste quite beyond me la…there were also 5 sauces, all quite nice really..i still like the traditional & the sweey sauce best…

peking duck skin was quite perfect, the crisp item was very good too, and the overall experience quite perfect.

pekng duck – 鸭件

there is an additional cost of S$28 for the second eat, so i just got them to serve the duck meat.

pekng duck – 鸭件

it was good & tasty actually. i took a few with the duck sauce & the plum sauce.

it’s like a good roast duck, however without the skin, the experience a bit downgraded.

ingredients – 青衣 green wrasse head soup – S$68

wife decided to try a whole pot of soup. we ordered the fish soup.

it was very good. as my friend’s wife commented, not fishy at all. it was very smooth, clear & sweet. a very nice soup.

ingredients – 青衣 green wrasse head soup – S$68

the stock ingredients supposed to be 青衣 green wrasse fish head & 天麻.

flower crab with half chicken claypot – S$48

i ordered one of the family favourites on their website, a flower crab dish with 1/2土鸡  kampong chicken??

it was done in a claypot with good amount of roast pork. the flower crab was very sweet. chicken was tender, moist & tasty & of course the roast pork & the sauce as well.

flower crab with half chicken claypot – S$48

for me this was quite an excellent dish, though i had never taken flower crab with chicken at other restaurants.

braised garoupa fillet – S$57

wife liked the garoupa fillet. menu price was S$38, but we were asked to order 1.5 portions.

i was ok with that. the fish fillet were fresh & tasty, nice gluten & also bamboo shoot, and again the cooking made the difference, whatever the ingredients it was a great tasting dish!

braised 2x main lobsters in superior sauce – one FREE second S$48

the 2 lobsters were quite impressive.

seems that the complimentary one lobster & S$48 second lobster only one way of preparation, braised with superior sauce, 上汤焗, my favourite style anyway!

lobster was fresh, tender, & very tasty with the sauce.

braised 2x main lobsters in superior sauce – one FREE second S$48

these were full size 600g lobsters, so 2 for 6pax was quite a good serving. i got to enjoy this a lot. we all did.

poached hong kong kailan – S$27

kailan was S$18 on the menu, again had to order 1.5portions.

wife thought it was a bit “siap” – astringent?? it was ok for me, a competent dish, nothing special. maybe will try a different veg or just order the kurobuta which comes with some nice veg.

<just saw on another blog that some dishes to try are the prawn with fishmaw, aubergines with special sauce & honey pork ribs..will consider those next time..>

birthday cake & longevity buns

i told the restaurant that it was a birthday. they prepared a quite elaborate longevity buns tree display & some more uncommon birthday song.

longevity buns

longevity buns were pretty good. i like them. my friend had 2.

birthday cake from flor patissiere

another friend brought a flor patissiere cake, a nice light japanese style cake. always like flor cakes.

service was efficient, generally attentive & very pleasant.

dinner for 6pax was S$435nett. quite happy with food, service & the birthday set up & singing by the staff.

we had a great evening together. this friend very busy, still is, so only in recent years (2015) i started doing birthdays for him.

c.h.e.f andy

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

Kai Garden 嘉苑

Address:
6 Raffles Boulevard, #03-128A/128B, Marina Square, Singapore 039594
Contact:
kaigarden.com.sg
6250 4826
daily
  • 11:30AM–3:30PM
  • 6–11PM

7pax Homecooked Teochew Muay Breakfast after 清明on 14Apr2017

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8 teochew muay dishes

today is an important day!

brother arranged to meet at 光明山 at 7am，to 扫墓祭祖 for 清明.

i actually not keen on the date, as i thought it being good friday & PH (public holiday) it would be jammed pack. every year we came during this period & it was always jammed pack. our cars had to be illegally parked very far away (the police smart enough not to book your car on such occasions). so i had come with my sis during the actual anniversary dates, at around 3pm+ (they open 7am to 4pm during non-peak normal days).

i plan to do that next year onwards ie come like 2-3weeks before actual day.

i didn’t check this year, but actual day for 清明 was 4apr2017, but you can come within 2 weeks of that date.

sis & bil were earliest. they came by mrt & bus, left their home before 6am.

