Monthly Archives: October 2017

Good S$50 4-course DBS/POSB Menu @ Ricciotti Riverwalk on 20Oct2017

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chacuterie platter

went to visit my good friend TC, dental surgeon who is taking care of my dental health at 5.30pm on 20.10.2017.

we arranged to have 2pax dinner & tete a tete after. ^^

Ricciotti DBS Affluent Dining Menu

i suggested couple places & TC picked ricciotti. it is a stone’s throw from his dental clinic at central. we crossed the overhead bridge & walked over to riverwalk. ricciotti was right there. 🙂

the DBS/POSB S$50++ menu looked ok not compelling. it is difficult to just see from menu but at least we had an idea of what we were having.

it turned out the the food was really good! ^^

chacuterie platter

we both picked the chacuterie platter. it was very good standard – aged parma ham, salami, ham, pickled olives & gherkins, and salad.

chacuterie platter

and salted bread! and this last was so good, so tasty & wonderful texture – actually like our “ham chee pen”. there are more things in common in the different cuisines than we know…haha! 🙂

anyway, we enjoyed the chacuterie. ^^

spaghetti marinara

we both picked the spaghetti marinara too.

spaghetti marinara

& this was really good good. a simple dish with great ingredients – prawns, squid, mussels, clams, and very nicely done.

spaghetti was nicely al dente, seafood were fresh, and the simple tomato sauce was light, nice & tasty.

spaghetti marinara

& very nicely presented. a very good pasta dish for primi (first main)..

mint brined lamb loin

for the secondi (second main), i chose mint brined lamb loin & TC had grilled seabass.

mint brined lamb loin & grilled seabass

my mint brined lamb loin was quite exquisite, really really nicely done.

medium rare as recommended, very tender, no strong gamey taste, and very tasty with the jus. the whole dish was excellent. ^^

grilled seabass

TC had the grilled seabass. i didn’t try it. he said it was good. presentation was lovely. it looked fine.

panna cotta

the panna cotta was more ordinary, still competent, presented well too with some chocolate flakes, strawberry & blueberry on the side, and chocolate soil & mint on top.

overall i think an excellent meal. may not be wow! but certainly a very good, delicious dinner, quite above expectation.

we chatted for quite a long while after dinner. my friend TC very busy with his practice & he does a lot of overseas mission work & also helping out many in singapore. we both had a great time together, and really we relish this opportunity to share and relax in each other’s company…

c.h.e.f andy

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

Ricciotti
Address:
#B1-49/50, The Riverwalk, 20 Upper Circular Road, Singapore 058416
Contact:
6533 9060
Opening Hours:
daily
  • 11:30AM–11PM
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Sumptuous Flambe Suckling Pig Feast @ Sichuan Douhua on 23Otc2017

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flambe suckling pig

6 of us had dinner at sichuan douhua, belated birthday celebration for PK, on 23.10.2017. ^^

sichuan douhua sumptuous flambe suckling pig feast menu

i had this sumptuous flambe suckling pig feast quite many years back.

it was still as good. feast menu is until 31.10.2017. there is a 20% discount on UOB cards. 🙂

flaming the pig

the roasted suckling pig was flamed another time by the server. 🙂

flambe suckling pig

roasted suckling was good. not sure the final flaming made any difference at all, but it was a fun presentation.

flambe suckling pig

this the 片皮 style which is just skin eaten with pancake & sauce, NOT the 南乳 style where the skin is taken together with the meat.

of the 2, i prefer the 南乳 style. for here though the meat was reserved fr second eat, as a soup. and that was very, very good, so this style was fine with me today…lol! ^^

sauces for flambe suckling pig

there were 5 sauces – black garlic (very good), traditional, and 3 other sauces.

the suckling was good, and the sauces too, especially black garlic.

shredded lobster, abalones, conpoy & chicken thick soup.

there was a choice of soup.

WT picked the shredded lobster, abalones, conpoy & chicken thick soup.

shredded lobster, abalones, conpoy & chicken thick soup.

the stock was really good, very tasty. a nice soup with great ingredients!

the other choice looked equally exciting, a clear soup with good fishmaws 花胶, & spiky cucumbers (expensive!)

sri lankan crab in signature soya bean crumb & osmanthus sauce

the sri lankan crab in signature soya bean crumb & osmanthus sauce was another delectable dish.

serving was large,  crab was fresh, and teh soya bean crumbs were excellent. GY liked this crab dish. it was just slightly on the sweet side for me, too much osmanthus sauce??

sri lankan crab in signature soya bean crumb & osmanthus sauce

overall a tasty dish. PK had the honour of finishing off the crab shell & all its treasures…

steamed soon hock

steamed soon hock was the usual that can be expected in a good restaurant.

steamed soon hock

very fresh, just the right 火候 texture. a very delicious dish.

steamed soon hock

fish was a good size for 6pax, maybe 700g.

steamed soon hock

soon hock’s meat is more fine幼 than garoupa..very nice when it was done well like this here… ^^

sichuan douhua signature tofu dish

this tofu dish was fabulous!

didn’t know until i checked later that this their signature tofu dish, afterall they are sichaun douhua! haha! ^^

sichuan douhua signature tofu dish

there were deepfried tofu, tau huay, some tau kee like stuff, nice sauce.

an interesting & refereshing dish, combining very good taste with various texture of ingredients.

sichuan douhua signature tofu dish

& it came with spinach…what WM called 大力菜, remember popeye the sailor man??? :-p

soup with suckling pig pieces

the second eat for the suckling pig was another surprise dish.

it’s a  芥菜煲 claypot mustard vegetable soup, replacing the roasted belly pork with suckling pig!

soup with suckling pig pieces

the suckling pig pieces were so very tasty.

soup with suckling pig pieces

& the soup was so sweet..

soup with suckling pig pieces

soup with suckling pig pieces

a really satisfying dish! shiok! ^^

truffle angelhair

we were too full for the truffle angelhair.

the truffle flavour was excellent!

truffle angelhair

it tasted like beehoon, but the texture was the more al dente angel hair & didn’t break like beehoon, though i feel not al dente enough, not sure if it was intended to overcook a little.

it was such a huge serving, we tapao in 2 packet. WM took one & I took one, and my children had a great time walloping the pasta…they love truffle pasta.

red bean pancake

red bean pancake

there were 2 dessert – red bean pancake & what looked & tasted like fruit cocktail in diluted syrup! 🙂

red bean pancake was good quality, crispy (i felt a little oily) nice red bean paste. we couldn’t finish. WM brought some back. not really my kind of dessert…

fruit cocktail in diluted syrup

fruit cocktail in diluted syrup

this long name in the menu (because of so many fruits) felt like a fruit cocktail in diluted syrup.

it was refreshing ok, didn’t think much of it la… 🙂

50% chocolate cake from chocolate origin

WT bought a nice birthday 50% chocolate cake from chocolate origin.

it’s very good, just a bit sweeter than the excellent 70% dark chocolate cake we had the other day. when we an exquisite dinner at xiyan priavte dining which WM & J bought on 18.10.2017.

both good, i prefer the dark chocolate.

