Monthly Archives: March 2018

CJ hosted Brotherhood CNY2018 Hotpot Lunch + Bak Kwa Tasting on 21Feb2018

Posted on by

CJ’s shih tzu doggy

CJinvited RI brotherhood for CNY hotpot lunch & bak kwa tasting on 21.2.2018…👍👍👍

also doubled as his birthday celebration! we had 12pax out of 14 missing CH & J..

bak kwa tasting

started with a bak kua tasting session….

bak kwa tasting

our friend collected too much bak kwa during CNY cannot finish la…

CJ’s hotpot lunch

a very good hotpot lunch!

induction heater was strong & fast!

CJ’s hotpot lunch

12pax gathered at the table.

CJ had good chicken stock. he used 2 whole chicken, i used chicken bones & feet, different class la! lol! :-p

CJ’s hotpot lunch

CJ’s hotpot lunch

some people knew to pick corner seats – got served the whole lunch & quietly finishing the bak kwa! lol!

beef

pork collar

red garoupa fillet

CJ had red garoupa fillet, pork belly & beef all nice;

small abalones, quite big, & enuf for 2 each 🙂

& also quite big baby abalones enuf for 2 each!..

shimeji mushrooms

golden mushrooms enoki

tofu & ngoh hiang

vege

& lots of nice vegetables…KH still talking about it the next day👍

cherries

& huge, sweet cherries.

CJ’s shih tzu doggy

CJ’s shih tzu doggy

CJ’s shih tzu doggy got special affinity to KH…TC eluded to some part of anatomy 😜

CL took all the beautiful camera shots! 🙂

brotherhood makan & chill are especially fun! i enjoyed every one of them thoroughly la!

c.h.e.f andy

So-so Nasi Padang 6pax OPS Birthday Dinner of KS @ Indo Chilli on 20Feb2018

Posted on by

KS birthday cake from baker & cook

we organised a 6pax birthday dinner for our OPS bro KS on 20.2.2018. ^^ (KS, WM, FM, M, HH & me). 🙂

i got a birthday (carrot cake) from baker & cook at namly place. 🙂

indo chilli

we went to try out indo chilli, a halal, indonesian restaurant at savourworld science park.

indo chilli & savourworld lagi equally empty on a tuesday! no business no traffic!

Indochilli dishes so-so only…chicken satay, tauhu telor, tempeh petai, and chicken panggang were good.. oxtail soup, beef rendang, mutton curry & ayam kari were poor..

HH joined later, took some satay ..

afterwards we went to island penang kitchen at clementi west…HH ordered penang laksa 👍 but not my favourite…chendol was good but four seasons @ lor 8 is better

chicken satay

online reviews said chicken satay was good…& it was!

a little on the sweet side…we liked it enuf to order a second..

tauhu telor

tauhu telor was good too…of course just standard stuff in any indonesian restaurant.

sop buntut – oxtail soup

sop buntut – oxtail soup was quite poor, not tasty..

beef rendang

beef rendang was passable. gravy ok, beef was too soft, no bite/texture, no much taste.

ayam panggang padang

ayam panggang padang was a better meat dish, ok tasty.

we also ordered another chicken, ayam kari padang…that one not so good…chicken texture also not good, maybe frozen chicken…

mutton curry stew

mutton curry was poor also both taste & texture, not comparison to a good roti prata stall’s.

tempeh with petai

tempeh with petai was the other nice dish here…great taste!

dinner for 5pax was about S$115. HH joined us afterwards. she was busy with lots if CNY lunches & dinner entertainments so joined for fellowship did not eat much…

island penang kitchen

island penang kitchen

S$3 chendol

after makan, KS brought us to island penang kitchen, also M’s regular haunt….

