Monthly Archives: August 2018

Minced Pork with Vegetables – 70th Teban Gardens Community Breakfast on 31Aug2018

Posted on by

minced pork with vegetables

made minced pork with vegetables for teban gardens community breakfast this morning on 31.8.2018.^^

this my 70th 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.

minced pork with vegetables

thought of trying something new from chicken, sutchi fillet & belly pork dishes which i usually made.

wanted to try a 鱼香茄子煲minced pork with egg plant dishes. of course can’t do a claypot for 140pax. egg plant requires deep-frying which i hate so i plan to do shallow fry, and then add long beans which is a very tasty vegetable dish to make up the volume.

for this morning i added about 1.1kg of minced pork which was enough.

dish was passable & tasty enough though i thought it may not be as good as my regular dishes. MH whatsapped me to say “thank you so much for your wonderful dish , they enjoyed it very much”.

it’s hard to say really, so just play by ear & listen to the TG residents what dishes they prefer. 🙂

egg plants & long beans

i usually wake up at 7am to prepare the dish.

so the evening before, i cut the long beans first washed & drained dry in fridge.

i cut the egg plants this morning, not enough time to drain dry, added cornflour then shallow fry in 4tbsp oil in 2 batches..

then i removed the egg plants & fried the long beans with oysters sauce, and covered 15mins to soften & cook long beans.

minced pork

then i fried 3 cut chili padi & whole bulb of minced garlic & 2 slices of salted fish, removed bones & minced with knife, till fragrant.

then added the 1.1kg minced pork & 1tbsp heap cornflour made sure pork was fully cooked.

minced pork with vegetables

then i added back the egg plants & long beans, and added more oyster sauce to taste.

minced pork with vegetables

minced pork with vegetables

i tasted the dish, it was “pang” fragrant, and quite good taste.

and as TG staff & volunteers said, when i removed the aluminium cover, can smell the dish was “pang”.

so overall a fairly ok dish…will wait for more feedback whether to keep this dish to alternate with the other chicken, fish, belly pork dishes…

may also try egg onion minced pork dish which is doable…steamed minced pork difficult for me to do in large quantity…

c.h.e.f andy

Advertisement

Scrumptious Zi Char Home Dinner for 10pax RI Bros on 27Aug2018

Posted on by

yim goke gai 盐焗鸡太棒了！

made a scrumptious 10pax RI 14bros zi char dinner on 27.8.2018. ^^ ..missing TC, HAB, CJ & BT.

1 gimson nonya sauce steamed tilapia 👍
2 spicy black bean sauce steamed song fish head 松鱼头
3 yim goke gai 盐焗鸡 with ginger soring onions dip 👍
4 german knuckles
5 JB yawang 鸭皇 roast duck chong lee brought 👍
6 salted egg pork chop👍
7 salted egg bittergourd
8 white beehoon 👍

CM brought ching chow dessert

LCH brought daily scoop lai chee & salted mr brown oce creams

TCH brought cut hami melon

J brought grapes..others brought wine blueberries etc

really shiok dinner..missed TC…..

yim goke gai 盐焗鸡太棒了！best this evening. very tasty, tender & sweet. 🙂 everyone’s favourite.

and i was inspired by noodle place to make the minced ginger scallion sauce as the dip = minced 3 stalks spring onions, 2cm ginger, 3tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tbsp sesame oil, 1/4tsp salt.