HC tried to pay WT for the cake unsuccessfully. the trick with WT is to just do it, no discussion so no fighting! lol!

we had a great, wonderful dinner, brotherly moments with OPS bros. I am sure GY enjoyed our company. ^^

c.h.e.f andy

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

Sichuan Douhua Restaurant

Address:
181 Kitchener Road, Level 3, Singapore 208533
Located in: PARKROYAL on Kitchener Road
Contact:
6428 3170

Opening Hours

Lunch : 11.30am – 2.30pm
Dinner : 6.30pm – 10.30pm

The Best 龙骨 Prime Ribs Bakuteh on 23Oct2017

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龙骨 prime ribs bakuteh

sis & bil came for lunch. i made 龙骨 prime ribs bakuteh for 3pax today on 23.10.2017. ^^

bought the ribs from sheng shion, i thnk about S$22/kg.

massive ribs, its like 8 pieces about S$28.

i used 5 larger ribs today from the rack, i am thinking about 800g, more than enough for 3pax. in fact i took 1 rib & no rice, and that was enough. 🙂

龙骨 prime ribs bakuteh

the fresh ribs from indonesia. they actually even larger than the ones i took at rong cheng (now sin min road) bkt & lao ah tee etc.

龙骨 prime ribs bakuteh

really massive with huge piece of loin meat as well.

i think prime ribs really nice & tasty because it has bone and some lining/layering of fat, and not just lean meat.

龙骨 prime ribs bakuteh

sis & bil cooked the 2 vegetables themselves.

龙骨 prime ribs bakuteh

the 龙骨 prime ribs bakuteh was excellent.

i think it was much better than most bkt outside, even if i am to compare with the recent bkt at rong cheng!

龙骨 prime ribs bakuteh

the soup is so savoury & sweet with the meat sweetness.

& the meat was truly the best with top quality dark sauce…

ilc bkt spices 30g

& so easy to make – just scald prime ribs to remove scum & boil together with 1 bulb of garlic cloves & 1 ilc bkt sachet for about 1hr.

i like pork ribs to have some bite, so i do not overcook the ribs. 🙂

kang kong with mustard veg

spinach

sis & bil also cooked 2 veg – kang kong with bit of mustard vegetables.

very nice complements to the homecooked bkt lunch with family.

c.h.e.f andy

Fabulous Bacon-wrapped Pork Chop @ Dempsey Cook House on 22Oct2017

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the best! pork chop wrapped with bacon = S$38

sunday evening. wife wanted to bring to dempsey cookhouse where she & the children enjoyed great meals recently.

she booked 2pax at 6pm on 22.10.2017. ^^

dempsey cookhouse

dempsey cookhouse

dempsey cookhouse, located within dempsey como which houses other restaurants in the group, has beautiful ambience. high ceiling, very nice large lanterns, very pleasant seating & tables.

& service by all the staff, many filipinos, were good. 🙂

yellow tuna tartare – S$29

wife ordered the tuna tartare.

pricing much on the high side for this serving (other restaurants you probably get a main course serving for S$29).

yellow tuna tartare

dish was good though, that’s all that counted. 🙂

tuna was sweet, very fresh, the sauce (wasabi soy?) was nice too but too salty at the bottom when the server added all.

so this dish bet to add the sauce yourself as required. 🙂

but it’s good!

the best! pork chop wrapped with bacon = S$38

the pork chop wrapped with bacon = S$38 was the best…it was what the server recommended to wife & children the last time, and recommended likewise today.

the pork loin was incredibly tender..not sure how the chef did it, must be sous vide or some low temperature braising…very very tender, smooth, no strands, no residue, no fraying when cut.

& marinade was good, very tasty pork.

the mushroom sides were very good too, got a bit salty after taking much. the pork was so good it did not need the mushroom sauce, just ate it on its own…

truffle cheese pizza – S$34

the truffle cheese pizza – S$34, very steep price for a pizza.

i was considering the trout..later i asked wife she said children took it last time, just so so..

truffle cheese pizza – S$34

the truffle pizza is a signature dish, like must try here, so might as well pay more to try something different than something common…

truffle cheese pizza – S$34

and it was very flavourful, the truffle & cheese, a very nice pizza.

truffle cheese pizza – S$34

not sure it’s what i am willing to pay for pizza…like the pork chop at S$38 is relatively much more superior value…

but if there is no certainty of getting something good or better, might as well pay for something you know would be good.

c.h.e.f andy

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

The Dempsey Cookhouse & BarA

Address:
17D Dempsey Rd, Singapore 249676
Contact:
1800 304 5588
Opening Hours:
Monday-Friday
  • 12–3PM
  • 6PM–12AM
Saturday-Sunday
  • 11.30AM–4PM
  • 6PM–12AM

Delightful 8pax Homecooked Western Dinner with Good Friends on 21Oct2017

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8pax dinner dishes

made a delightful 8pax dinner for wife’s good friends J & hubby, and another couple L & TH, on 21.10.2017. ^^

son joined dinner & later J’s son joined as well. 🙂

tortilla – spanish omelette

the tortilla – spanish omelette quite ok. wife thought i had done better ones…

red wine 5hr slow braised pork collar

quite happy with the result of the red wine 5hr slow braised pork collar.

red wine 5hr slow braised pork collar & tortilla

i used 300g frozen pork collar from sheng shiong.

marinated in red wine (50ml) & 1tbsp mustard, 3 shallots in the fridge for 1 hr.

added water to cover pork in small oven dish & braised in 90degC oven for 5hrs.

then i pan-charred the pork, adding some seasalt & coarse black pepper to the pan.

result was a tender, tasty pork steak (as seen above 2 photos).

i did a pan roasted brined chicken breast & thigh. was good tasting, but the skin wasn’t done well.

overall, wasn’t the standard of what i made for wife’s office salad lunch!

miso & korean citrus tea marinated slow braised pork belly

the miso & korean citrus tea marinated slow braised pork belly was pretty good too, but not as tender as the pork collar, maybe needed a little longer time than 5hrs in 90degC oven i used for the pork collar!

same thing, i pan-charred the belly pork like the pork collar.

nobu miso cod & teriyaki salmon belly

my Nobu miso cod & teriyaki salmon belly have been consistently good, and invariably a crowd favourite.

nobu miso cod was very tasty today, no fishy taste. i got a very good cut of cod too from NTUC.

likewise the teriyaki salmon belly.