HH found her apetite & tried a S$5 penang laksa..the rest of us had the S$3 chendol…good enuf & none too expensive…i will come back here to try out the penang dishes!

c.h.e.f andy

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

Indo Chilli

Address:
2 Science Park Drive #01-09, Ascent / Savourworld, Singapore 118222
Contact:
indochili.com
6909 0177
Opening Hours:  
Mon-Sat 11AM–9PM, closed on Sunday

 

 

Shiok! 7pax Home Donburi Dinner on 19Feb2018

Posted on by

kaisen don 海鲜丼 

wife brought back fresh sashimi from hokkaido last week. we finished the uni, ikura etc & had some salmon, amaebi, ika & tako left..

i made my usual tamago. also added a fried iberico shabu with onions & yakiniku sauce. 👍

& we got aunty bes to make some calamari from the tako….👍👍 

we had 7pax family dinner..

wa! the doburi looked so shiok right?

seafood donburi dinner

seafood donburi dinner 

all the good stuff…

salmon sashimi 

salmon was like lightly cured..would have prefered sashimi..

hotate & my tamago 

my tamago pretty good standard not too sweet. 🙂

hotate 

hotate was like so sweet & fresh….shiok!

ika 

ika was excellent too….

amaebi

amaebi 

amaebi or sweet prawns the usual good…

tako 

tako was pretty ok…

tako calamari 

& the calamari fritters were excellent!

fried iberico pork & onions

many greedy mouths in this family, so add iberico pork, no problem la!

kaisen don 海鲜丼

can’t stop thinking of eating a good kaisen don 海鲜丼 now!

c.h.e.f andy

S$4 Piccolo Latte Heaven @ Tiong Hoe on 19Feb2018

Posted on by

S$4 piccolo latte 

after our energizing morning walk up & down bukit timah hill, we went to tiong hoe at stirling road for a cuppa on 19.2.2018. ^^

S$4 piccolo latte

we ordered a $4 piccolo latte ..smaller cup same amount of coffee 👍 good flavours & silky smooth! 🙂

we gave the $2 as tip into the box & owner served us 2 1/2cup free sample of pourover black coffee..

great experience 👍

c.h.e.f andy

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

Tiong Hoe Specialty Coffee

Address:
170 Stirling Rd, #01-1133, Singapore 140170
Contact:
tionghoe.com
6474 5442
Opening Hours:
Mon-Fri
  • 8.30AM–5.30PM
Sunday
  • 9AM–4PM

 

Walking Bukit Timah Hill on 19Feb2018

Posted on by

BTNR walk

with the CNY break, wife was free a few days this week.

we went for a morning walk up & down bukit timah hill @ BTNR on 19.2.2018. ^^

we were able to park right at the carpark a short walk to the visitor centre. this time we took just below 1 hr, with a few rest stops, at the huts & the summit.

we walked 3 times this week & one time the following week. 🙂

on the second time this week. we took 47mins up & down, basically a consistent 25mins up to the summit with a short rest at the hut. this time we could not find parking at hindhede road side so went over to park at courts & walked over the overhead bridge.

BTNR walk 

pleasant walk as always…

BTNR walk

outdoor, in nature,

BTNR walk 

among the woods…

BTNR walk 

 a relatively easy walk, easier than dragon’s back, and much shorter of course.

no comparison with bukhansan la! that was 7hrs & lots tougher…

BTNR walk

BTNR walk 

serene, peaceful..

BTNR walk

soon we were at the turn to the paved main road.

BTNR walk 

& after the usual long flight of steps, we arrived at the summit the tower & the stone marking the summit.

a very pleasant morning time together with wife, afterwards, we went for a cuppa at tiong hoe.

c.h.e.f andy

Steamed 鲈鱼 Stripe Bass on 15Feb2018

Posted on by

steamed 鲈鱼 stripe bass

my OPS bro WT brought back from shanghai & gave me a 1kg 鲈鱼 stripe bass. i decided to cook it on 15.2.2108. ^^

like the 桂鱼 mandarin fish i did previously, as i was not certain how fish the fish might be, i decided to steam the fish separately & pour away the juice,. always felt wasted, but what the hack right?

steamed 鲈鱼 stripe bass

i butterfly the fish & cut the sides.

i added sliced ginger to the fish & added 1 tbsp shaoxing wine, & a dash of sea salt.

steamed 鲈鱼 stripe bass

steamed for 8 minutes & discard the steaming juice.

steamed 鲈鱼 stripe bass 

i then fried the ginger & chilli padi in a wok with 2 tbsp olive oil & 3tbsp light soy sauce.

