Monthly Archives: November 2017

Chorizo Prawn Tapas Dish on 9Nov2017

Posted on by

chorizo prawn tapas

had a very tasty Gambas al pil pil – Sizzling prawns in virgin olive oil & garlic at sabio @ duxton hill few days back on 5.11.2017 (see photo at bottom).

this evening, i decided to make some myself on 9.11.2017. ^^

chorizo prawn tapas

i defrosted 8 prawns, deveiled & seasoned with fish sauce & white pepper.

then i cut 8 thin slices of chorizo i had in the chiller. i fried the sliced chorizo, 2/3 of a buld of garlic, and 1 cut chilli padi in 2tbsp olive oil to brown the garlic cloves & till fragrant.

then i added 1/2 cup of chicken stock, bring to boil & added the prawns.

chorizo prawn tapas

the key is cooking the prawns just right, not overcooked.

prawns were totally fresh, bouncy, perfect texture, sweet & tasty.

& the chorizo flavours were the best. awesome sauce awesome dish.

my presentation not as nice as sabio’s. will add some chopped coriander & red peppers next time.

but the taste & texture – my dish was just as good! ^^

c.h.e.f andy

Very Good Value 4pax Birthday Dinner for Wife & Son @ Porta on 8Nov2017

Posted on by

iberian pork secreto medium well

had 4pax family dinner @ porta at park hotel clarke quay to celebrate wife & son birthdays on 8.11.2017. ^^

porta

porta 

restaurant located next to entrance to park hotel clarke quay. nice ambience.

bread basket

bread basket was the usual, ok.

grilled octopus S$18

there is a UOB 1 for 1 main course & pasta promotion, which require reservations by phone or via chope online. 🙂 so the cheaper main course/pasta is free. 🙂

grilled octopus S$18

we ordered the grilled octopus appetizer S$18.

it was very good, tender, tasty, & nice garnishes & bit of sauce.

though not quite the standard of what we had at lake comon & cinque terre eg alle darsene @ lake como.

panseared foie gras S$24

foie gras was a good serving, according to the server, about 115g to 120g.

panseared foie gras S$24

i did not take the foie gras. wife & children said it was very good, very tasty, much better than mr & mrs bund in shanghai recently on 28.10.2017. 🙂

prawn & chorizo linguine S$22

we picked the prawn & chorizo linguine S$22, the popular dish here.

prawn & chorizo linguine S$22 

it was an excellent pasta – presentation was perfect, pretty,pasta texture was al dente, prawn was fresh & bouncy, & chorizo flavours were superb. & nice shaved parmesan cheese.

squidink seafood pasta S$20

same with the pasta of the day S$20 – a squid ink sauce seafood linguine. 🙂

squidink seafood pasta S$20

very tasty, though between the 2, i think the prawn chorizo linguine was better. 🙂

iberian pork secreto medium well S$26

the iberian pork secreto medium well S$26 was perfect too.

secreto had good marbling, flavourful & very well done, charred ont he outside, and sauce very tasty also. server advised the recommended doneness is medium well.

i googled secreto. found that it’s a secret butcher’s cut, not too specific, could be a cut near the belly. anyway it was a very good tasting cut.

100day grain fed black angus ribeye rare S$34

the 100day grain fed black angus ribeye rare S$34 also very good.

very tender, and sweet.

100day grain fed black angus ribeye medium rare S$34

i think good & fair price for a 100day grain fed black angus ribeye at S$34, and great value when there is 1 for 1. 🙂

100day grain fed black angus ribeye medium rare S$34

the 2oog rib eye steak was served with a tub of fries. 🙂

dinner for 4pax was about S$160, including of 1 for 1 alcoholic drinks from 4pm – 9pm. the white wine we had was very good, the whisky (fott-step in the dark) was useless, just whicky on the rocks…w/o the drinks it would have been about S$115. very good value! ^^

c.h.e.f andy

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

Porta @ Park Hotel Clarke Quay

Address:
1 Unity St, Singapore 237983
Contact:
6593 8855
Opening Hours:
daily
  • 11AM–10:30PM

3pax OPS Bros Home Lunch + Durians on 9Nov2017

Posted on by

simple 3pax lunch

my OPS bros WM & WT came over for lunch. we decided last minute..

i made some quick & easy dishes-claypot rice, steamed pork ribs, fried celery with salted fish..

WT brought durians…the D13 & especially small seeds kang hai were very good..the MSW today less so…

HK claypot rice

HK claypot rice

i still have quite a bit of duck liver saucsage from HK.

so i made a simple claypot rice, 1.5cups rice for 3pax, 2 sausage + 2 duck liver sausage, 5 small chinese dried mushrooms cut in strips, fried with chicken fat & salted fish & chopped garlic (no ginger today), and cooked about 20mins.

not my best, still very flavourful & tasty. WM tapao some back

steamed pork ribs 

i steamed some frozen pork ribs for 2 hrs, very tender &  nicely marinated (about 400g pork ribs, 1tbsp fish sauce, 1tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tbsp olive oil,1/2 tbsp sesame oil, 1/2tbsp oyster sauce, 1/2tbsp cornflour).

because i was not adding chicken for the claypot rice, i prepared the pork ribs so can add to the rice. it was not necessary as the rice was tasty enough & i just added some of the steamed pork rib juice.

salted fish fried celery

there was celery in the fridge, so i fried some picking the inside tender stems with salted fish…this dish my sis invention…very good actually!

MSW

D13 & kang hai durians

after lunch we chatted for a while then it was time for durians.

WT bought 4 durians S$75. the D13 was good & the kang hai with vanishing seeds was very good. both were S$12/kg. the MSW most heavy & expensive at S$16/kg was below par, some parts a bit hard & flavours not the best…

i have not eaten any durians since many months back when MSW prices rocketed to S$38/kg so my first in many months, still enjoy it though i know i have taken much better MSW.

c.h.e.f andy

 

Great Omakase @ Hachi on 8Nov2017

Posted on by

#1 hotate isobe age

had another awesome A5 ohmi wagyu omakase lunch at hachi on 8.11.2017. ^^

first dish was hotate isobe age, a nori (seaweed) flavoured fritter of scallop on a bed of pumpkin puree.

scallop was good, sweet…the nori flavoured fritter also very nice.