J said she like salmon belly best. her son M said he liked the cod best…

grilled vegetables

i did some grilled vegetables too.

today i had dutch eggplant, zucchini & baby carrots. & the cherry grape tomatoes with sea salt, olive oil & balsamic vinegar also good with the rocket salad with pomegranate.

seafood risotto

for the carbs, i made seafood risotto. i used the leftover arborio rice i had. maybe carnaroli rice would be better.

the usual preparation – fry & soften vegetables (onions, carrots, celery, green pepper) with few slices of chorizo & butter, add 1.5cups arborio rice, add 1/2tsp tumeric, fry & coat. add 1 cup intense chicken & prawn stock, boil, add large de-veined prawns with shell on(marinated with fish sauce & white pepper), & place in 210degC oven for 6mins.

that is like 90% done, when serving, boil stock, add squid cook 1minute then add to risotto, boil to cook risotto & reduce liquids. and voila! serve.

creamy white wine sauce prawn fettuccine

for fettuccine, i browned garlic in olive, added cut chilli padi & basil & fried. off fire & added 1 cup white wine & 1 cup intense chicken stock, then reduced.

when serving i heated up the sauce, added 3tbsp thickened cream, tasted the sauce, then off fire & added fettuccine & tossed. then added some dried parsley. i forgot to get my fresh basil..

red velvet cake

red velvet cake

wife’s friends L brought red velvet cake for deesert. very nice!

j’s fruit platter

j’s fruit platter

but stealing the show was the fruit platter.

i messaged wife’s friend J & said i wanted to order her fruit platter. you can see why, that’s the best dish all night i guess. all my friends were impressed just looking at the photos.

fruit platter looked alluring, and the fruits were nice & sweet too – fresh fig, gold kiwi, melon, honey jackfruit, dragonfruit, grapes & blueberries.

had a wonderful dinner & great evening. wife was very happy & bought me dinner the next day. ^^

c.h.e.f andy

Very Tasty Chicken Congee on 20Oct2017

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chicken congee

R, the director of teban gardens made really good congee…well among many other dishes she does so well for such large groups…

she made the congee for 130 teban residents on 12.10.2017.

when i delivered my 回锅肉double cooked pork belly breakfast dish on 13.10.2017, i took back some to eat & really enjoyed it. 🙂

chicken congee

so i decided to try also..

i checked & confirmed that the ingredients she used were shredded chicken breast, minced pork & fish cake strips.

chicken congee

chicken congee

boiled 1 skinless chicken breast for 2hrs to make tasty stock.

then added 1/2 cup rice. 100g minced pork & 1 fish cake cut to strips to give texture to congee…

boiled or another 2hrs, anyhow until congee was smooth.

chicken congee

congee was very sweet & tasty, quite similar to what R did.

added pepper & enjoyed the congee. can also add fish sauce to taste if need.

c.h.e.f andy

Exquisite 8pax Birthday Dinner @ Xiyan Private Dining Craig Road on 18Oct2017

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amuse bouche – ham

my OPS friend WM & wife J bought an exquisite scrumptious 8pax dinner at xiyan craig road on 18.10.2017. ^^ 2 of us including moi have birthdays this october month. 🙂

i came xiyan only once (the captain lewis chin said must be 12yrs ago) when they first opened. must say i wasn’t much impressed with the food nor the price! it was a very pricey S$88pax at the time, and the only dish i remembered was good & fine was the hokkaido momotaro tomatoes. i looked at the online menu, and after all these time the menu looked quite the same, and price still S$88pax.

WM’s wife J though entertained here a few times & today she arranged for us her “specially curated” menu, and she booked the entire restaurant for the occasion.

just kidding lol! this evening we were the only table in the restaurant. the original date 12oct though was fully booked so we had to change to 18oct. so hard to tell whether restaurant well patronised or not…

today we were served an amuse bouche, kind of unusual – 3 cuts of ham (lewis said they are the exclusive distributor). i liked it. wife not so into the ham thing, slight salty taken alone w/o sides…not the typical amuse bouche..

xiyan S$98pax menu

the special menu was S$98pax, but J has 10% discounts, so back to the usual S$88pax…

hokkaido momotaro tomatoes

the hokkaido momotaro tomatoes were delicious, did not disappoint. the sauce was goma (roasted sesame) with wasabi. 🙂

hokkaido momotaro tomatoes

sauce was nice if nothing special..i do goma with tsuyu for vegetable salads for my 14days vegetarian diet recently.

prosciutto & smoked salmon salad

the prosciutto & smoked salmon salad with asparagus very good too..& so beautifully plated..

prosciutto & smoked salmon salad

salmon was very lightly smoked, almost like cured, nice & not salty.

the prosciutto (aged parma ham) was good, the usual…

prosciutto & smoked salmon salad

the asparagus & mesclun salad were good, refreshing…

tea smoked chicken

the next dish was tea smoked chicken, again nicely presented. thai styled mango salsa was tangy & refreshing.

tea smoked chicken

overall the dish was underwhelming!

chicken was competent and no more. so actually by the standard of the whole dinner, this would be a below average dish…

some parts of the breast my wife had were “old” meaning slightly dry, overcooked. the tea flavour did not stand out…

unlike say the tea infused roast duck at xin cuisine which was super delicious!…

i almost never order roast chicken outside, whether at chinese or western restaurants, as they usually very mediocre dish….

one outstanding roast chicken i had was at restoran pekin sutera mall recently – “skin was so crispy, and the meat was moist, tender & sweet. among the very best roast chicken i had…

tea smoked chicken

basically unless one can produce a really moist, tender, tasty chicken, otherwise this would be a very average dish…a filler & not much more…

prawn chawanmushi

the captain lewis chin said this dish was akin to chawanmushi, and it was smoother & came with chinese hua tiao wine.

it was a beautifully presented dish, and wonderful colours.

the prawn though was overcooked. my wife told me, and i was thinking the same. prawn texture was slightly tough, not the bouncy, fresh texture…just on the prawn standalone, the simple poached prawn & drunken prawn dishes at peach gardens miramar & tunglok were better.

prawn chawanmushi

the taste of the dish, maybe not the chawanmushi t i am used to in good japanese restaurants…

for myself, no comparison with a good, very sweet & tasty chawanmushi especially one with crabmeat & ikura.

东坡肉 pagoda

the 东坡肉 pagoda was an excellent dish.

a braised belly can easily spray (ie not good texture) if not done correctly, so to be able to slice this thin & having this texture shows the skills of the chef. it is truly 肥而不腻！

东坡肉 tower

it was an outstanding dish in it’s own right, whatever the name.

东坡肉 with 梅菜

so i have just 2 comments-

first – same as what my wife also told me, when eating 东坡肉, the i guess non modern experience is to eat an entire piece, and feel the gelatinous texture & flavours. eating this current way felt more like eating 梅菜扣肉though this texture is more tender than 梅菜扣肉.

东坡肉 with 梅菜

东坡肉 with 梅菜

and second – this 梅菜 was not done well.

it was salty, unlike the very nice flavour, soft & tender steamed 梅菜dish served at xin cuisine.

blanched red garoupa with crispy rice & silken tofu

the best dish for the evening was the blanched red garoupa with crispy rice & silken tofu..

blanched red garoupa with crispy rice & silken tofu

red garoupa was sliced very very thinly, so it cooked when it was added to the soup. it’s like shabu or 涮…

blanched red garoupa

very tasty. really excellent dish!

poaced garoup & rice porridge

& the crispy rice was a great variation, added texture & new dining experience to the dish…

the concept is similar also to ozasuke in japanese cuisine, where a very tasty broth is added to rice. this dish was indeed very enjoyable…

淮山with spinach & wolfberries

the 淮山with spinach & wolfberries was competent dish, nicely done.