steamed 鲈鱼 stripe bass 

then i poured the sauce over the fish & placed the sliced ginger nicely with the cuts, and added some cut spring onions…

i must say the fish & preparation were excellent! fish texture was firm & a bit like cod actually, and very sweet without adding sugar. really i think this preparation is excellent & better than the quite expensive 鲥鱼 in shanghai (which cost like 1/2 fish for RMB360).

this one here, cheap & simple and very tasty, sweet, flavourful fish. quite prefect la!

c.h.e.f andy

Pencai 盆菜 (My First Attempt) on 15Feb2018

Posted on by

pencai 盆菜

made  a real full-size pencai 盆菜 first time successfully on 15.2.2018. ^^

braised pig trotters

there is the usual chicken feet, whole chicken leg, chinese dried scallops & also canned abalone juice that can be used as the stock base.

i decided this time to use braised pig trotters as i wanted the gelatinous 胶 stock base.

braised pig trotters

so just usual braising the trotters, about 1 hr sufficient as there is another 2hrs to braise the fish maws.

the belly pork was braised together for 2.5hrs, and set aside for the topping/layering.

added sea cucumber & fish maw

i used 11 ingredients for the layering-

1 cabbage
2 leek
3 braised pig trotters
4 braised fish maw
5 braised sea cucumber
6 braised belly pork
7 pan-fried chicken thighs
8 pan-seared scallops
9 small abalones
10 brocoli
11 prawns

added sea cucumber & fish maw

added the cabbage & leek to layer the bottom in a claypot, then the braised trotters

added the fish maws, and braised another 2hrs.

& add sea cucumber towards the end and braised for 15-30mins, then ready for layering & serving.

pencai 盆菜 topped up ingredients

i had the other ingredients ready – poached brocoli, pan-grilled chicken thigh, canned small abalones, steamed prawns, and the braised belly pork…many pencai 盆菜 included roast duck, roast pork & even poached chicken..i just used braised belly pork for convenience in preparation since i was braising the trotters.

pan-seared hokkaido scallops

and also pan-seared scallops..

topped up pan-seared hokkaido scallops, grilled chicken thighs, steamed prawns, poached broco

topped up pan-seared hokkaido scallops, grilled chicken thighs, steamed prawns, poached brocoli

i just topped up the claypot with the other ingredients – pan-seared hokkaido scallops, grilled chicken thighs, steamed prawns, poached brocoli..

my first attempt, so i did not want to add too expensive ingredients, also lazy to go buy them..anyway the stock base is to me most important. i can certainly try a lot of chicken feet plus whole chicken leg to give the sweetness & also the gelatinous texture/flavour of the stock.

for this time actually the stock was very good, just that ingredients like grilled chicken thigh, steamed prawns, even braised belly a bit ordinary…

i not very fascinated with pencai 盆菜  as a dish in any case. i had bought a 6pax one from tunglok like 6-7 years ago for like S$248 or thereabout & i thought it was really ordinary and miserly in ingredients, and totally not worth it. and i feel most important is first the taste of the stock, so a good braise; & second the texture of the various ingredients, if trotters, belly pork, fish maws &  sea cucumbers done nicely they can be very tasty & enjoyable too.

my first attempt, perhaps nothing standing out for this dish, just a decent looking pencai 盆菜  & quite tasty dish la.^^

c.h.e.f andy

 

 

Sumptuous, Delightful Chorizo Lobster Valentine Dinner for Wife & Newly Weds on 14Feb2018

Posted on by

pumpkin salad

made a sumptuous, delightful chorizo lobster valentine dinner for wife this evening on 14.2.2018. ^^

last year in 2017, i did a fine chinese/fusion valentine dinner. lobster in superior stock & mini pencai 盆菜 etc… 🙂

4pax valentine dinner

our newly wed daughter asked if she & her hubby could join dinner. i told her to ask my wife. i knew what the answer would be.