wife & i reached there just before 7am….surprise surprise, no jam, no traffic at all! brother, sil & their son arrived shortly…

there was no hassle to lay out the fruits, light up the candles & joss sticks, then proceed to level 5 where the rows of urns are kept & to worship/pay our respects.

teochew chilled mullet & chilled yellow croaker

we arranged to have breakfast at my place after 清明.

so i got up at 5.30am. i needed 1 hr to prepare the 7 dishes, leaving the spinach to fry when we are back for breakfast. i left the house at 6.35am.

first thing i did was to steam the mullet & yellow croaker. these i cleaned with salt & washed the evening before & kept in the fridge.

one thing unique about chilled mullet is it has to be steamed with the scales, so that can be removed together with the skin later easily. and also we need to keep the innards, so i do not ask the fishmongers (at sheng shiong) to clean, but clean the mullet myself.

steaming took 13minutes. after that left to cool before putting in fridge to chill.

both the fish were excellent, just like eating outside.

while fish steaming, i did the other dishes.

first the wonderful fried cabbage, as this took longest.

so fried ikan bilis (washed & dried in fridge evening before), cut chilli padi. then added cabbage & chopped garlic, oyster sauce, high fire. then added taupok (i cut 6 pieces, 4 strips per piece). added 1/2 cup water, covered to cook. about 10mins, added water as required, but small amount. added tanhoon (soaked & cut) last when about ready. set aside.

while cooking the cabbage, i added 1 tbsp corn flour & 1 tbsp light soy sauce & cut scallions to about 350g minced pork, and arranged it in a metal tray for steaming. i added 1 more tbsp light sauce & 2 tbsp olive oil, then steamed for 12 mins. that easy.

the egg i added when reheating when we were back for breakfast – egg yolk in the cleft & egg whites with the sauce.

this dish everyone liked, very “pang” & the texture very tender, moist & malleable. though minced pork was a bit fat for my brother (but i chose the fatty ones st sheng shiong which i prefer)

next the delicious leek dish.

fried 1 cut red onions, cut chilli padi. added leeks (3 stalks) and 2 sausages, oyster sauce. covered for short period. no water.

next the egg plant.

nothing much to do here. just fried cut chilli & chopped garlic, added egg plants & oyster sauce. very little water, covered for short period.

my last dish to cook was the bittergourd egg.

i tried to emulate the famous zai shun dish, so added the salted egg.

salted eggs

i boiled the salted egg evening before. & chopped 1/2 egg – all of egg white & yolk.

bittergourd fried egg with salted egg

i fried cut chilli padi, chopped garlic, bittergourd (which i poached in boiling water & cleaned with salt & soaked in water overnight), & the 1/2 salted egg, then added 2 eggs & fried.

this dish was ok, ordinary & nothing like the excellent dish at zai shun. my 1/2 salted egg not enough , will add whole salted egg next time. my preparation of the bittergourd has to change too…very thin slices…

& of course i cooked the teochew porridge the evening before, just 1 cup for 7pax. i added one chicken leg (no skin) & some salt.

they all like the porridge.

so when we were back before 8am, my sis & brother prepare the taujeon & removed the scales & skin of the chilled mullet, while i just heat up the dishes. & fried the last dish, spinach with ikan bilis on the spot. no water.

a simple & most wonderful breakfast.  everyone enjoyed!

sis & bil stayed back to watch chinese tv drama = 亲爱的翻译官..i really enjoyed this tv drama, and the lead actress 杨幂!

i cooked a simple lunch for them – nonya steamed sea bass & olive veg fried rice…^^

c.h.e.f andy

 

Always Good S$4 Meepok Tar @ Jalan Tua Kong 6th Avenue on 13Apr2017

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S$4 meepok tar 13.4.2017

went to giant at grandstand to get something & passed by the 6th ave stall this morning on 13.4.2017.

there was parking so decided to stop by & take the S$4 meepok tar at jalan tua kong stall. ^^

no queue at 10am, so got my noodles shortly.

S$4 meepok tar 13.4.2017

as good as always.

noodles qq, nicely spicy, lots of minced pork, and good combination of ingredients – sliced pork, fish cake, 2 fishballs, prawn etc.