#2 large oyster with ponzu jelly

the oyster with ponzu jelly was another really delectable dish…so nice lor!

oyster very fresh, plump & sweet, & the ponzu jelly combined perfectly. 🙂

#3 ohmi wagyu nimono 近江和牛 with taro

the ohmi wagyu 近江和牛nimono (steamed dish) was so flavourful & melt-in-the-mouth.

i think maybe i will try making this dish myself, getting a cheaper wagyu cut & sous vide or low temperature braise.

#4 sashimi moriawase – akami, kampachi, hirame

the sashimi moriawase had only akami, kampachi, hirame. all the sashimi were very good, very sweet.

but the quality of ingredients prompted me to look at past omakase lunches i had here.

looking at the photos of the sashimi moriawase on 2.2.2017 with my 3 OPS bros, the sashimi today was much inferior in quality by comparison.

likewise, then we had uni isobe age..today we had hotate isobe age…quite different la..

#5 grilled A5 ohmi wagyu steak

the grilled A5 ohmi wagyu steak was the best dish for this omakase..so flavourful, marbled, melt-in-your-mouth. ^^

#5 grilled A5 ohmi wagyu steak 

it was served with some some charcoal salt, sweet potato, a white grated wasabi, momotaro tomatoes from hokkaido, crackers and a wedge of tiny dried fishes. awesome!

#6 ohmi wagyu sushi 

the 3 ohmi wagyu sushi were yopped with a ponzu minced daikon, uni & caviar, and a white foie gras dust. 🙂

#6 ohmi wagyu sushi

i liked all 3, not surprisingly the caviar & uni one best. the white foie gras dust did not seem to add anything to the delicious wagyu sushi….

#7 soba with sakura ebi

the “gohan” item for the set was soba with sakura ebi. nice too.

#7 soba with sakura ebi 

tasty dish & sakura ebi flavour & texture was a great accompaniment.

#8 vanilla ice cream with chestnut

they did not have the kuromame which they supposed to serve so replaced by a vanilla ice cream with pistachio chips & chestnut mash in the middle. nice dessert too.

the omakase lunch is now S$95pax (S$88pax before). it is 8-course c/w with the omakase dinner, now at S$178 pax and S$218pax (S$138pax & S$188pax before). it is not cheap but with 3 servings of A5 ohmi wagyu i guess that is still for me the best jap omakase in town for the price.

if c/w the previous same omakase say on 2.2.2017. the ingredients were distinctly inferior, but overall the omakase lunch still very good. just hope there is no continuous shifting of prices north & ingredients south!

c.h.e.f andy

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

Hachi

Address

#01-01, 6 Mohamed Sultan Road, 238956

Contact

+65 67349622

Opening Hours

Mon – Fri: 12:00 – 14:30

Tue – Fri: 18:00 – 23:00

Sat, Sun & PH: 18:00 – 23:00

No lunch of Sat, Sun & PH

Closed: Alt Sun

Pla Neung Manao (Thai Lime Juice Steamed Fish) on 7Nov2017

Posted on by

pla neung manao

my first try to make a thai seabass pla neung manao – lime juice steamed seabass on 7.11.2017.

i watched 2 video recipes at hot thai kitchen & alleat thai…

sauce for pla neung manao

preparation was straight forward. just make a sauce. steam the fish, then add sauce to fish. 🙂

i  made the sauce from-

  • 1cup intense chicken stock
  • 2 tsp palm sugar
  • juice from 2 lime
  • 3 tbsp fish sauce
  • 4tsp chopped garlic
  • 5 cut chilli padi
  • 1 large stalk chopped cilantro

i dissolved the palm sugar in the heated stock, then transferred to a bowl & added the other ingredients, the chopped cilantro last, so it flavoured the sauce but not wilt too much.

seabass pla neung manao

for the fish, i placed 2 stalks lemon grass (white part) in the belly, & steamed the 600g seabass i think about 8mins, agaklogy la…

seabass pla neung manao

steaming was just right, perfect texture, not overcooked.

added some celery leaves for garnishing & flavouring too. actually i though i bought chinese celery for that purpose, but it was nowhere to be found so replaced with celery leaves. lol! 🙂

pla neung manao

& then just spooned the sauce over the seabass.

pla neung manao

dish looked pretty & well presented.

i think authentic enuough.msauce was very tasty from the stock. also sour (the key), garlicy, salty, spicy & flavours of cilantro & celery…& fish texture just right..

it was pretty good really..not better than my recent experiment scallion baked seabass or any of the steamed version..i think i like the steamed spicy black bean sauce best…

always a good alternative dish & nice variation to make.

c.h.e.f andy

Ingredients:

  • 500g-600g seabass
  • 2 stalk lemon grass (white part)
  • 2 stalks chinese celery

sauce:

  • 1cup intense chicken stock
  • 2 tsp palm sugar
  • juice from 2 lime
  • 3 tbsp fish sauce
  • 4tsp chopped garlic
  • 5 chilli padi
  • 1 large stalk chopped cilantro

Directions:

  1. dissolve palm sugar in the heated stock, then transfer to a bowl & add the other sauce ingredients, the chopped cilantro last, so it flavours the sauce but not wilt too much.
  2. place 2 stalks lemon grass (white part) in the belly, & steam the 600g seabass for 8mins…
  3. spoon the sauce over the seabass. & voila!