Valentine Dinner Menu

we had 4-5 dishes this evening for 4pax-

1 pumpkin salad
2 pan-seared hokkaido
3 teriyaki cod
4 chorizo lobster
5 paella mixta

later after dinner, daughter & her hubby shared with us what they had for the last few valentine day dinners, like some edible tomato pasta, some other not so edible stuff, finally graduating to a nice instant noodles last year…ie hoping to get themselves invited next year…lol! ^^

pumpkin salad

i made a nice pumpkin salad, my wife’s recipe. australian butternut squash (20mins in oven), with rockets & cherry tomatoes in extra virgin olive oil, balsamic & some agave nectar. refreshing & tasty,  simply excellent!

roasted miso cod & pan seared hokkaido scallops

roasted miso cod very good this evening, and nice, plump hokkaido scallops pan-seared… 🙂

roasted miso cod

firm, flaky, oily & flavourful, bits nicely charred, a whole dining experience, an excellent rendition of nobu miso cod! ^^

pan seared hokkaido scallops

the scallops were nicely pan-charred in a bit of gourmet butter, sea salt & black pepper. sweet, plump, tasty.

chorizo lobster

the highlight of the dinner was chorizo lobster.

i made a very good chorizo prawns, so it was just making a delightful tasting stock, with 12 slices of chorizo, whole bulb of browned garlic cloves in olive oil, sweet basil, white wine, intense chicken stock, and reduced to a very very tasty stock.

chorizo lobster

then added red pepper to add to the colours & taste, and lightly braised, steamed the lobster for few minutes so the right, bouncy texture, and just cooked. & then garnished with sweet basil.

a beauty to behold & an excellent tasting dish. ^^

paella mixta

paella mixta was very tasty with the intense stock, prawns, squid & pan-grilled chicken all added to the flavours for a very tasty dish.

it was not as good as the superb paella mixta i made recently for the 10pax tapas + pasta dinner for my RI budddies….

paella mixta

paella mixta 

still, looked nice enough, very tasty because of the stock, sotong were good, prawns were ok…

roasted miso cod 

for the dinner preparation, basically just my nobu miso cod recipe.

pan seared hokkaido scallops 

pan-seared hokkaido scallops with butter, seasalt, black pepper on a non-stick pan.

2 lobsters from phoon huat

2 small 370g frozen boston lobsters from phoon huat, cut in halves & pincers & legs shelled.

2 lobsters from phoon huat 

small but enough for 4pax, 1/2 lobsters + pincers each…

cooking chorizo lobster

just braised (steamed in covered pan) lightly for few minutes will do.

paella mixta (80% done) 

paella was 80% done, about 9mins in a 210degC oven..

basically olive oil, whole bulb of garlic cloves browned & softened, chorizo, 1/2 onion, whatever veg available (i used brocoli steams), a bit of salt, then added carnaroli rice to fry, then added intense chicken stock, boiled & place in oven with the green, red, yellow peppers on top. a bit of tumeric, 1/4tsp…

paella mixta (80% done) 

nice to look at..

pan roasted chicken thigh 

& i had browned chicken thighs to add.

paella mixta

when serving, add chicken stock, boil & reduce to cook the rice & cover the pan to steam the prawns & sotong.

c.h.e.f andy

 

Teochew Street Bakchormee, Fish Head Beehoon & S$2 Old Amoy Chendol @ Chinatown Food Centre on 13Feb2018

Posted on by

$3 teochew street bakchormee

went with lwife & daughter for some meeting at mosque street..

after that decided to walk over to Chinatown food centre on 13.2.2018.^^

teochew street bakchormee

wife had S$3 teochew street bakchormee…

$3 teochew street bakchormee

it was ok…not quite like tai hwa or lai heng standard…vinegar, qq, chilli ok, ingredients ok, and only S$3.

about same standard as man yuan at toa payoh lor 8 food centre.

seafood fish head

daughter & i settled for fish beehoon.

S$3.50 fried fish beehon

daughter had S$3.50 fried fish beehoon…

S$4 fried fish head beehoon

 & i had S$4 fried fish head beehoon..fish head boney not much meat..

soup was tasty enough, fried fish ok but no match for the fatty thai at beach road..