JB yawang roast duck

CL returned from melacca today & bought yawang roast duck 十全烤鸭.

sauce was flavourful. duck was ok but a bit dry…i told CL next time buy the whole duck uncut, i will debone it.

german knuckles (recipe here) was really crackling,

the coke (i used coke cos it was S$0.85 vs like S$4.60 for beer) with red wine sauce & mustard also gave a nice flavorur to the meat. a successful dish.

salted egg pork chop

salted egg pork chop also very good. both CM & KK both commented.

i used the salted egg paste given to me by WM & J. ^^

salted egg bittergourd

salted egg bittergourd was good too.

spicy black bean sauce song fish head 松鱼头

KK commented both fishes were steamed perfect timing & excellent texture.

a really lovely dish. the thickened sauce which is flavourful & tangy need to be taken with the fish in the correct amount.

gimson nonya steamed tilapia

everyone love the superb gimson nonya steamed tilapia.

this was the same excellent dish at restoran yawang at jln segget JB on 28.7.2018.^^

white bee hoon

today’s white bee hoon was superbly delicious. ^^

very well infused with intense chicken & prawn stocks.

for the dish preparations, yim goke gai 盐焗鸡 (recipe here) was salted for 5hrs & washed thoughly, then stuffed with spring onions, red onions, cut ginger, 6 garlic cloves, and 2 tbsp huatio wine 花雕酒.

becos the salt baked chicken was wrapped in baking paper then aluminium foil & placed in 175degC oven for 1hr 45mins (1hr 15mins + open up wrapping 30mins), it was very tender & moist, and also sweeter with the salt & also all the aromatics in the cavity & the sweet huatiao wine,

more so than poached chicken 白斩鸡.

crackling german knuckles

my second try at german knuckles also very successful. recipe here.

very crackling becos salt on the skin pulled out the water content & 3hrs in 175deg oven, flavourful becos coke & red wine on a bed of onions also ensured that the meat is moist & not overcooked over 3hrs.

JB yawang roast duck

though sauce was still flavourful, the duck meat itself was a little dry &

not like the first time we had this yawang roast duck at sentosa JB. somehow even the colour also different.

spicy black bean sauce steamed song fish head

spicy black bean sauce steamed song fish head

i made the sauce with 1heap tbsp lee kum kee sauce, 1tbsp lemon juice, 1 tbsp flat sugar, 2 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp mirin, 1tbsp corn flour to thicken & 1.5tbsp light soy sauce.

then heated & mixed over stove & just right to thicken the sauce.

i like this-

hk street chun ke commonwealth crescent level 2 thickened sauce

better than

hk street old chun kee wetter sauce also at commonwealth crescent coffeeshop.

gimson nonya steamed tilapia

gimson nonya steamed tilapia

all credits to gimson nonya sauce only availabel in malaysia? which my OPS bro WM, my sis & Jeanette all bought for me when they were in JB.

2 heap tbsp gimson nonya sauce, 1.5 tbsp light soy sauce, 2tbsp mirn, 2 tbsp oilve oil.

salted egg pork chop

salted egg pork chop

i used frozen pork chops from sheng shiong, sliced the 5 pieces to make 10, marinated with fish sauce, white pepper & 1tbsp corn flour.

then shallow fry…i hate deepfrying as waste a lot of oil after that no occasion to reuse. 🙂

salted egg bittergourd

salted egg bittergourd

salted egg bittergourd also good this evening, though may not stand out among all the great dishes this evening. 🙂

minced one cooked salted egg, fried bittergourd with salted egg & set aside. when about to serve, heat up, add a little oil, fried 2 eggs on the side till eggs harden, the fold over the bittergourd. excellent zai shun famous dish!

white bee hoon

white bee hoon

white bee hoon

the white beehoon this evening was among the favourite dishes, very tasty very well infused, just right texture, lots of larpok (crispy lard) and prawns & squid succulent, done just right.

cut hami melon

TCH brought nice sweet hami melon.

CM’s cheng chow dessert

CM’s cheng chow dessert

tai kor CM now our regular tong shui 糖水supplier.