 

 

RI Bro bought 11pax Dinner @ Ah Yat Abalone Forum on 6Nov2017

Posted on by

garlic steamed razor clams S$5.50 each

my good friend dentist bro bought 11pax dinner at ah yat abalone forum to celebrate my wife, daughter & son birthdays in november on 6.11.2017. ^^

we ordered the usual promo items.

garlic steamed razor clams S$5.50 each

the razor clams were very well done, consistent & perfect texture 火侯& the best garlicy flavour & with tanhoon. great stuff! 🙂

3 boston lobsters in superior stock上汤焗 @ S$29.80 each

there were 11pax. i ordered 5 boston lobsters at the promo price @ S$29.80 each. ^^

i know the superior stock preparation 上汤焗 is good here so i ordred 3 lobsters in superior stock上汤焗.

lobster in superior stock上汤焗

live lobsters, so perfectly fresh & sweet & tasty.

lobster in superior stock上汤焗

today though the superior stock上汤焗  was not the best i had here, not intense or tasty enough…

2 boston lobsters in lime sauce @ S$29.80 each

i had wanted to the pumpkin preparation which was the popular dish at ah yat grandstand.

the server said they don’t do here, and she recommended the lime sauce preparation.

and it was very good. very tasty sauce indeed!

2 boston lobsters in lime sauce @ S$29.80 each

a new preparation for me & a thoroughly delicious & enjoyable one.

it trigger my interest, maybe i will try doing pumpkin sauce preparation and also this lime sauce preparation at home, maybe with prawn first & see if i want to progress to crab or lobster…

crab tanhoon = 1.2kh crab @ S$98/kg & 30% discounts

they do not serve sri lankan crab. the server recommended the canadian crab similar to dungeness crab 麵包蟹…

crab tanhoon = 1.2kh crab @ S$98/kg & 30% discounts

crab tanhoon was very tasty. everyone loved it… 🙂

crab tanhoon = 1.2kh crab @ S$98/kg & 30% discounts

it’s a bit expensive. th dish cost like S$82 after 30% discounts.

it was very good though, and this huge serving size was necessary to feed 11 hungry chappies…. 🙂

HK steamed garoupa = 1kg @ S$38/kg

tiger garoupa is another promo dish here at S$38/kg.

& it is done really well here. excellent every time, and no different this evening. ^^

HK steamed garoupa = 1kg @ S$38/kgHK steamed garoupa

fish was very fresh, meat was bouncy and very tasty, nicely garnished.

the sauce was very fragrant.

HK steamed garoupa = 1kg @ S$38/kg

everyone enjoyed the fish! 🙂

HK steamed garoupa = 1kg @ S$38/kg

really like the simple hong kong steam preparation..meat very tasty & sauce very fragrant…

fried brocoli S$32

had to add a vegetable & it’s really expensive… large brocoli for S$32!

fried brocoli S$32

brocoli was ok, not specially good wokhae. i can do this kind of standard anytime.

seafood horfun 

seafood hor fun was ok, good serving size, enough for 11pax.

good enough wok hae i supposed.. a pretty ok competent dish, not particularly outstanding.

seafood horfun

good a mount of ingredients too.

they charge like S$2.70pax for tea & another S$3 per plate of peanuts which is tied to the napkins. so we have to pay for the nuts otherwise no napkins.. for our 11pax dinner they charged $9 for peanuts + napkins…maybe it is inventive, but i think it is a nuisance, though ok if the food is good & price is right then let them make some money ok la…

dinner for 11pax was S$%18 nett. i think price ok considering we had 5 lobsters, 1.2kg crab. 1 kg garoupa, 11 razor clams + brocoli + horfun.

everyone enjoyed the food.

anyway we had a very fun dinner, my family of 5 + my good friend & bro dentist + godsis & 2 hubby + 3 RI bros…

very memorable evening & happy birthdays to my wife, daughter & son…

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

Excellent 5pax Family Outing & Tapas Dinner @ Sabio Duxton Hill on 5Nov2017

Posted on by

chorizho tortilla – spanish omelette

several family birthdays coming up this period…we got a day when everyone is around & went out for a 5pax family dinner at sabio @ duxton hill on 5.11.2017. ^^

open air parking outside the restaurant was easy on a sunday at 7pm.

sabio has a group menu. we ordered 12 tapas for S$128 to share among 5pax.

first tapas on the table was a chorizho tortilla – spanish omelette. pretty tasty especially with the chorizo, very nicely done, good presentation. 🙂

they allowed repeat orders (more than 1 order per tapas), so we ordered 8 tapas first, and decide on the remaining 4 after we have tasted the tapas we ordered.

tomato gazpacho S$8

daughter wanted a gazpacho. it was S$8 on the menu so we ordered the gazpacho ala carte.

it was ordinary.

i think my own tomato & cucumber gazpacho a lot tastier. 🙂

chorizo ham croquette 

the chorizo ham croquette good too, very tasty & crisp outside. 🙂

ceviche gambas with tacos chip 

the ceviche gambas with tacos chip very good.

ceviche gambas with tacos chip 

we ordered this a second time.

ceviche gambas with tacos chip 

it has sweet raw prawns, good salsa & crisp tacos chip, great texture combination & excellent dining experience!

ceviche gambas with tacos chip 

this a must order if i come again. 🙂

pan fry prawns

& the panfried gambas was just as good. son like this even better.

prawns were bouncy. sauce was the best! very tasty indeed.

pan fry prawns 

wife thought it’s like frozen prawns. in any case this prawn texture is easy to do, the sauce though is more of a challenge. i think it is a lobster or shellfish bisque, so maybe i will try a bisque & do this prawn tapas dish.

sliced octopus

we ordered the octopus. it was nice texture, a bit bland in taste, a bit better with the sea salt.

anyway, gave me some ideas….maybe i will experiment a squid dish..don’t have octopus don’t so easy to get it seems…

chorizo 

a tasty if salty chorizo dish…son, youngest daughter & i quite like the dish..this easy to do…again got to think a bit about the sauce..

mussels in white wine sauce 

mussels in white wine sauce, oddly, was the below par dish among the excellent tapas dishes.

really odd. i really the creamy white wine sauce not tasty. mussels was ok actually but overall much underwhelming.

squid ala plancha 

the squid ala plancha a little overcooked. i can do better than that.

the sauce though was tasty. that one i got to think about what to do how to do…

caviar eggplant with toast 

the caviar eggplant on toast was nice. couldn’t taste any cavar though, didn’t seem to matter much.

this a dish i can do easily.

squid ink seafood fiduea 

the squid ink seafood fiduea was good, flavourful. son & i thought the seafood fiduea at foc was much superior, a lot tastier stock.

i didn’t find any fiduea in the supermarts. i tried with beehoon before, cutting it small after baking. maybe angelhair texture would be better, more al dente. i can cut it small, then bake it or reduce the stock & cook. it would fun experimenting.

squid ink seafood fiduea S$26

still, this squid ink seafood fiduea was quite excellent. i will certainly order this again if i come.

we ordered a jug of sanglia, and son ordered a churos to take away.