S$2 old amoy chendol

we decided to try the S$2 amoy chendol.

old amoy chendol

old amoy chendol

S$2 old amoy chendol

s$2 old amoy chendol was good standard, but cannot match four seasons at tpy lor 8 la! if i happen to be here, i will still take this..

c.h.e.f andy

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

(1) Teochew Street Bakchormee

Address:

335 Smith St, Singapore 050335

(2) Amoy Chendol

Address:
335 Smith St, 02-008, Singapore 050335
Opening Hours:
daily
  • 10:30AM–6:30PM

Best Coffee @ Tiong Hoe Specialty Coffee on 13Feb2018

Posted on by

flat white 

LKY & TKF came for T-rex bkt lunch today on 13.2.2108.^^

i added a bit of kongbak with mushrooms & fried kang kong. 🙂

today bkt ok, not among my best renditions like here = https://chefquak.com/…/13/best-prime-ribs-bakuteh-on-7feb2…/

after that we went to tiong hoe at stirling street for a nice cuppa 👍 good recommendations by LKY. one of the best coffee i had.

the flat white was excellent! the latte art & microfoam was perfect & made the coffee silky smooth, and flavoir of the coffee was simply wonderful.

you just have to walk past or be near the shop, and the wonferful coffee flavour wafted through the air, felt energised already la! ^^

pour over

pour over 

LKY got the pour over.

i asked the barrista…they agreed the flavour of pour over is less intense, c/w the 15-20bar pressure machine, but it is pure, and clear fragrance…

tiong hoe specialty coffee 

you can buy the specialty coffee beans.

the one the used for the regular latte, cappuccino, piccolo latter & flat white is about S$48/kg, still cheaper than the S$65 lavazza from culina!

tiong hoe specialty coffee

very nice ambience, relaxing, great aroma, quite perfect for conversation & chill! ^^

c.h.e.f andy

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

Tiong Hoe Specialty Coffee

Address:
170 Stirling Rd, #01-1133, Singapore 140170
Contact:
tionghoe.com
6474 5442
Opening Hours:
Mon-Fri
  • 8.30AM–5.30PM
Sunday
  • 9AM–4PM

 

Great Yong Tau Fu @ Xiu Ji Ikan Bilis Yong Tau Fu Chinatown Food Centre on 12Feb2018

Posted on by

yong tau fu 

2 RI bros were meeting in chinatown, so they organised a 9pax lunch at xiu ji ikan bilis yong tau fu on 12.2.2018. ^^

this was CL’s favourite ytf stall. my favourite is hakka niang tou fu at circuit road food centre.

i had taken this couple times like 15-20 years ago when they were located ta the temporary hawker centre at outram park…i liked the yong tau fu here & also the tiong bahru yongtaufu at tiong poh road/eng hoon road corner coffeeshop…the ytf in both stalls were quite similar.

xiuji ikan bilis yongtaufu  

the usual long queue about 15pax. probably about 20mins..

3 of us queued up to order 8 bowls dry (S$3 for 8 pieces) + beehoon ($0.50) + several bowls fish cake (S$0.80)…i wasn’t eating.

the ytf looked great, and the chilli too! all the friends enjoyed it….

QTC brought a friend to introduce to us. he is a burnt victim, recovering well with lots of help. it was good to see him!

c.h.e.f andy

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

Xiu Ji Yong Tau Fu
Address:
Smith Street #02-88, Chinatown, 050335
Opening Hours:
daily
  • 5:45AM–3PM

 

Curry Chicken & Potatoes – 55th Teban Gardens Community Breakfast on 9Mar2018

Posted on by

curry chicken & potatoes

made curry chicken & potatoes for teban gardens community breakfast this morning on 9.3.2018.^^

this my 55th friday breakfast community meal dish 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

curry chicken

i used about 2.5kg boneless chicken thigh from sheng shiong, defrost the evening before, cut, & drained in sieve in fridge overnight.

heng’s chicken curry sauce

this morning i got up at the usual 7am, seasoned chicken in fish sauce (2tbsp) and white pepper, fried curry leaves (from one stalk) in heng’s nonya curry paste.

curry chicken 

curry chicken

then fried chicken in curry for about 8mins. no need to add water as there is a lot of liquids in the chicken, then added 200ml coconut milk. then i removed the chicken.

potatoes 

cut 7-8 potatoes & cooked in the curry, about 8mins…

potatoes are just cooked (not overcooked) when it breaks when pressed against the wok or a chopstick pokes through with small resistance.