淮山with spinach & wolfberries

nice bit of greens. a healthy dish..tasted great…

bomb alaska

the restaurant served a complimentary bomb alaska because we were celebrating our birthdays.

this not on their menu.

bomb alaska

chocolate origin mousse cake & bomb alaska

it was an outstanding dessert.

the burnt meringue was very light & tasty, and the ice cream was excellent..& the birthday cake WT bought from chocolate origin also very good!

ginger soup with dumplings姜汤

we had a choice of dessert.

the ginger soup with dumplings姜汤 looked great.

ice cream

the vanilla ice cream with lychee was ok too, wouldn’t have chosen this if we knew we were having that excellent bomb alaska.

overall, it was a very good dinner, and scrumptious, great tasting one. the food ingredients were not expensive items, so not quite sumptuous i guess. but preparation, presentation, colours (like salmon salad, 东坡肉 pagoda and blanched garoupa) were refine, service was good & knowledgeable, so i consider quite exquisite dinner of fine dining standard. & of course the bomb alaska was a really great touch by the restaurant & really enjoyable..

will i come back here?. not sure really…i still think the S$88 price is too high for the food they serve.

if it is like this evening, i would gladly pay the price for this dinner. but J knew them & could arrange the change of menu & 10% discounts, and there was the bomb alaska, so on this occasion i think i would also pay this price. on the regular S$88, i think it would be totally outside my radar…

my wife & i really enjoyed the company of these very good friends (wife told me so) and it was a most fun evening for both of us…this evening especially, WM & J bought such a wonderful dinner & WT bought a delightful birthday cake from chocolate origin.

c.h.e.f andy

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

Xi Yan Private Dining
Address:
38 Craig Road, 2nd floor, Singapore 089676
Contact:
6220 3546
Opening Hours:
daily
  • 12–3PM
  • 5:30–10:30PM

50% Discounts for 2pax Excellent Semi-buffet Mezze Lunch @ One Ninety Four Seasons Hotel on 19Oct2017

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very tasty buffet items

a very good lunch with J at one ninety restaurant at four seasons hotel today on 19.10.2017.

J cooks marvellous dishes. she invited a group of us (me included) for scrumptious dinner 2 times recently. & her birthday is in october.

one ninety mezze lunch semi-buffet menu

had excellent dinner with wife here on 7.10.2017. ^^ so thought to try out the lunch too.

a glorious semi-buffet just the place to come for me after my weekly run this morning with CH. lol! 🙂

very tasty buffet items

very tasty buffet items

it was not a very large buffet, not the cooking & taste were excellent like for all the tiems…

i liked almost all of them, and anyway, a smaller buffet is still too much food, and quality & taste more important…

cold cuts

cheese

i found some space for the cheese too.

excellent ligurian seabass

for main course, J ordered the ligurian seabass.

squid ink tagliolini

& i ordered the squid ink tagliolini.

both mains were excellent, fine dining restaurant standard! 🙂

fruit cocktail

i had some fruit cocktail..

dessert

& bits of cake to try out. these can skip also la…

lunch was S$52pax including mains & S$42 without, so with amex lovedining 50% discounts for 2, it was S$52++ = S$61nett for 2pax. very good deal really!

was a nice enjoyable lunch, good food, great company & conversation.

c.h.e.f andy

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

One Ninety @ Four Seasons Hotel

Address:

190 Orchard Blvd, Singapore 248646

Contact:

https://www.fourseasons.com/singapore/dining/restaurants/one_ninety/

+6568317250

opening hours:

daily 6:30–10:30am12–2:30pm6:30–10:30pm

Curry Chicken & Potatoes – 45th Teban Gardens Community Breakfast on 20Oct2017

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curry chicken with potatoes 

made curry chicken & potatoes for teban gardens community breakfast this morning on 20.10.2017. ^^

this my 45th 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.

heng’s chicken curry sauce 

i used heng’s chicken curry sauce sachet, S$2.45 from sheng shiong, bought last evening together with 2kg packet of frozen boneless chicken whole leg, i think S$9.65.

i defrost, washed clean with salt, and drained in fridge ovenight.

curry chicken

this morning, i got up at 7am.

fried 1 large yellow onion & 1 stalk curry leaves in  2tbsp vegetable oil.

then added the heng’s chicken curry sauce pack.

curry chicken

fried couple minutes high heat, then added 1 cup water, covered & boiled medium low for few minutes then added 200ml coconut milk. then removed chicken so as not to overcook.

6 medium potatoes 

i cut 6 medium potatoes, about 24-32 pieces each, so about 180 pieces.

potatoes in curry gravy

cooked potatoes in the curry gravy for 8mins. anyway make sure not overcooked.

potatoes in curry gravy 

just press against wok. if potato breaks, it is cooked.

curry chicken with potatoes

added back the chicken, mixed & the dish ready liao…

curry chicken with potatoes

curry chicken with potatoes

tasted the chicken & potatoes 7 the curry gravy. quite good! nice!

curry chicken with potatoes

transferred to aluminium tray for transport to teban gardens.

curry chicken with potatoes

i covered with aluminium foil, and this time as there was a bit of liquid, i taped thes aluminium foil tightly.

a wonderful dish for teban gardens residents & quite easy to prepare…

c.h.e.f andy

Delicious Homecooked Chinese Herbal Mutton Ribs Soup & Mala Yellow Croaker 麻辣小黄鱼on 17Oct2017

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chinese herbal mutton ribs soup

bought online 1/2kg frozen mutton & 1kg fresh mutton ribs from dei which delivered last evening..free delivery for 1st order over S$30… 🙂

recently i made an excellent mutton masala.

this was a 7 dishes indian dinner for 10pax RI friends on 19.9.2017.

mutton ribs was fresh, so decided to use 1/2kg to make chinese herbal mutton soup..

never make before, so google for recipe…quite troublesome to get all these herbs leh…

toa seng kong bkt sachet

ingredients & cooking instructions

so i just decided to go to sheng shiong this morning & bought a toa seng kong cordycep herbal bakuteh soup sachet..

first time i cooking mutton soup & first time using this bkt brand! lol! ^^

(i saw got cordycep la!)

chinese herbal mutton ribs soup

my mutton was poached in boiling water to remove scum, cleaned with salt, & in the oven overnight for 6hrs at 90degC.. 🙂

so it was perfectly tender in texture & flavourful from the mutton juices…

so i just boiled the bkt soup sachet together with 1 bulb garlic cloves, mutton juice, 1.5litre water, 6 large red dates & 2cm sliced ginger for 1 hr, then i added mutton ribs, 2 tbsp light soy sauce, 1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce..

and before serving a bunch of julienned ginger, then served & garnished with coriander..

chinese herbal mutton ribs soup

mutton ribs & soup very good👍😊

ribs were tender & tasty, not gamey and soup was very smooth, naturally sweet & with slight herbal combining well with mutton flavours..

i think as good as outside…actually better than many i had outside…

 

mala yellow croaker 麻辣小黄鱼

was originally supposed to meet up with V for makan or coffee at 12.10pm today then go mustafa, but then he had another appointment at 1pm & it’s eve of deepavali, so mustafa will be a mad house… timing was a bit tight so we decided to postpone it…

so i got my OPS bros WM and WT last minute, and i added the mala fried yellow croaker麻辣小黄鱼, & a cabbage taupok for 3pax lunch…

mala yellow croaker 麻辣小黄鱼

this mala yellow croaker 麻辣小黄鱼 i had in shenzhen. it was really delicious, so i thought of doing it on 25oct2017 for my friends.

i shallow-fried, added sea salt to the pan.. not as browned as what we had in shenzhen…but quite ok..

then i added 1 tsp oil, julienned ginger & 2tsp lao gan ma 老干妈 spicy black bean sauce.