5pax tapas dinner came to S$261nett. we were happy with the service which was very good & efficient & also my daughter broke a wine glass, so i gave a big tip.

we enjoyed very much this family outing & joint birthdays dinner. ^^

c.h.e.f andy

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

Sabio @ Duxton Hill
Address:
5 Duxton Hill, Singapore 089591
Contact:
6690 7562
Opening Hours
Mon -Thurs
  • 12–11:30PM
Friday
  • 12PM–12AM
Saturday
  • 5PM–12AM
Sunday
  • 11:30AM–10:30PM

Tasty Scallions Baked Seabass on 3Nov2017

Posted on by

scallion baked seabass

wife & i had a really good scallions baked flat fish head 葱焖鸦片鱼头 at old jesse in shanghai tian ping road on 28.10.2017. will write about that later.

i decided to experiment the method using a cheap seabass on 4.11.2017. ^^

trying to replicate the incredible 葱焖鸦片鱼头 at old jesse. haha!

seabass was very cheap like 2 for S$7.90 at sheng shiong. seabas meat a bit powdery not so firm & has a bit of mud taste, so usually cooked with spicy bean sauce or i was thinking also experimenting the thai style pla neung manao… but that later. 🙂

this evening i decided to test out the scallions baked preparation.

i cleaned the seabass with salt & stood it on a colander to dry.

i had about 3/4 of a packet of 90cts scallions, so i placed those 1/2 below the fish & 1/2 on top, cut some long pieces, & used a bamboo pick to hold them in place over the fish.

then i added 2 tbsp olive oil, 3 tbsp light soy sauce. i also added chopped garlic (would have added sliced ginger but didn’t have today), and added sliced shallots, 2 chilli padi. also squeezed juice from 1/2 lime over the fish.

then into a 250degC oven for 10minutes. 🙂

scallion baked seabass

it came out pretty good.

meat was tender, flavourful, just cooked the right timing 火候. 🙂

& dipped a bit in the 1/2 dried up sauce very nice…

scallion baked seabass 

so result was pretty good so far as seabass went.

steaming will accentuate the soft meat texture & mud taste so moderating with a spicy bean sauce is better than simple hong kong steam,

baking/roasting & frying help to make the meat more firm & the scallion, garlic, shallot flavouring help to balance/musk the mud taste.

scallion baked seabass

result was not fantastic, but it was pretty good, and a good alternative preparation to steaming.

different & of course no comparison at all with old jesse’s 葱焖鸦片鱼头 ..that was a flat fish head with bone texture similar to salmon head & like having 3x the scallions i had…(that will make the scallions cost as much as my seabass lol!)..

anyway no plans for moment but may try this on a slamon head sometime if i get hold of a cheap salmon head to experiment.

c.h.e.f andy

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

Ingredients:

  • 1x500g seabass
  • 1xpacket of spring onions (scallions)
  • 3 tsp chopped garlic
  • 2cm julienned ginger
  • 3 shallots sliced
  • 2 chilli padi
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 tbsp light soy sauce
  • juice squeezed from 1/2 lime

Directions:

  1. clean seabass with salt & stand it on a colander to dry.
  2. place 1/2 of  a packet of scallions below the fish & 1/2 on top, cut some long pieces, & use bamboo picks to hold them in place over the fish.
  3. add 2 tbsp olive oil, 3 tbsp light soy sauce, chopped garlic, julienned ginger, sliced shallots, 2 chilli padi, and juice squeezed from 1/2 lime over the fish.
  4. bake in 250degC oven for 10minutes. 🙂

Quite Good Teochew Food @ Chui Huay Lim on 3Nov2017

Posted on by

teochew dishes

had a jumbo S$100 e-voucher expiring 9.11.2017 that can be used at chui huay lim, got my OPS bros to join me for a 5pax dinner on 3.11.2017. ^^

ter kar ton – pig trotter jelly S$12

i need to order like S$200 to use the S$100 e-voucher.

it’s more convenient now withe-voucher only need to show my ic. service was good. the young guy is from shandong jinan (provincial capital). he helped me to compute the food orders & i managed to order about S$203 including tea (S$1.20pax quite ok) & nuts (S$2/plate also ok), so i can apply the S$100 vouchers discounts. 🙂

the ter kar ton – pig trotter jelly S$12 was competent, ok…i had better ones…

hae chor – ngoh hiang prawn rolls S$12

hae chor – ngoh hiang prawn rolls S$12 was very good, very tasty. 🙂

crab meat fish maw soup S$42

the crab meat fish maw soup S$42 also very good, chokeful of ingredients & mostly importantly a very tasty stock! 🙂

the hae chor & this crabmeat fish maw soup are what i would order if i come again. 🙂

1/2 braised duck S$32

the 1/2 braised duck S$32 was the worst dish we had this evening, a disaster considering that braised duck & goose are like the signatures of every good teochew restaurant.

we ordered 1/2 duck S$32 according to menu, but it came as a plate of sliced meat.

there was no options for 鸭片&鸭肉as in many teochew restaurants, and it makes NO sense to serve 1/2 duck in this manner. it did not look like 1/2 duck at all & we did not feel there were thigh meat, only breast meat.

i will NEVER EVER order this dish here again! FULLSTOP!

we should have just rejected the dish la! lol! 🙂

i guess to be fair duck itself was passable, a bit soft & bland in taste with no texture c/w eating a proper duck meat – a style i do not like…

to illustrate the above photo of imperial treasure’s teochew restaurant show’s how 1/2 braised duck should be served. 

orh lua – oyster omelette S$20

there was cold crab available this evening.