& LCH brought nice salted mr brown & laichee ice cream from daily scoop. ^^

nonya kueh

nonya kueh

nonya kueh

nonya kueh

nonya kueh

and CL brought the nonya kuehs from melacca.

yim goke gai 盐焗鸡太棒了！

a very fun evening with RI bros, delectable dishes & wonderful time together, missed TC.

c.h.e.f andy

Very Good Standard Mutton Soup @ Ivy’s Hainanese Herbal Mutton Soup Pasir Panjang FC on 28Aug2018

Posted on by

S$36 mutton soup pot

my OPS bro arranged 5pax mutton soup lunch at Ivy’s hainanese herbal mutton soup today on 28.8.2018. ^^

i think i have not been to this FC for 30+ yrs..missed al the good food lol!

this among the best mutton soup i had. better than all the other places i tried previously like the 2 at whampoa market which were good too, the not so good one at old airport road & the outright horrible ones (both hong wen) at 7th mile FC & beauty world FC.

though i prefer the S$6 mutton rib at chai chuan tou 柴船头myself， have to say that 各有千秋

the mutton was really tender & tasty, and the chili was spicy & excellent!

the soup was very good also but my personal preference is for the flavourful but less herbal soup at chai chuan tou 柴船头 rather than this thick herbal soup though it was very good.

(xingaiwei) ivy’s hainanese herbal mutton soup

we were there at 1pm. enjoyed the mutton soup.

the young stall owner came by 2pm & came to join us for a chat. don’t really know him but he recognised my OPS bro who bought lunch.

told us he in the business for 18+yrs, the name xingaiwei (his wife ivy), that his customers loved the strong herbal soup, and some “trade secrets” lol!

S$5 char kuay teow

while waiting to get the mutton soup, i went over the other side to buy S$5 char kway teow (add cockles).

it was a laughably small serving for S$5.

i get twice the serving literally at adam road FC for S$3!

char kway teow & added cockles were good, & it had lots of vege which was more unique i guess…but it was just above average & don’t make sense for the S$5 price tag!

S$36 mutton soup pot

i enjoyed the mutton soup.

actually thinking of it again it was really very good, very tender & flavourful mutton even the very tasty soup despite that i prefer clear less herbal variety.

i think i must come back again.

c.h.e.f andy

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

Ivy’s Hainanese Herbal Mutton Soup
Address: 

121 Pasir Panjang Rd, Singapore 118543

Opening Hours: 

daily (closed sunday) 11:30AM–9PM

So Shiok! Frogleg Porridge @ G7 Sinma Claypot Cheong Chin Nam Road on 26Aug2018

Posted on by

gong bao frog leg porridge

went with wife, son & friend to walk BTNR bukit timah nature reserve on 26.8.2018. ^^

we did quite fast reaching summit in 23mins. 🙂

then we took rengas path down dairy farm route. son & friend had to leave early so we decided on the shorter path via jungle trail road.

this time we did in 57mins total. the last 2 times wife & i did in 1hr 11mins then more recently 1 hr 3mins on 11.8.2018. 🙂

G7 sinma claypot frog leg porridge

G7 sinma claypot frog leg porridge

after the walk, wife wanted to go G7 sinma frog leg porridge.

we were there before 6pm on a sunday.

soon it was quite crowded.

3+2 for S$22 gong bao frog leg porridge

3+2 for S$22 gong bao frog leg porridge 

we took the 3+2 for S$22 gong bao frog leg with complimentary porridge, normal (medium) spicy. perfecto!

have not taken this for a long time.

forgot it was this good, so shiok! much better than the gongbao froglegs at ah yat granstand or the claypot frog legs at silk sicc, or the S$45 brands essence froglegs at yalong bay!

gong bao frog leg porridge 

frog legs so fresh, and gongbao gravy not too sweet, the porridge was hong kong standard, very smooth & sweet, everything was perfect!

ice jelly S$3.50 so so

wife ordered 1 ice jelly so so not very good.

gong bao frog leg porridge

a simple yet immensely satisfying frog leg porridge dinner…quite shiok 5 frogs for 2pax.

c.h.e.f andy

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

Address:

G7 Sinma Live Bull Frog Claypot Porridge (Cheong Chin Nam Rd)

ADDRESS:

AT , 599730

PHONE:

+65 64677317
OPENING HRS:
12PM – 2.30AM

Very Good Chendol & Ice Kachang @ GWC B1 Food Junction on 25Aug2018

Posted on by

very good ice kachang & chendol

went with wife to watch crazy rich asians at gv grand great world city 3.50pm hall 6 on 25.8.2018. ^^

love the movie, very fun, great script & story telling, great dialogue & acting, maybe the bachelorette & bachelor’s parties a bit lame & stereotype not very imaginative, otherwise everything quite great..

of course i also watched the spoiler, a significant one to understand the majong game,…lol! 🙂

after movie we went to B1 food junction to grab a drink. wife ordered chendol & i ice kachang.

ice kachang was good, enough syrup including gula melaka, and the usual ingrdients. liked it.

food junction desserts stall

great world city B1 food junction

the place was bright & pleasant, not crowded? or not yet crowded at 6.15pm on a saturday. 🙂

ice kachang

ya love the ice kachang. 🙂

chendol

chendol was good too, thick coconut milk & flavourful gula melaka means good la! 🙂

c.h.e.f andy

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

Great World City Food Junction (Desserts Stall)

Address:

1 Kim Seng Promenade, Singapore 237994

Located in: Great World City
7RVJ+MH Singapore
Contact:
foodjunction.com
6736 2030
Opening Hours:
Monday
  • 10AM–10PM

Pong’s Laksa (Leftovers just as Heavenly) on 25Aug2018

Posted on by

pong’s laksa

i had some leftover gravy from last evening’s 5pax pong’s laksa home dinner. ^^

so i made 2 bowls of laksa from the leftovers for wife & me for lunch today.

pong’s laksa 

the gravy was really superb, heavenly, especially with chopped laksa leaves & crispy chili. 🙂

pong’s laksa

there was no more chicken, or just a few shreds for wife.

so i added large prawns…i prepared 10 prawns for last evening, but only used 2 for CM’s second bowl as i forgot about the prawns.

pong’s laksa

pong’s laksa

today’s laksa was just as perfect as last evening’s.

no more chicken but the prawns were really excellent – sweet, bouncy, tasty. 🙂

so actually i made a total of 8 bowls from 1 packet of pong’s laksa…of course i added very little gravy each bowl, but i think laksa should be served like that, good ingredients, excellent gravy but not too much, qq beehoon mee & lots of chopped laksa leaves & crispy chili.

the gravy was simply out of this world.

c.h.e.f andy

 

The Best Pong’s Laksa with 白斩鸡Kampung Chicken 5pax Dinner on 24Aug2018

Posted on by

pong’s laksa thick beehoon mee with 白斩鸡kampung chicken

my RI bro CM brought 4 packets of pong’s laksa paste the other evening when he came for RI bros 7pax ramen dinner last week on 17.8.2018.

i did pong’s laksa once for my RI bros 6pax on 16.3.2018…

this the first time i do for my OPS bros WM & WT. HC was busy couldn’t make it. wife & CM joined dinner so we had 5pax this evening on 24.8.2018. ^^

白斩鸡kampung chicken

for today i made 白斩鸡kamoung chicken to top up laksa like ah heng’s curry chicken noodles. 🙂

i used kampung chicken it is smaller so i adjusted timing to 10mins boil (usually 12mins) & 25mins poached.

白斩鸡kampung chicken

白斩鸡kampung chicken

beautiful & really sweet, tasty, tender & moist 白斩鸡kampung chicken.

i prepared a sauce 1tbsp fish sauce 1 tbsp sesame oil, 1 tbsp light soil sauce & added over the chicken, really excellent!

Pong’s laksa paste👍 S$4.80 packet for 4-5pax

for laksa gravy i used pong’s laksa CM brought, 1 packet is good for 5pax.