S$4 meepok tar 13.4.2017

simple yet enjoyable bowl of noodles.

shiok & satisfied.

c.h.e.f andy

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

Jalan Tua Kong Meepok Tar

Address:

24 Sixth Ave, Singapore 276481

Delightful Fried Leek with Cheese Sausage Recipe on 7Apr2017

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fried leek with cheese sausage = Johnson ville beddar with cheddar

another dish which I came up with this evening on 7.4.2017 was fried leek with cheese sausage = using Johnson ville beddar with cheddar. ^^

I saw ye shanghai added luncheon meat to the fried leek dish.

so I fried the leek & 1/2 cut red onions with very tasty cheese sausage = Johnsonville beddar with cheddar.

this preparation was quite similar to-

  1. a very tasty ham vegetable dish I had in Kyoto; &
  2. waxed meat & sausage with kailan 腊味炒芥兰at fu kee 富记粥品 in hong kong on 12.1.2016.

when we returned Singapore from the jan2016 hong kong trip, I prepared a relish hong kong fun moments dinner.

one of the dishes I featured was pork + liver sausage fried kailan 腊味芥兰 20.1.2016

fried leek with cheese sausage = Johnson ville beddar with cheddar

for this evening, I used the very tasty Johnsonville beddar with cheddar sausage we usually reserved for sausage pasta.

my daughter liked this dish best!

it was most delightful dish, with the cheese sausage adding wonderful flavours & some saltiness to the dish.

c.h.e.f andy

 

Delicious Fried Cabbage with Tanhoon, Taupok & Ikan Bilis on 7Apr2017

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fried cabbage with tanhoon, taupok and ikan bilis

another dish that got me going was the cabbage with tanhoon dish at ye shanghai.

so I decided to cook my own cabbage tanhoon dish.

ye shanghai’s cabbage very sweet & had some tan hoon & cloud fungus & fried with ikan bilis, very sweet & tasty dish.

fried cabbage with tanhoon, taupok and ikan bilis

my own cabbage dish also turned out excellent this evening on 7.4.2017.

I fried the ikan bilis & cut chilli padi till fragrant. then added the cabbage & chopped garlic.

then added 5 cut taupok ie bean curd skin (each square taupok I cut into 4 strips), added just 1/2 cup water & covered to reduce & cook/soften/infuse the taupok.

when almost done I added the glass noodles. I forgot to cut the glass noodles first, will do that next time before frying.

this was an excellent dish, the glass noodles & taupok were well infused, moist & sweet, tasty.

& so easy to do.

I did the 3 vegetable dishes & the chilled yellow croaker for my sis & daughter who joined us for 3pax dinner. fast & easy, & excellent dinner.

c.h.e.f andy

Easy, Tasty Fried Spinach with Ikan Bilis Recipe on 7Apr2017

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fried spinach with ikan bilis

lately I have been frying my vegetables mostly with chopped garlic (蒜蓉炒), cut chilli padi & a bit of oyster sauce. 🙂

I used to do more of the cornflour, also with oyster sauce, but lately I find that vegetables have a lot of liquids, and if you fry them without adding water, they are dryer & more flavourful, or more wok hae.

of course there is a school that says you have to add a little water at the end on high fire so that the evaporation/vapour brings out the wok hae. maybe so.

currently I am just happy with my 干炒 method la!

recently I had a nice 3pax lunch with sis & bil at ye shanghai on 7.4.2017. ^^

it was a small plate maybe cost S$1.50, quite enough as we had 7 small plate vegetable dishes. a very simple dish, and so very tasty.

so I decided to cook the same fried soinach with ikan bilis the same day sis stayed for dinner on 7.4.2017.