& i absolutely refused to order any fish here! like S$110 for a treadfin fish tail & pomfret etc.

very easy to do just as good steam fish at home for 10% the cost.

pepper beef fillet S$14

the pepper beef fillet S$14 was excellent.

this not the chinese tenderised beef cube style which very artificially tender & overly sweet.

this a bit like korean or western fillet style, done very nicely & even came with caramelised onions.

pepper beef fillet S$14

certainly a dish i would order again…very good for the price! ^^

string beans 四季豆 S$14 

the string beans 四季豆 S$14 was expensive like many vegetable dishes these days. it was quite tasty though, so quite fine by me.

seafood mee sua S$22

the seafood mee sua was nice, flavourful. my friends liked it, said good wok hae, and tasty.

seafood mee sua 

& small serving S$22 good enough for 5pax…

orh nee – yam paste S$5/bowl

i didn’t think much of the orh nee – yam paste S$5/bowl. S$25 for 5pax & quite bland & tasteless, not “pang” not flavourful.

a really good one would be like at fragrant garden – then it would be worth eating.

overall the food was below the standard of frangrant gardens where HC bought 9pax OPS dinner on 30.12.2016. 

dinner came to about S$121 after S$100 voucher discounts, so for that price then it was pretty decent food to have for 5pax!

c.h.e.f andy

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

Chui Huay Lim Teochew Cuisine

Address:

190 Keng Lee Rd, #01-02 Chui Huay Lim Club, Singapore 308409
Contact:
chlteochewcuisine.com
6732 3637

Opening Hours:

Saturday
(Diwali)
  • 11:30AM–3PM
  • 5:30–11PM
Hours might differ
Sunday
  • 11:30AM–3PM
  • 5:30–11PM
Monday
  • 12–3PM
  • 6–11PM
Tuesday
  • 12–3PM
  • 6–11PM
Wednesday
  • 12–3PM
  • 6–11PM
Thursday
  • 12–3PM
  • 6–11PM
Friday
  • 11:30AM–3PM
  • 5:30–11PM

Curry Belly Pork & Cabbage – 46th Teban Gardens Community Breakfast on 3Nov2017

Posted on by

curry belly pork & cabbage

made curry  belly pork & cabbage for teban gardens community breakfast this morning on 3.11.2017. ^^

this my 46th 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.

i used heng’s chicken curry sauce sachet, S$2.45 from sheng shiong. it worked with chicken, it would work with pork.

belly pork slow braised 6hrs in 90degC oven

belly pork were first defrosted, placed in boiling water to remove scum, washed & cleaned then placed in sealed oven dish covered with water & slow braised 6hrs in 90degC oven – my standard preparation to make a tender belly pork.

this i did overnight. so it would be ready next morning 12am – 6am, perfect timing for preparing the dish.

belly pork slow braised 6hrs in 90degC oven

the belly pork was very tender & could be eaten straight off.

i cut them into rectangular pieces. there are about 130pax at teban gardens breakfast. i had abotu 1.8kg pork & cut maybe about 150+pieces.

curry belly pork

for curry, i fried 1 stalk of curry leaves with sliced onions, then added the heng’s curry sauce, then i added the pork & fried to coat & toss for 1 minute. then i added the strained pork juice from the oven dishes.

curry belly pork

the curry pork was very tasty.

curry cabbage

the i took out the pork & fried the cabbage in the curry sauce, covered & cooked the cabbage.

curry belly pork & cabbage

then i added back the belly pork, and toss to mix.

curry belly pork & cabbage

& transferred to the aluminium container to transport to teban gardens.

curry belly pork & cabbage

i tasted the dish, it was good. pork was tender & the curry & cabbage very tasty.

later the centre staff messaged me that curry was nice & all finished…

c.h.e.f andy

10 Delectable Dishes for 9pax RI Buddies Homecooked Dinner on 2Nov2017

Posted on by

10 dishes

made 10 dishes for 9pax western dinner my RI buddies this evening on 2.11.2017. ^^

this the same group of friends who came for a 10pax indian cuisine dinner on 19.9.2017. 🙂

KY couldn’t join. V was ill-disposed & HT has a last minute work commitment. SK who is resident in shanghai was in singapore & joined the dinner. i was going to make additional vegetarian dishes for S but he was uncertain of joining, so i just made a funghi risotto & some salad & grilled vegetables.

10 dishes

we had 10 dishes (recipe in the links)–

1 pumpkin arugula salad with grape tomatoes & blueberries
2 tortilla – spanish omelette
3 nobu miso cod
4 teriyaki miso salmon belly
5 pan roasted brined chicken breast & thigh
6 mock kurobuta steak – slow braised pork collar
7 grilled vegetables- portobello mushrooms, zicchini & dutch eggplant
8 ika sugatayaki (experiment)
9 seafood fettuccine in creamy white wine sauce
10 funghi risotto

CL took the beautiful photos & brought sparkling wine, D brought too much red wine, AG brought tacos chip & dips, CJ brought ice creams.

& special thanks to HT for the cake though he could not join last minute. 🙂

tacos chips

cheese dip & tomato salsa

we all liked the tacos chips. i liked the tomato salsa more, thouygh as AG said it was a bit sour. i like sour! 🙂

red wine

red wine

CL brought his usual sparkling wine, which i managed to pop nicely.