mala yellow croaker 麻辣小黄鱼

this my first time doing this. WM tought it was ok, flavourful…i thought could be more “pang” flavourful..

i think my lao gan ma 老干妈 spicy black bean sauce not enough, will add 1 tbspor maybe 4tsp next time…

fried cabbage with taupok

fried cabbage with taupok

didn’t have leafy veg in the fridge.

only thing left was cabbage, and i had some taupok as well.

so made fried cabbage with taupok , a nice tasty dish..

c.h.e.f andy

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

Recipe for Chinese Herbal Mutton Ribs Soup

Ingredients:

  • 500g fresh mutton ribs (cleaned with salt & poached to remove scum)
  • 5cm ginger (2cm sliced, 3cm julienned)
  • 1 toa seng kong bakuteh premix sachet ($2.25 at sheng shiong)
  • 6 large dry red dates
  • 1 tbsp wolfberries 枸杞
  • 2 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 1/2tbsp dark soy sauce

Directions:

  1. wash & clean mutton ribs with salt. poach in boiling water to remove scum.
  2. place in 90degC oven overnight for 6hrs so perfectly tender in texture & flavourful from the mutton juices…strain the mutton juices…
  3. boil the bkt soup sachet together with 1 bulb garlic cloves, lamb juice, 1.5litre water, 6 large red dates & 2cm sliced ginger for 1 hr, then i add mutton ribs, 2 tbsp light soy sauce, 1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce..
  4. and before serving a bunch of juliened ginger, then served & garnished with coriander..

Makan Outing to RongCheng BKT, Penang Delights & Ah Seng Braised Duck on 16Oct2017

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龙骨prime ribs S$8 & ter kar S$5

met my RI bro KY for hawker fare makan outing.

rong cheng now sin min road bkt

we went to rong cheng now sin min road bkt at 10am on 16.10.2017. ^^

龙骨prime ribs S$8

i ordered one 龙骨prime ribs S$8 & one ter kar (pork trotters) S$5 to share.

the 龙骨prime ribs always good. this one of the few places that sells this long 龙骨prime ribs..after eating i went to sheng shiong & bought the long fresh indonesian prime ribs myself….going to make my own bkt later… ^^

so i still like this..but today’s not their best..

ter kar S$5

i knew the ter kar S$5  was not great here, but still decided to give it a try.

well no surprises, .ter kar 👎🏼absolutely no standard..gelatinous parts no bite, the braise no “pang” flavours.. my own much better la! 🙂

& then i wanted to order the braised duck from hup seng next to rong cheng, but KY stopped me as he wanted to bring me to ah seng.

penang delights prawn noodles S$4

afterwards we went to penang delights prawn noodles @ blk 711 amk ave 8.

penang delights prawn noodles S$4

penang delights prawn noodles S$4

this the worst prawn noodles i had.. 👎🏼👎🏼sugary sweet no prawn stock flavour. any prawn noodle stall also better than this…

ah seng braised duck

after went to ah seng braised duck..

ah seng braised duck

the stall proprietress knows my RI bro KY well & quite pally with him.

they have another at serangoon gardens operated by the sister.

lor arh – braised duck

lor arh – braised duck

today though the lor arh (braised duck) was soft..so so👈…

i think my own better, & hup seng next to rong cheng better..

small & large intestines 👍

the small & large intestines were good standard 👍..

pig stomach soup

the pig stomach soup…good bite, tender, soup peppery👍👍

today not really much of a makan outing… bkt was good if not their best, braised duck & intestines were ok & the pig organ soup was good.

fun anyway, spending time with bro KY.

c.h.e.f andy

50% off Dimsum Promo @ Peach Garden Miramar Hotel on 14Oct2017

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dimsum 50% off

daughter going off mid-week to boston for a conference.

before leaving, she & JH arranged to buy me lunch at peach garden miramar today on 14.10.2017…

i just been to miramar this week on 9.10.2017. that was for my OPS 12pax birthday dinner. i have never taken dimsum at peach garden.

小笼包 

the 小笼包  just average. soup not so sweet. skin ok i guess.

小笼包 

not comparable with imperial treasure or crystal jade.

腐皮卷 fu pei quin

the 腐皮卷 fu pei quin was quite good, tasty, great!

har gao

har gao was ok. i guess not the standard of imperial treasure…

scallop dumplings

the scallop dumplings was good.

crispy dumplings

crispy dumplings were very good too.

steamed chicken feeet

and the steamed chicken feet & pork ribs were pretty good standard. chicken feet good taste & texture.

steamed pork ribs

& the pork ribs were pretty good, not the fatty & bony type, quite good amount of tender meat..

XO carrot cake S$18

the XO carrot cake was a failure IMO!

not charred outside & overly soft inside.

XO carrot cake S$18

not sure why we are paying S$18 for this poor quality dish…

didn’t really notice my daughter ordering from the main menu ie outside the 50% off dimsum menu…but when i queried the server, no one seemed to comment so i guess she did.

3pax lunch was like S$56, so the poor XO carrot cake was like 1/3 of the the bill, plain ridiculous…moral of the story don’t order outside the 50% menu lol! 🙂

c.h.e.f andy

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

Peach Gardens @ Hotel Miramar
Address:
401 Havelock Rd, Hotel Miramar, Level 3, Singapore 169631
Contact:
6736 3833
Opening Hours:
Sunday-Thursday
  • 11AM–3:30PM
  • 6–10:30PM
Friday & Saturday
  • 11AM–3:00PM
  • 6–10:00PM

Good Zi Char Dishes @ Quan Ji Amoy Street Food Centre on 12Oct2017

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fish fillet bee hoon great wokhae

my OPS bro HC bought dinner 7pax dinner at quan ji zi char at amoy street food centre on 12oct2017. ^^

the second time i came here. first was treat by WM on 3.8.2016. 🙂

the best standout dish here this evening was the fish fillet bee hoon. teh wok hae was just so good!^^

next was the har jeon guy aka prawn paste chicken!

quan ji zi char @ amoy street food centre

this evening place less crowded. we had a good table for 8pax near the stall. the hawker centre had high ceiling quite airy & bright.

lar pok oily & burnt not so good 

lar pok oily & burnt so not so good!

har chor good 

hae chor was good, like any good tecohew restaurant.

har jeon guy aka prawn paste chicken good 

har jeon guy aka prawn paste chicken very good…wife liked it..

排骨王good though not my fav 

the 排骨王 as good as any, just not my fav …

fish belly soup competent 

the fish belly soup was competent only, the fish belly was good, the soup could be gooder la…lol!…

black bean fish head so so

the black bean fish head so so very so so, quite mediocre dish…

bittergourd was bitter, black bean sauce & fish head not tasty enough..lots of bones & no much meat..

fish fillet hor fun not so good wok hae 

the hor fun though turned out kind of poorly. didn’t have the wok hae of the beehon and not fragrant.

anyhow it was a really enjoyable dinner for all of us. 🙂

c.h.e.f andy

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

Quan Ji @ Amoy Street Food Centre

Address:

7 Maxwell Rd, Singapore 069111

Perfect Pan-roasted Brined Chicken Breast & Thigh on 9Oct2017

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pan roasted brined chicken breast salad 

wife wanted to make chicken breast salad to bring to office for lunch today on 9.10.2017.

she asked me to make my pan roasted brined chicken (recipe here).

i have not done this for the longest time. anyhow it was quite a simple preparation-

  1. i debone & cleaned 1/2 chicken, wash with salt.
  2. then i brine the chicken with 2 tbsp salt & 3tbsp sugar, and 1/2tbsp lemon juice in 1 litre water, for 24hrs in the fridge.
  3. bring to room temperature, dry thoroughly & fry skin down with 1tbsp oil in an oven proof skillet on high heat, brown the skin, about 5mins.
  4. turn over & put in oven for 8mins (maybe 9 or 10mins) depends on size & thickness.
  5. rest for 10mins before cutting.

pan roasted brined chicken breast & thigh

as seen in the photos, the meat was moist from brining, and the meat was tasty.