I fried ikan bilis, cut chilli padi in 2 tbsp oil, then added the spinach stems & chopped garlic, frying under high heat. then added the spinach leaves. added 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce & keeping it on high heat.

this spinach was excellent, with the ikan bilis texture & flavours, very tasty & sweet.

so easy to do, and sis thought it was better than ye shanghai…I thought so too! haha! ^^

c.h.e.f andy

 

OPS Friend bought Good, Quite Expensive 3pax Lunch @ Choon Seng Teochew Muay 春成潮州糜 on 10Apr2017

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steamed pomfret & teochew muay dishes

my OPS friend bought 3pax lunch at choon seng teochew muay 春成潮州糜 today on 10.4.2017. ^^

he is Teochew & looks like been to more Teochew restaurants & zi char than me.

he was the one who introduce me to fragrant gardens last time,  an OPS Primay School Buddies 9pax Dinner @ Fragrant Garden on 30Dec2016.

very good food there, later I brought my family, brother & sis.

choon seng teochew muay 春成潮州糜

choon seng teochew muay 春成潮州糜 is a place I passed by previously when going for wah kee bigh prawn noodles.

choon seng teochew muay 春成潮州糜

I had definitely taken coffee at this coffeeshop but don’t remember eating teochew muay at choon seng teochew muay 春成潮州糜.

steamed pomfret

friend ordered steamed pomfret.

teochew steamed pomfret

it was good, a good standard teochew pomfret with all the salted veg, plums, pig fat strips etc..

soup was tasty, and fish was tender & sweet. very competent, eaxactly what this dish should taste like.

braised belly pork

braised belly pork

braised belly pork was pedestrian. no special flavour, not really “pang” – fragrant, some parts very fatty – all fat actually.

famous hae nerng- prawn pancake

the hae nerng is their popular dish here for a reason.

it was very good I guess. though I don’t have any special preference for this dish. but it’s a famous dish here so should try it at least for the first time.

my friend said cannot order more also…they restrict you to 1 piece for 1pax.

teochew fish cake

teochew fish cake was ok. dryer preparation than usual teochew fish cake.

not much different for me, both preparation.

fried spinach

spinach was ok, fried with ikan bilis.

3pax lunch was like S$80, so pomfret must be like S$50.

these days all these places are expensive.

just like the very nice & expensive nonya steamed shark’s cartilage I had at zai shun zi char recently, also a OPS friend bought me lunch. 🙂

we 3 had a good chat & a very enjoyable lunch. my friend who treated us was relaxing before returning to his office battleground (for today only), the usual corporate politics.

c.h.e.f andy

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

Choon Seng Teochew Muay 春成潮州糜

Address:

43 Cambridge Rd, Block 43, Singapore 210043

Opening hours:
daily
  • 10AM–3PM

Xing Ji Bakchormee 兴记肉搓面,Fengshan Food Centre & Fun Evening on 9Apr2017

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xing ji bakchormee 兴记肉搓面

went with 3 RI friends to fengshan market on 9.4.2017.

this the second time I havingxing ji bakchormee 兴记肉搓面 (& with the same group of friends), the famous soupy bakchormee which won the SPH inaugural hawker master award 2011.

my first time was actually almost 3years ago on  13.7.2014 when I checked, din realise it’s so long ago, must take this more often la…

xingjibakchormee

the noodles still good, though we thought somehow it was not as good as we expected, though it was difficult for me to really recall the taste from 3 years ago.

the soup & generous minced pork serving still good, and I thought I t was less 清 today, the noodles looked quite the same when I looked at previous photos. it was still al dente & stringy, somehow seemed less of an impression.

anyway still a nice enjoyable light nourishing bowl of goodness. but I probably prefer the regular bakchormee, like the jalan tua kong meepork tar near my place.

xingjibakchormee

maybe I will also try the neighbour stall next time to compare. & talking about this there was a soup bakchormee stall at sin min road corner coffeeshop wife & I used to go 30yrs+ ago, maybe I should try that too if it is still there….

fengshan food centre stalls

good crowd & traffic at 6.30pm+

fengshan food centre stalls

& many stalls looking good, so I should be coming here again..

chong pang chicken wings

we had some bbq chicken wings. my friend ordered it. he later told me it was NOT from this chong pang stall.

bbq chicken wings

chicken wings were good – tasty, charred not burnt or overcooked/tough.

bbq chicken wings

chicken was good too. and a bit of lime did the trick.

otah

friend ordered 8 otah for 4pax.

otah

nice otah too…not my favourite food, so I took one.

ngor hiang – S$6

I decided to add some ngor hiang.

picked 4 items for $6 – the crispy thing, fish cake, a ngor hiang & a you cha kuay.