& D’s red wine always good. i took very little of both… 🙂

pumpkin arugula salad with grape tomatoes & blueberries one of my wife’s popular salads. the other had quinoa instead of pumpkin (recipe).

very nice salad! i tossed the arugula when ready to serve so it would not be soggy. this evening i think it was very nice…

#1 making pumpkin arugula salad

first time i did the grilled pumpkin myself, usually by auntie Bes. i did 20mins, it was a bit overdone so a bit mushy, otherwise you can cut nice cubes. will do 15mins next time.

so seasoning, just add extra virgin olive oil & balsamic, some sea salt and a touch of honey (didn’t have agave nectar). same with grape tomatoes. when adding & tossing arugula, add some more olive oil & sea salt to taste. 🙂

tortilla- spanish omelette was nice & firm this evening. cut out into 10 pieces nicely.

simple preparation. just fry potato slices & sliced onions separately. add sea salt in pan. put together. beat 2 eggs, add 2tsp fish sauce & white pepper & add to the potatoes & onions. then fry in a small egg pan & flip.

pan roasted brined chicken breast & thigh was quite ok this evening.

chicken was deboned, brined in sugar & salt for 2 days in fridge, pan fried to brown the skin then pan roasted in 210degC oven for 8 mins. chicken was tender, moist & tasty from brining.

#4 mock kurobuta steak – slow braised pork collar

i did a mock kurobuta steak using frozen pork collar. kurobuta is of course like 4 to 5x the price.

pork collar approximate best as it has a bit of distributed fat like the marbling of kurobuta, but it has tough connective tissues.

#4 mock kurobuta steak – slow braised pork collar

so the preparation is 6hrs slow braise in 90degC oven to breakdown the connective tissues & convert to gelatine to flavour the meat. then pan charred, browned over high fire in butter & sea salt & coarse black pepper.

the pork collar turned out very well, great texture, and i had seasoned it in red wine & mustard, so great taste too.

the experimental pork loin (in front) was drier & not so great, so the preparation did not work so well with pork loin, need some adjustments.

# 5 & #6 nobu miso cod & teriyaki miso salmon belly

the nobu miso cod & teriyaki miso salmon belly were my usual popular dishes, always good.

WL liked the cod better. very tender, nicely flaky, oily & great miso flavour.

& nicely browned.

many friends – D, AG, CL liked the teriyaki miso salmon belly even better.

this evening though, it was slightly overdone so texture was less firm. taste was wonderful as usual. 🙂 for a nicer done dish & photos, see recipe here.

the ika sugatayaki (experiment)  just means grilled whole squid.

i was going to use the squid for the seafood pasta, but it was a large & thick squid so i decided to experiment with the grilling, and kept the head for the pasta.

grilled squid very difficult to do as it has lots of water & impossible to brown without overcooking the squid. so i tried drying the squid in the 90degC oven for 1/2 hr, blow under the fan, then added olive oil, honey & sea salt & flame it to caramelise. when serving dinner i put it for 3 minutes in 250degC oven.

i think taste was ok but not special. i did achieve the dryness but still overcooked it. CL’s comment was too dry! anyway the dish was unspectacular & much ado about nothing. not sure if i can perfect it. otherwise not worth doing…

#8 seafood fettuccine in creamy white wine sauce

i think my seafood fettuccine in creamy white wine sauce was my best this evening. very tasty sauce, pasta was al dente and prawns & sotong were done just right, not overcooked & very tasty.

i will write a separate recipe on this preparation.

risotto was ok this evening. mushroom flavour was quite intense.

still using up my arborio rice. maybe carnaroli is better but this not too bad also. risotto is a bit more buttery & not burnt like paella. & usually had chorizo to flavour the rice.

this evening i was doing this for S our vegetarian friend, so no chorizo! 🙂

#9 brown button mushrooms for funghi risotto

i used 250g brown mushrooms, the dry wet dry preparation (see recipe) to caramelise the mushrooms & onions, then added the arborio rice.

#9 funghi risotto

i put in 210degC oven for 6mins to speed up the process. so about 80% done & to cook it when serving.

#10 grilled vegetables- portobello mushrooms, zucchini & ducth eggplant

we also had some grilled vegetables- portobello mushrooms, zucchini & ducth eggplant. simple & nice, just added olive oil, sea salt & some butter, grilled for 30mins 25odegC.

hazelnut cake

HT bought a hazelnut cake for our dessert this evening. nice cake, not too sweet. regrettably HT was held back by a last minute call to cover some work emergency.

we had a very fun evening among old friends, and wide ranging conversation from bitcoins, blockchains to some school practices etc…a wonderful, memorable get together…

c.h.e.f andy

Saliva Chicken 口水鸡 on 1Nov2017

Posted on by

saliva chicken 口水鸡

i did a saliva chicken as part of the 12pax RI & OPS bro dinner on 25.10.2017. ^^

it was kind of hilarious, but i  totally forgotten to serve the 1/2 saliva chicken 口水鸡, which was chilled in the fridge. in the end, my RI bros CM & CL brought 1/2 portion each home. CL said he ate over 3 meals, together with vegetables. lol! ^^

saliva chicken 口水鸡

i was doing another this time western dinner for 9pax RI friends on 2.11.2017, and using 1/2 chicken to make pan roasted chicken breast & thigh.

so i decided to use the remaining 1/2 chicken for saliva chicken 口水鸡.

recipe is simple same as for poached chicken (chicken rice chicken)-

  1. rub cleaned 1/2 chicken with salt & let marinate for few hours.
  2. boil water (or stock with chicken bones & carrots), add spring onions, shallots, garlic.
  3. boil 1/2 chicken completely immersed for 12mins in covered pot on low or medium low fire.
  4. off fire & poached for 22mins.
  5. placed in cold water & ice to stop cooking & produce taut, smooth skin. then put in fridge for 1hr to chill.
  6. debone chicken & placed in container.
  7. mix 2 tbsp mala chilli oil, 2tsp sugar,  1.5tbsp fish sauce, 1 tbsp sesame oil, 1tbsp olive oil & taste to liking, then add to the chicken.

saliva chicken 口水鸡

wife & children liked the chicken very much. and so also my friends who brought back 1/2 portion each from the earlier dinner. ^^

saliva chicken 口水鸡

looked pretty too. and tasted fabulous.

and very easy to put together.

c.h.e.f andy

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 chicken (i use 1.4kg+ chicken from sheng shiong)
  • 2 stalks scallions
  • 1/2 bulb garlic
  • 2 shallots
  • 1.5litre water OR stock (chicken bones & carrot) if available instead of water

mala sauce:

  • 2tbsp mala chiili oil
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 1.5 tbsp fish sauce
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp olive oil

Directions:

  1. rub cleaned 1/2 chicken with salt & let marinate for few hours.
  2. boil water (or stock with chicken bones & carrots), add spring onions, shallots, garlic.
  3. boil 1/2 chicken completely immersed for 12mins in covered pot on low or medium low fire.
  4. off fire & poached for 22mins.
  5. placed in cold water & ice to stop cooking & produce taut, smooth skin. then put in fridge for 1hr to chill.
  6. debone chicken & placed in container.
  7. mix 2 tbsp mala chilli oil, 2tsp sugar,  1.5tbsp fish sauce, 1 tbsp sesame oil, 1tbsp olive oil & taste to liking, then add to the chicken.