curry chicken & potatoes 

then i added back the chicken.

curry chicken & potatoes

mixed together a bit, then off fire & transferred to aluminium carrier.

curry chicken & potatoes

curry chicken & potatoes 

carrier was a bit full, so i dished out some curry chicken & potatoes, and kept for later.

curry chicken & potatoes 

a lovely dish! curry was spicy & very flavourful, and chicken was very tender & tasty, though it was frozen chicken. & potatoes were done just right, not mushy & very tasty.

c.h.e.f andy

Best Chirashi Don @ En Sakaba on 11Feb2018

Posted on by

en chirashi don S$28 

went with sis for 2pax chirashi don dinner at en sakaba on 11.2.2018. ^^

today was my second time here. was here a while ago with wife on 22.7.2017.

food here a bit temperamental, maybe depends on the day, freshness of sashimi etc…

anyway today’s chirashi don was excellent, but when i came afterwards couple weeks later, not as good!

beef tataki S$13 

carpaccio was excellent too, nice tender beef and the slightly tangy ponzu dressing was perfect! again it was not as good when i returned with my wife 2 weeks afterwards..

grilled kurobuta collar S$12 

grilled kurobuta was poor.

grilled kurobuta collar S$12 

meat itself was ok, marbled &  flavourful, but overall not great, dry, overcooked i thought…

en chirashi don S$28 

chirashi don the best!

anago was really really good, and unagi too!

aka ebi good, almost the size like botan ebi! crab claw was sweet, there was a good blob of uni & sashimi all fresh & sweet.

en chirashi don S$28 

this would rank as the best chirashi don i had for S$28!

again, when i was back with wife 2 weeks later, not as good, sashimi not as fresh, uni serving like 1/2. crab claws, anago & unagi all still as good!

still like the place, will go back again!

c.h.e.f andy

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

En Sakaba @ Orchard Central
Address:
181 Orchard Rd, 01-16, Singapore 238896
Located in: Orchard Central
Contact:
6634 1018
Opening Hours:
Sunday
  • 12–11PM
Monday
  • 12–11PM
Tuesday
  • 12–11PM
Wednesday
  • 12–11PM
Thursday
  • 12–11PM
Friday
  • 12PM–12AM
Saturday
  • 12PM–12AM

Braised Belly Pork with Chinese Mushrooms – 54th Teban Gardens Community Breakfast on 2Mar2018

Posted on by

braised belly pork & chinese mushrooms 

made a braised belly pork with chinese mushrooms for teban gardens community breakfast this morning on 2.3.2018.^^

this my 54th friday breakfast community meal dish 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.

braised belly pork & chinese mushrooms 

i used just >2kg belly pork (about S$20) & about 90 pieces chinese mushrooms (2packets – i bought 3packets for S$10)

2 kg was too much belly pork to cook in slow cooker (which is my preferred method to get a tender crystalline texture)…

so i cooked the pork with one bulb garlic & braising sauce for 15mins. then transferred to covered pot, adding water to cover the pork fully, & put in 95degC oven for 6hrs to get the tender crystalline texture..

removed pork & transferred the braising sauce to a wok & cooked the chinese mushrooms & reduced the sauce to very flavourful gravy. add water as required…braised mushrooms for 2-3hrs…covered the belly pork with the mushroom & sauce.

braised belly pork

all these i did the evening before.

got up this morning at 7am. removed the pork & cut in small pieces.

braised belly pork 

the pork looked perfect outside!

braised belly pork 

& even more brautiful crystalline texture inside.

braised belly pork 

i arranged the cut pieces in the aluminium tray for transport.

braised belly pork 

could feel the wonderful texture when cutting, no fraying, no sinewy, and not much resistance to the cut ie very tender…

braised belly pork 

filled up the tray, all these while mushrooms & sauce were heating up to boil…

braised belly pork & chinese mushrooms

transferred the piping hot mushrooms & sauced over the belly pork.

braised belly pork & chinese mushrooms

i tasted the mushrooms & the pork. both well infused with the tasty braise, and belly pork was tender & tasty!

an excellent dish for the residents at teban gardens…

c.h.e.f andy