ngorhiang

I liked all of them. fish balls were tasty, ngor hiang great skin & tasty, tender fillings. you char kuay was good & the crispy thing was the best!

eastern anchorage & ECP night view

afterwards we went to our friend’s condo & had a fun AV evening.

eastern anchorage & ECP night view

a nice view of ECP & the eastern anchorage from his 29th storey condo.

c.h.e.f andy

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

Xing Ji Bakchormee 兴记肉搓面

Address:

85 Bedok North Street 4, Singapore 460085, #01-07

Fengshan Food Centre

Contact:

9486 8126

Opening Hours:
daily
  • 2:30PM–1:30AM

Own Recipe – First Nonya Steamed Angkorli Fish Head on 8Apr2017

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nonya steamed angkorli fish head

ate alone at home last evening on 8.4.2017.

didn’t want carbs, so decided to steam a small angkorli (sea bream) fish head.

Zai Shun 载顺 steamed shark’s cartilage

I wanted to do something different, so thought of the nonya steamed shark’s cartilage preparation at Zai Shun 载顺.

gimson nonya sauce

I did not have the recipe or know how Zai Shun 载顺 makes their nonya sauce, but I do have a good bottle of gimson nonya sauce.

sambal steamed angkorli fish head

Recipe

I used my usual steam fish recipe 2tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp mirin. and instead of 2 tsp light soy sauce, I added 1 tbsp gimson nonya sauce & reduced to 1 tbsp light soy sauce. & that was all.

I added chopped garlic. next time I would add also cut chilli padi & some scallions.

I estimated fish head about 500g, but to be sure I steamed for 11mins.

nonya steamed angkorli fish head

preparation was easy. all looked good, so just 11mins in the steam oven. 🙂

nonya steamed angkorli fish head

& the result was very good, not too salty, good nonya sauce flavour, not overpowering, fish was fresh & sweet. steaming was ok too, not overdone.

not quite the same wonderful taste & effect as Zai Shun 载顺’s steamed sharks cartilage, but a good enough preparation I can used to make a nice steamed fish/dish for my family & friends.

c.h.e.f andy

Ingredients:

  • small angkorli (seabream) fish head – 500g
  • 1 tbsp gimson nonya sauce
  • 1 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp mirin
  • 1 tbsp chopped garlic
  • 1 cut chilli padi
  • 2 stalks chopped scallions

Directions:

  1. wash with salt, clean & dry fish head. add the condiments – 2tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp mirin, 1tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tbsp gimson nonya sauce.
  2. add chopped garlic, . next time I would add also cut chilli padi & chopped scallions (white parts..green parts cut 2cm length & add after steaming).
  3. steam for 11mins.

Good Yong Tau Foo @ Hup Chong Hakka YTF (& White Beehoon at Hong Yun Zi Char) on 8Apr2017

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yong tau foo

my RI friend arranged to have early lunch at hup chong yong tau foo on 8.4.2017.

lek chew restaurant 绿洲餐室

it’s a stall located at lek chew restaurant 绿洲餐室.

hup chong hakka yong tau foo

we were there at 11am. not so many people yet. on & off there was a queue.

hup chong hakka yong tau foo

I read some reviews & looked at the photos. didn’t think the place any special. the selection seems to be mostly deep-fried. some friends whatsapped that the ngor hiam was good. when we were queueing someone came to tapao ngor hiam, so that looks to be the most popular item here.

hup chong hakka yong tau foo

the price was $0.60 a piece which is more expensive than-

  1. the very good Jin House @ koufu tanglin halt; and
  2. the equally great meixi’s kitchen yong tau foo 美茜酿豆腐 at commonwealth drive blk 115B.

both charged S$0.50 a piece.

and of course, u hakka niang tou fu at circuit road food centre is still the best!

yong tau foo

still, the ytf is good here! ^^

the fried brinjal & the deep-fried ngor niam especially good.

yong tau foo

I also had the white teochew fish cake, a tau kua with minced pork, cuttlefish, morning glory & another item = total 7 pieces.

the fish balls & the pig skin were not kept in water & looked dry, so I did not pick those.

white beehoon

after ytf, we were chatting on various things & also about our upcoming trip to London & Wales.