Fairly Good Nonya Dishes @ Chilli Padi on 1Nov2017

Posted on by

nonya food @ chilli padi

wife arranged 3pax dinner at chilli padi a 11t joo chiat place on 1.11.2017. ^^

we are doing a lunch catering for family & bridesmaid etc for my daughter’s wedding.

restaurant told us though that catering is by a different halal kitchen at bedok.

anyhow we just tried the food since we were already there. 🙂

chilli padi

we were early at 6pm on a wednesday, so we were the first customers.

ayam bua keluak

the ayam bua keluak was good.

the chicken ordinary & not great (like i said about chicken dishes outside, they are invariably overcooked). the sauce was very good. 🙂

ngoh hiang

ngoh hiang was quite good.  though not my favourite. i can do without.

ikan selar bakar

ikan selar bakar was competent. nice chilli inside. nothing special.

sayur nangka – jackfruit dish

the sayur nangka – jackfruit dish quite interesting.

the prawns were mediocre, a waste of time.

the gravy though was very tasty. 🙂

mee siam

mee siam was below our expectation.

it is like a signature dish here, and we expected dry, very flavourful mee siam. but it was wet with gravy piled on it. still tasty ok, but not quite meeting our expectations.

chendol

the chendol looked great. the gula melaka was good, the coconut milk less so,

so NOT as flavourful as four seasons at lor 8 toa payoh. 🙂

S$59 for 3pax

3pax dinner include 3 chendols were $59, quite ok. of course we ordered not many dishes & mostly cheap ones.

durian chendol

the durian chendol looked especially alluring.

the durian paste was good, not like super, but anyway quite nice…only slight miss was the coconut milk, not so fragrant as four seasons chendol at lor 8 TPY.

c.h.e.f andy

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

Chilli Padi Nonya Restaurant
Address:
11 Joo Chiat Place, #01-03, Singapore 427744
Contact:
6275 1002
Opening Hours:
daily
  • 11:30AM–2:30PM
  • 5:30–10PM

Good 4pax Lunch @ Paradise Dynasty on 31Oct2017

Posted on by

our lunch at paradise dynasty

my OPS bro HC organised 4pax lunch at paradise dynasty on 31.10.2017. ^^

his S$50 voucher expires on 31.102017 so today is the last day.

i just returned on a red eye flight this morning from shanghai arriving at 6am. & WM still not back from KL. PK joined us today so made up 4pax. 🙂

xiaolongbao 小笼包

xiaolongbao 小笼包 was competent, skin, soup all ok.

radish pastry

radish pastry ok, not the most crispy or sweet radish i had.

spicy dumplings 红油抄手

spicy dumplings 红油抄手 was the usual good standard.

水煮鱼

水煮鱼 is my favourite dish. i don’t get to eat it much as not many like the dish.

the fish was i think the snakehead – loy her…like what they use for sliced fish beehoon or san lou horfun 三捞河粉.

some use pangasius which is the cheap vietnamese catfish (like the very cheap stall at foodgle hub NUS which also nice),

and some use 鲶鱼, also catfish. i don’t really know what is best.

水煮鱼

this one not bad. but kind of not much fish for 4pax. i ate maybe like 3 big slices.

水煮鱼

it was pretty good la…

夫妻肺片

夫妻肺片i don’t eat often either.

anyhow it was nothing special, ok competent…

赛螃蟹

WT ordered the 赛螃蟹.

it’s quite an expensive dish at S$12 or thereabout for just egg.

but it was pretty tasty, very smooth & especially with the vinegar taste..so maybe ok worth it…

土豆丝 potato strips

HC ordered the 土豆丝 potato strips. this one not as good as 东北胖妈 at smith street…no comparison actually..

string beans 四季豆

string beans 四季豆 was nice, also another expensive dish for simple vegetables.

wine dumplings 酒酿汤圆

we also had wine dumplings 酒酿汤圆. this a far cry from the really nice one we had at shenzhen subway station lunch place.

pumpkin cakes

pumpkin cakes were good.

red bean pancakes

red bean pancakes good too but this not my favourite dessert. it was crispy & the red bean paste good.

lunch was S$67 after S$50 voucher, so would have been S$127 for 4pax. needless to say with the $50 discount, S$67 for 4pax pretty good, not quite otherwise la..

c.h.e.f andy

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

Paradise Dynasty @ Ion Orchard level 4

Address:
2 Orchard Turn, 04-12A, Singapore 238801
Located in: ION Orchard Mall
Contact:
9116 6487
Opening Hours:
Saturday – Sunday
  • 10:30AM–10PM
Monday – Friday
  • 11:00AM–10PM

Great 5pax Family Suckling Pig Dinner @ Man Fu Yuan on 26Oct2017

Posted on by

roast suckling pig 

wife bought 5pax family dinner at man fu yuan on 26.10.2017. ^^

man fu yuan 

place was crowded.

amex love dining 50% discount voucher 

we had a amex love dining 50% discount voucher  expiring end oct2017, just right tiem to use it.

eldest daughter & JH were away in boston, so we had 5pax dinner.

roast suckling pig 

suckling pig is very good here.

we actually preferred the 南乳style where the meat is served together.

this one was served 片皮style with thinly sliced skin served with chinese pancake, similar to peking duck style.