(water molecules move through the skin membrane by osmosis for a moister meat, and sugar & salt molecules enters by diffusion for a tastier chicken)

pan roasted brined chicken thigh 

chicken was moist & delightful in taste, perfect for the salad which my wife prepared hereself.

pan roasted brined chicken breast & thigh

& both the thighs & breast came out nicely.

usually when the thigh is cooked, the breast is overcooked. today the breast pieces were thicker & the water helped the breast to be NOT overcooked, though it looked to be more cooked than the thigh.

c.h.e.f andy

OPS Bro 60th Birthday 六十大寿12pax Dinner @ Peach Garden Miramar on 9Oct2017

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bro WT’s 60th birthday

today my OPS gang organised a 60th birthday dinner 六十大寿 for our bro 大哥 WT at peach garden on 9.10.2017. ^^

12pax OPS buddies attended. WM went to get the birthday cake from awefully chocolate.

50% off ala carte buffet promotion

peach garden @ miramar has an ongoing 50% off ala carte buffet promotion (till 30nov2017)..

so for weekdays it is S$24pax…they charge +10+3 on the full S$48 so net about S$32 include tea & towels….pretty ok la…

fish skin

we ordered most things on the menu.

serving size is confusing as different for different dishes, so we checked couple times..eg above fish skin is one order, the roast pork & the one large soon hock were 2 orders…who can know all these right?

fish skin was good..slightly salty & very large serving..

sharksfin with crabmeat

there were like 5 soups? you can only order once…so we ordered the 4 bowls each of the first 3 soups.

i think the sharksfin crab meat soup (which i had) was the best, not too gluey & stock was sweet…

actually a good lie tong 例汤(say) at tunglok would be better la…

sharksfin with shredded abalones, fishmaw

the sharksfin with shredded abalones, fishmaw not much different really, but more like the chinese wedding sort dish…

roast pork

roast pork (above was 2 orders) was quite ok first round.

the second round we ordered was much better ie very good! crisp skin, tender & tasty fat & meat..

drunken chicken

the drunken chicken had good wine flavours.

presentation though a bit poor & did not look appetising. i like to see a nicely plated breast or thigh rather than spreading them out like that…

wasabi mayo prawns

prawn fritters were good, big & fresh & batter good too not too thick, only the wasabi mayo was overwhelming.

later my friends ordered a second serving (huge serving), but for the presence of our fully functioning CH who can black-holed anything, we would have 1/2 plate left however hard the rest of us tried (i ate a few pieces more than i wanted to).

prawns in yuzu dressing

the prawns in yuzu dressing basically same fritters as wasabi mayo prawns, much better dressing, slightly tangy…

fried beef with pepper

FM liked the fried beef….not my kind of dish as very tenderised & for me, artificial..reminds me of geylang lor 9 beef horfun lor…

kurobuta not so nice

agreed with FM the kurobuta not nice, not smooth & marbled, and a bit porky…usually kurobuta supposed to be good…maybe i was influenced by FM… 🙂

mei cai kou rou梅菜扣肉

mei cai kou rou梅菜扣肉 was pretty good by me. tender meat & good 梅菜 flavours..

WT said mine was better, the truth was that he had not tried (only tried my 东坡肉),

but probably my 梅菜扣肉 (i only did once) was indeed better la…

poached prawns

the poached prawns was pretty good (i think they called it indonesia style???).

i took 3 pieces, fresh, plump, sweet..

prawns are very easy to do though, any preparation, poached, fried, even just throw into instant noodles as my RI  bro CL recently discovered. just don’t overcook it!

deep fried soon hock

the deep fried soon hock was good, crispy & sauce was good, slightly sweet not salty & flavourful..

above 1 large soon hock i think 1kg was 2 orders! later we ordered second round & 2 came i think 600g each…

pating fish

i love my pating fish, especially the oily belly part.

FM ate the head…

HH liked the pating also, like any good teochew haha! she liked braised duck, song fish head etc, quite similar to my preferences.

tofu with mushrooms

tofu with mushrooms was mediocre, actually quite poor-sauce not much taste, skin hard outside, not soft enough inside..

nai bai 奶白

nai bai 奶白 was good..

string beans 四季豆

strong beans 四季豆 also good..

egg plant fritters

egg plant fritters was a good preparation, like an appetiser though..

3 eggs spinach

3 eggs spinach was competent…some OPS friend thought it was salty…ok for me but not tasty enough..

spinach noodles

spinach noodles unique i guess, quite plain but ok nice. i took a little…

杨枝甘露

don’t have my RI bro CL here to inspire us to take all 4 dessert.

WT ordered 2 dessert x 12 bowls each..

杨枝甘露 not good restaurant standard..

ice jelly

ice jelly not much toppings ingredients, still refreshing.. i liked this better…

dinner for 12pax was S$380+…quite ok cannot complain la…

WM brought on the cake and we sang birthday song…HH & M brought birthday presents for WT.

had a great evening with my OPS bros & sis…

c.h.e.f andy

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

Peach Gardens @ Hotel Miramar
Address:
401 Havelock Rd, Hotel Miramar, Level 3, Singapore 169631
Contact:
6736 3833
Opening Hours:
Sunday-Thursday
  • 11AM–3:30PM
  • 6–10:30PM
Friday & Saturday
  • 11AM–3:00PM
  • 6–10:00PM

Excellent Top-value Semi-buffet Dinner @ One Ninety Four Seasons Hotel on 7Oct2017

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heap of crabmeat on the squidink pasta

wife & i decided to go one ninety at four seasons hotel this evening on 7.10.2017. ^^

one ninety is included in amex lovedining for a while but we have not tried it for the last many years.

at S$64pax for the semi-buffet dinner, it came to S$32++pax after amex’s 50% discounts for 2, a really top-value meal…

very tasty bread

the bread was tasty, very good bread & the hummus from the buffet were great!

scallops very good..i took 3..added some yuzu dressing👍 

i didn’t think too much of it when i picked up the scallop.

scallops very good..i took 3..added some yuzu dressing👍

but unlike many buffet who uses frozen scallops & mussels etc, this  was a very fresh & plump scallops & sweet. i ended up taking 3 scallops.

the mussels, scallops, prawn dish quite good,

there was a mussels, scallops, prawn dish at the buffet spread. they were quite good too, especially adding a little yuzu salad dressing. i did not take the salad, too much things to eat!

buffet selectiion 

so my first plate had beef tongue (just above the scallop), belly pork next to it (ok but skin a bit tough), the hummus next were excellent especially with the bread..

some cauliflower & veg, a roasted egg plant, pate & fig in the front, and cold cuts on the right…

cold cuts salami, prosciutto especially beef very good👍

the cold cuts were excellent – salami, prosciutto all good & especially beef the best!👍

beef very good👍 chicken very good too

this my second appetiser plate, took some more excellent beef.

beef tongue great texture taste so so…

beef tongue, likely sous vide, had great texture taste so so…

burrata not much taste 

burrata also great smooth texture but not much taste??

baked eggplant ok 

baked eggplant (front) ok but not special…actually the grilled peppers etc were better..so again egg plant good texture just not tasty.

fig & pate ok, cold cuts very good👍 

the fig & pate ok, cold cuts very good👍

the appetiser buffet i had before long time back on 30.5.2013,

were better (it had stuffed roast suckling pig & also roast duck), but this was still very good, for me to take 3 plates.