& since the hong yun 鸿运 zi char was open, looked popular & had a few press cuttings, we decided to order a small plate to try/share.

hong yun 鸿运 zi char

customers started turning up.

hong yun 鸿运 zi char

my friend went to order the white beehoon (WBH).

white beehoon

WBH was good! very tasty I guessed a good stock, & several prawns, and also lard.

white bee hoon

I took a small amount to try.

I think it was really quite good standard.

four seasons cendol

after ytf & WBH, we decided to take one car & go over to lor 8 to eat the four seasons cendol.

four seasons cendol

it was wonderful as always! 🙂

so thick & intense flavours – I told my friends…

coco latte

my friend helped me buy a bottle of coconut oil  online, iHerb I think.

coconut oil

the price was about S$15.60.

I tried 1 tbsp. at home. 1/2 I took directly & 1/2 tbsp I added to the foamed coffee.

it was good, but I think I needed to add a whole tbsp. to mine the flavours la..

c.h.e.f andy

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

Hup Chong Hakka Yong Tau Foo

Address:

124 Lorong 1 Toa Payoh, #01-459, Singapore 310124

Contact:

9093 2009

Open Hours:
Daily
  • 6:30AM–3:30PM
  • 4:30–8:30PM

Homecooked Teochew Chilled Yellow Croaker 小黄鱼 & 3 Vegetable Dishes on 7Apr2017

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Teochew chilled yellow croaker 小黄鱼 & 3 vegetable dishes

after our nice Teochew muay lunch at ye shanghai, sis & bil came over my place. they watched tv & sis made some gongfucha 功夫茶 on 7.4.2017.

bil had to go for qigong & yoga. sis decided to stay for dinner.

I had yellow croaker 小黄鱼 in the freezer, so decided to make the same teochew chilled yellow croaker 小黄鱼 dish we had for lunch at ye shanghai.

we had 3 nice vegetable dishes at ye shanghai = cabbage, spinach & leek. I happen to have all these in my fridge, so I decided to make the 3 dishes. ^^

Teochew chilled yellow croaker 小黄鱼

Teochew chilled yellow croaker 小黄鱼 very easy to make. I got the fish special offer at sheng shiong for S$5.90. in that sense the same fish at ye shanghai for S$8 was really cheap.

I steamed the fish in the steam oven for 10mins, let it cool & placed it in the fridge for 1/2hr.

Teochew chilled yellow croaker 小黄鱼

the chilled yellow croaker 小黄鱼 was excellent.

my sis said it was much sweeter than what we had at ye shanghai..quite true actually..

fried spinach with ikanbilis

& so was my 3 vegetables. all were better than ye shanghai…

I fried ikan bilis, cut chilli padi in 2 tbsp oil, then added the spinach stems & chopped garlic. then added the spinach leaves. added 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce & fried on high heat.

this spinach was excellent, with the ikan bilis texture & flavours, very sweet.

fried leek with cheese sausage

I saw ye shanghai added luncheon meat to the leek.

so I fried the leek & 1/2 cut red onions with very tasty cheese sausage = Johnsonville beddar with cheddar. my daughter liked this dish best!

this preparation was quite similar to-

  1. a very tasty ham vegetable dish I had in Kyoto; &

  2. waxed meat & sausage with kailan 腊味炒芥兰at fu kee 富记粥品 in hong kong on 12.1.2016.

cabbage tanhoontaupok with ikanbilis

the cabbage dish was also excellent this evening.

I fried the ikan bilis & cut chilli padi. then added the cabbage & chopped garlic. the added 5 cut taupok ie bean curd skin (each square taupok I cut into 4 strips), added just 1/2 cup water & covered to reduce & cook/soften/infuse the taupok. when almost done I added the glass noodles. I forgot to cut the glass noodles first, will do that next time before frying.

this was an excellent dish, the glass noodles & taupok were well infused, moist & sweet, tasty.

fried leek with cheese sausage & cabbage tanhoontaupok

dinner was great. the food was great & easy to prepare. though sis & I took similar food for lunch & dinner, we still enjoyed every bit of it.

c.h.e.f andy