roast suckling pig

anyhow we asked for the pig to be chopped up & served.

all of us had too much suckling pig. lol!

lychee salted egg oysters fritters

wife ordered a lychee salted egg oysters fritters.

the slated egg flavour & fritter was well done.

son did not like the lychee flavours.

also could not taste the oysters.

lychee salted egg oysters fritters 

overall not a favouirte dish for me. i could do w/o.

pepper beef

pepper beef was very tender.

wife & i actually not particularly favour these tenderised beef chinese style.

anyhow the dish was pretty well done & tasty as well.

pepper beef 

so it was an ok dish for me.

tofu dish

the tofu dish with enoki mushrooms was tasty, very good broth.

tofu dish 

the tofu itself was not the best, nice crispy skin but inside not the sweet & very smooth teture.

xo fried rice 

we were advised to order the chef special xo fried rice S$32. not sure what different it was c/w the fried rice in the main menu, also a signature dish here.

didn’t taste any spicy xo flavours…the server said they charged S$8 for xo sauce, so that was why we ordered this.

nice flavourful fried rice, not particularly like the best i had…

birthday peaches 寿桃

the restaurant provided lotus paste birthday peaches 莲蓉寿桃.

dinner for 5pax including the whole suckling pig was S$240nett after 0% discounts. pretty good considering that the whole suckling pig alone was S$268 w/o discounts.

the other food were ok, but nothing special..

anyway avery nice enjoyable dinner with family….

birthday cake

we decided to come home for the birthday cake cutting celebration.

c.h.e.f andy

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

Man Fu Yuan Restaurant
Address:
80 Middle Rd, Singapore 188966
Contact:
6825 1008
Opening Hours:
Monday – Saturday
  • 11:45AM–3PM
  • 6:30–10:30PM
Sunday
  • 11AM–3PM
  • 6:30–10:30PM

Delicious 12pax Homecooked Dinner for my RI & OPS bros on 25Oct2017

Posted on by

12pax RI & OPS bro dinner dishes

special day this 25.10.2017. my 2 groups of bros from RI & OPS coming together. wife also joined me for 12pax dinner. ^^

12pax RI & OPS bro dinner dishes

i did 10 dishes 🙂 –

  1. chinese herbal mutton rib soup
  2. char siew
  3. siew yoke
  4. 元蹄braised trotters (big intestines as side)
  5. saliva chicken 口水鸡
  6. wine chicken 黄焖鸡
  7. song fish head 松鱼头
  8. double-cooked pork 回锅肉
  9. HK claypot rice
  10. fried spinach

my RI bros came armed with “happy birthday” banner as it would soon be my birthday. they were busier putting up the deco than me cooking. lol!^^

my first dish was chinese herbal mutton rib soup. just a small portion, 500g mutton ribs, and using toa seng kong herbal bakuteh sachet.

ribs were super tender after 6hrs in a 90degC oven. & the toa seng kong flavouring of the soup was perfect. perfectly no strong overpowering mutton flavour.

very delicious & i think better than most mutton soup outside. 🙂

it was voted one he 2 best dishes for the evening. the other being the claypot rice. ^^

#1 chinese herbal mutton rib soup

it was just a small portion…CH our imperial taster helped dished out 11 bowls (my wife skipped mutton dish)…our other friends CH & KH also helped..

#2 & #3 char siew & siew yoke

did my char siew & siew yoke.

char siew was pretty good, both the texture & flavours…

siew yoke using KK/I airfryer recipe was great texture & taste-wise for the meat.

for the skin, texture was uneven so some parts were tough, my first piece skin was chewy. my second piece during the ocurse of dinner the skin was 脆, ok. 🙂

wife, WM, several friends found the 元蹄braised trotters very good this evening. 🙂

great gelatinous texture & meat was moist not old..

braising sauce flavouring was good. 🙂

#4 braised big intestines

i cleaned the big intestines many times with salt & cornflour but some parts still strong smell. by the way dish, not worth the effort.

#5 saliva chicken 口水鸡

i totally forgotten to serve the saliva chicken 口水鸡, which was chilled in the fridge.

#5 poached chicken for saliva chicken 口水鸡

the usual poached chicken recipe…chicken very smooth & tender.

#5 saliva chicken 口水鸡

& the mala 麻辣 seasoning was very good….

CM & CL brought 1/2 portion each home. CL said he ate over 3 meals, together with vegetables.

many friends found the wine chicken 黄焖鸡  very tasty also.

what’s special actually was the texture of the chicken.

most  wine chicken 黄焖鸡 dishes outside eg JB shoon huat & 重庆烤鱼 the sauce was tasty but the chicken always overcooked & old. whereas here we had very tender, perfectly textured chicken. 🙂

song fish head 松鱼头 was the usual.

my favourite style of sauce, just like the at commonwealth crescent food centre. 🙂

i like this starchy sauce more than the more wet sauce in many other preparations eg

#8 double-cooked pork 回锅肉

today’s double-cooked pork 回锅肉 i thought was so so, just passable & nothing special.

the HK claypot rice was the other best dishes this evening, together with the chinese herbal mutton rib soup.

everyone liked it. wife said this evening’s better than my claypot chicken rice which was wetter. yup… i think it was pretty good this evening…

rice texture “tio tio” ie more on dry side & very fragrant “pang”…i added the steamed pork rib sauce as this clayport rice did not have chicken to flavour the rice.

#10 fried spinach

fried spinach was the usual. good standard. 🙂

fruits

CH brought the fruits…

magnum ice cream

CJ brought his usual magnum ice cream…

pineapple tarts

almond cookies

& WT brought his excellent almond cookies & pineapple tarts for early CNY celebrations lol!^^

birthday cake

birthday cake

the bros organised a birthday cake, a very nice cake from cedele.

& CL did the usual nice photos, our memories time capsule….& brought his usual sparkling wine which i successfully popped. KH brought some wasabi nuts…

we all had a wonderful evening. great time with good friends & bros, jokes & sharing & photos & nice food to go with the occasion.

c.h.e.f andy