Mediterranean seabass best seabass i had👍👍👍 

& we were ready for our main courses.

i had the Mediterranean seabass…this indisputably one of the best seabass i had👍👍👍

i think for this standard of cooking, ingredients & presentation, this seabss would be between S$36 and S$44 in a good restaurant of this standard.

Mediterranean seabass best seabass i had👍👍👍 

fish was sweet & very tasty, and very tasty sauce too.

squid ink crabmeat pasta 

the squid ink crabmeat pasta quite different preparation from the usual creamy preparation.

here looked like too much sauce, and the pasta not quite al dente.

squid ink crabmeat pasta

but it was actually very, very good.

maybe the more than al dente was a style, a recipe?

it certainly tasted very good with the sauce, very tasty squidink pasta w/o being heavily creamy.

squid ink crabmeat pasta

& there was loads of crabmeat. a can of good crab meat can cost >S$20.

these looked like fresh crabmeat handshelled??

tapao squid ink crabmeat pasta

we were too full so had to tapao back. son was asleep but he walloped it the next morning…

cheese

i still managed to take some cheese.

it was nice too with the strawberry jam compote..

fresh fruit cocktail 

& i took some fresh fruit cocktail as well!

fresh fruit cocktail 

nice, very refreshing…

salad

the buffet included a salad bar..looked very good but there were too much food so i didn’t take.

buffet spread

the cooked dishes including beef tongue, , a fish, belly pork, pate etc…

cold cuts

& there were excellent cold cuts of salami, prosciutto & beef…i didn’t have space for the rock melon & other ham items…

cheese

there was a cheese section. i took some…

dessert 

& dessert.. i took the fresh fruits cocktail..

overall, this really value-for-money buffet, great ambience, good service & i got a free parking coupon as well.

a really nice evening with wife, wonderful appetiser dishes & great main courses…& dinner just S$32pax.

c.h.e.f andy

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

One Ninety @ Four Seasons Hotel

Address:

190 Orchard Blvd, Singapore 248646

Contact:

https://www.fourseasons.com/singapore/dining/restaurants/one_ninety/

+6568317250

opening hours:

daily 6:30–10:30am12–2:30pm6:30–10:30pm

回锅肉Double-cooked Pork Belly with Leek, Onions, Green & Red peppers– 44th Teban Gardens Community Breakfast on 13Oct2017

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回锅肉double cooked pork belly with leek, onions, green & red peppers

made 回锅肉double cooked pork belly with leek, onions, green & red peppers  for teban gardens community breakfast this morning on 13.10.2017. ^^

this my 44th 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.

回锅肉double cooked pork belly with leek, onions, green & red peppers

i had been cooking chicken the last 3 fridays, so decided to do belly pork today.

bought 1.8kg frozen belly pork from sheng shiong last evening, defrost & boiled in waster to remove scum. then i placed the pork belly in 3 oven dishes in 90degC oven for 5hrs.

belly pork 5hrs in 90degC oven

回锅肉double cooked pork means to return the pork to the wok to cook second time.

double cook dishes are a common preparation in western & i think many cuisine. for western dishes chief among them the sous vide dishes, (say) for steak, reverse sear (slow cook then sear) etc.

i have been using the term double cook generically but 回锅肉double cooked pork specifically refers to this preparation today.

belly pork 5hrs in 90degC oven

so i put them in the oven at midnight for 5hrs. and when i got up at 7am, the pork were ready & super tender.

the usual chinese 回锅肉double cooked pork does NOT use the oven but simmer/poach the belly pork for about 45mins in boiling water. needless to say, the oven method produces infinitely more tender belly pork la! ^^

very tender belly pork 5hrs in 90degC oven

you know when you cut it, easily into very thin slices

very tender belly pork 5hrs in 90degC oven

so the next thing to do was to cook them with a bit of mala 麻辣 oil.

mala oil 老干妈香辣脆油辣椒

i use the 老干妈香辣脆油辣椒 mala oil. 🙂

belly pork fried with mala 麻辣 oil, oyster sauce, sliced ginger & chopped garlic

just fry sliced ginger & chopped garlic first, then add the belly pork, then add 1 tbsp mala 麻辣 oil, 1tbsp oyster sauce, 2tbsp shaoxing wine.

belly pork fried with mala 麻辣 oil, oyster sauce, sliced ginger & chopped garlic

fry high heat first for short while.

then i added 1/4 of the drained tasty juices from the oven dish. didn’t want too much liquid, an also reduce to increase the flavours.

belly pork fried with mala 麻辣 oil, oyster sauce, sliced ginger & chopped garlic

dish out the pork & set aside. i used the aluminium tray which i transport the dish later.

leek, onions, green & red peppers

the i fried first the sliced onions, cut leek & chooped garlic, then added the cut green & red peppers. add 1-2tbsp oyster sauce (to taste).

again fry high heat, then add 1/4 of the drained juices.

回锅肉double cooked pork belly with leek, onions, green & red peppers

add back the belly pork & mix the pork & veg, high heat, and basically the dish is ready.

回锅肉double cooked pork belly with leek, onions, green & red peppers

so like any cooking, it is taste/flavours and texture, and the fresh beautiful colours.

the belly pork was super tender, & the mala 麻辣 oil gave it special fragrant flavours, oyster sauce & the pork juices the sweet taste.

回锅肉double cooked pork belly with leek, onions, green & red peppers

not a difficult dish to prepare, especially if using oven just leave it overnight.

such a beauty to behold & very tasty dish to eat.

c.h.e.f andy

Curry Chicken & Potatoes – 43rd Teban Gardens Community Breakfast on 6Oct2017

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curry chicken & potatoes

made curry chicken & potatoes for teban gardens community breakfast this morning on 6.10.2017. ^^

this my 43rd 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.

curry chicken & potatoes

i used a 2kg packet of chicken thighs with a centre bone. this not as good as the boneless leg which is the entire thigh & leg w/o bone. so i had to cut the meat & leave the centre bone.

curry chicken

i fried 1 sliced onions, 3cm sliced ginger & 2 stalks of curry leaves.

then i added mak’s chicken curry sacket, and added the cut chicken pieces, fried & coated with the curry.

curry chicken

i did not have stock, so just added 1 cup water, covered & simmered for 5mins. then i removed the chicken pieces & left the 12 bone pieces & boiled for 20mins.

curry chicken & potatoes

the i added the cut potatoes (from 6 medium potatoes), added 200ml coconut milk, and cooked for 5mins,

curry chicken & potatoes

potatoes are just cooked  when they break against the side of the wok when pressed. that way they are not overcooked.

the i added back the chicken pieces.

curry chicken & potatoes

the dish basically ready, and i plated it in the aluminium tray for transport to teban gardens.

curry chicken & potatoes

i tasted both the chicken & the potatoes, and curry.

they were delicious! chicken was tender not overcooked, potatoes were done just right, and the simple ready made mak’s chicken curry gravy simply marvellous, great curry flavours & lemak from the coconut milk.

curry chicken & potatoes

mak’s recipe calls for 1kg of chicken for each sachet.

i had 2kg chicken pieces, did not want to use 2 sachets. anyway i used less water, and kept the curry gravy thick & intense. of course, this was for 130 residents at teban gardens. for home cooking, i may use 1kg or just 1/2kg chicken pieces.

then the curry would be even more delicious & intense.

c.h.e.f andy

Nice Enjoyable Lunch with Great Friends @ Toptable CIA Alacarte Lunch on 3Oct2017

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complimentary appetiser

my RI friend PL now teaches at temasek poly.

another friend LS’s daughter graduated from diploma hospitality course at CIA.

we had tried lunches by students of –

  1. CIA-Temasek Poly Diploma in Culinary & Catering Management; and also
  2. CIA-SIT Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) in Food Business Management programs…

not only are the lunches very attractively priced, the standard of cooking & overall delivery are better than most cafe & average restaurants, and reaching the standards of good restaurants.

today we came for  ala carte 5pax lunch by students of the FBM degree porgram..

complimentary appetiser

there was a complimentary appetiser platter for our table (seems only those on the mailing list gets the free appetiser)…

it was good!

3 bruschetta with 2 hummus (one chickpea, forgot the other one), and selar (big eye scad). there were some sundried tomatoes, salad &

small tortilla (spanish omelette), like what i make..

beef carpaccio – S$6

i took the beef carpaccio. beef was sweet, came with some mesclun & a runny yoke quails egg. nice with coarse black pepper. competent, good standard.

minestrone soup – S$4

LS said minestrone was good… 🙂

vongole linguine – S$7

CL & I shared a vongole linguine – S$7 for starter portion…PL doesn’t take clams.

scampi with homemade pasta – S$8

LS took a scampi pasta, S$8 for appetiser portion. so she ate little.

pasta looked great, must be good. prawns looked ok. scampi is a regular fine dining dish but often in ceviche, tartare, sashimi or cured preparations..

i also had excellent cooked scampi dishes several times during my family trip to iceland in june2017. 🙂

braised beef in mushroom risotto S$16

PL & I had the braised beef in mushroom risotto.

braised beef in mushroom risotto

the mushroom risotto was excellent very flavourful, texture not al dente & quite a lot of sauce. it could be the intended method of preparation, anyway it was good!

the beef was tender, small serving but ok, competent, not quite a good restaurant standard.

breaded pork chop S$14

CL & SK had the breaded pork chop.

breaded not quite my favourite. i tried a piece it was quite ok for me. CL felt that it was a bit dry.

lemon meringue  semi freddo

we tried all the 3 desserts. all were pretty good actually.

i quite like this meringue & like ice cream semi frozen mousse.

tiramisu with kelhua

tiramisu with kelhua was very good, quite like the tiramisu i make, this with good kelhua…

tiramisu with kelhua

i like this also..

expresso with vanilla ice cream

the strong expresso wuth vanilla ice cream ok too, not my preferred combination, rather have nice coffee as coffee, and more difficult to share….

kopi with mooncakes -2 red bean mooncake made by LS

after lunch we adjourned to the canteen & ordered some coffee, tea etc.

LS brought her home made red bean mooncake (which was very nice!). i brought one macadamia nut double-yoke mooncake to share for the occasion.

we asked but couldn’t take the mooncakes at toptable, which was quite ok…

kopi with mooncakes -2 red bean mooncake made by LS

a great time out with good friends….

lunch was S$106 for 5pax…of course LS ate little, and few of us had like 3 courses, with appetiser & dessert.

c.h.e.f andy

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

Top Table @ Temasek Polytechnic

Address:

31 Tampines Avenue 1, Temasek Polytechnic, Singapore 529757
Contact:
6780 6369
Opening Hours (for a short period where the program is putting out actual lunches by students):
weekend
  • Closed
weekday
  • 11:30AM–1:45PM

Wonderful Lobster, Bamboo Clams & Garoupa @ Ah Yat Abalaone Forum on 1Oct2017

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garlic steamed bamboo clams 蒜蓉蒸竹蚌 – S$5.50 each

had my “break fast” 4pax family dinner @ ah yat forum on 1.10.2017! ^^

(after 14days vegetarian/fruit diet challenge with  my RI friend DP).. lol!

seafood promo @ ah yat abalone forum restaurant

promo still on…we ordered-

  • 2 lobsters
  • 4 razor clams (one each)
  • 1x800g tiger garoupa
  • small 滑蛋河粉

ah yat is really good..every dish is outstanding in taste & texture!

the standard of cooking of is far better than what i had in hong kong & shenzhen recently..

my recent 5day hong kong/shenzhen makan & chill trip 10-14sep2017. ^^

braised lobster in superior stock龙虾上汤焗 S$29.80 each

the braised lobster in superior stock龙虾上汤焗 S$29.80 each was so, so good.

the superior stock was so tasty, and that made all the difference.

braised lobster in superior stock龙虾上汤焗  S$29.80 each

and also the texture was perfect, very fresh, bouncy,火候 just right, lagi perfect la…

HK steamed tiger garoupa 港蒸龙虎班 800g (S$38/kg)

that same thing could be said about the HK steamed tiger garoupa 港蒸龙虎班 800g (S$38/kg).

i not excited about eating steamed fish outside eg at (say) zai shun where it supposed to be very good but each fish set you back like S$100 (of course you talking about 苏媚,青衣 etc).

and basically i can steam a red garoupa anythime just as good, tasty, flavourful, so not much point to eat steamed fish outside. not much meaning really!

here this garoupa just S$30, and it was so good.

so i very willing to eat fish here everytime.

HK steamed tiger garoupa 港蒸龙虎班 800g (S$38/kg)

this garoupa was done just so well. meat so sweet, tender, tasty…

seafood horfun 海鲜滑蛋河粉 – small S$20

last time i celebrated early birthday dinner here with my brother & sister on 2.6.2017, the seafood horfun was very good.

today seems that it was less good. the wokhae not so great…

seafood horfun 海鲜滑蛋河粉 – small S$20

i guess still quite a tasty dish.

seafood horfun 海鲜滑蛋河粉

anyway children wanted some carbs…

seafood horfun 海鲜滑蛋河粉

& it was a nice ending to dinner of seafood dishes…

dinner was S$174nett for 4pax…very good price for the food we ordered.

c.h.e.f andy

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

Ah Yat Abalone Forum Restaurant Address:

Address:
101 Victoria St, Singapore 188018
Contact:
ahyatrestaurant.com.sg
6332 2288
Opening Hours:
Monday-Sunday
  • 11:15AM–2:30PM
  • 5:45–10:30PM