Pong’s laksa using intense chicken stock, taupok & teochew fish cake

i fried laksa paste & laksa leaves, then added intense chicken stock.

i boiled the taupok till soft for 40mins, then added teochew fish cake and 300ml coconut milk (recipe at back of packet called for 400ml but 300ml was more than enough). then off fire & mixed in 50ml of evaporated milk. the gravy was simply delicious!

pong’s laksa thick beehoon mee with 白斩鸡kampung chicken

i also had chopped laksa leaves, fish cake & crispy chili. 🙂

pong_s laksa thick beehoon mee with 白斩鸡kampung chicken

the gravy was so delicious!

& fantastic with the crispy chili..

with 2 large fresh prawns

i forgot to serve the large prawns.

CM had a second serving so i added 2 large prawns for him. 🙂

WT’s chashu 👍👍👍

WT’s chashu 👍👍👍

& WT broght his chashu, first time he made jap chashu, already very tasty & excellent texture, and the 6mins runny yoke egg also excellent, very tasty braise.

WT brought 6kg msw

WT brought 6kg msw

after dinner we retired to the room, and enjoyed the 6kg msw WT brought from SKC sin kian choon.

there were 3 durians in the box – 1 was excellent the best, 1 was very good, & the last was ok.

with 2 large fresh prawns

pong’s laksa very easy to make, nothing to do really, and quite perfect with the 白斩鸡kampung chicken and the large prawns.

i think better than most laksa outside.

and 1 packet made 6 bowls today, & i had enough leftover gravy to make 2 bowls for wife & i the next day.

a very enjoyable evning with wife & close friends & bros.

c.h.e.f andy

Quite Superb S$38 FOC Singtel Set Lunch @ FOC on 23Aug2018

Posted on by

bruschetta with jamon iberico

went with my fundonate partners for 4pax lunch at foc on 23.8.2018.

no place to park at 12pm so i parked at merchant court hotel aross the road & walked over..parking was like S$7!

S$38 foc singtel set lunch menu

today last day for S$38 foc singtel set lunch menu. restaurant was quite crowded.

this really a good menu & good deal.

since it is spanish dishes we shared everything – tapas, mains & dessert. 🙂

foc mixed croquette

the bruchetta with iberico jamon was excellent, really crispy croutons & excellent jamon.

& the croquette really good here. 🙂

kale, crispy belly pork & roast potatoes

the kale, crispy belly pork & roast potatoes another wonderful dish.

inspired by this dish the last time, i went back & made my own (wife roasted the kale) on22.7.2018, and it was very good! ^^

porcini mushroom pasta

i have not tried the pasta before. it was very flavourful truffle mushroom pasta, quite good. 🙂

iberico T-bone pork rack

for the mains we had iberico T-bone pork rack.

for me this was the best, even better than the iberico pork rack dish for dinner ala carte.

garlic chicken

the garlic chicken very good too.

very crispy skin & flavourful chicken. 🙂

braised beef cheeks

LW liked the braised beef cheeks best.

and indeed it was very good standard, very tender, quite moist not a sinewy dry bite. i think a very well done slow braised beef cheek.

squidink paella

squid ink paella a bit run of the mill.

it was more flavourful than what i had at foc pimpam. a bit salty. maybe a bit unexciting among the dishes.

dessert – french toast & roasted pineapples with coconut ice cream

french toast in chocolate sauce

roasted pineapples & coconut ice cream

there were 2 choices of dessert so we had 2 of each for 4pax to share.

both were ok. french toast pretty good, chocolate sauce not my thing but i gues it had to go with some accompanying sauce.

roasted pineapples & coconut ice cream were good. 🙂

birthday cake

i indicated in the reservation “birthday lunch”, but they did not provide anything, so i asked directly “bo kek ki”.

service was really good throughout lunch & the waiter then went to bring a brownie cake with the happy birthday message for us.

fundonate partners 4pax lunch

a very good spread of nice, delicious, varied lunch dishes for sharing. too bad they are ending the promotion.

we have not met for quite long & had to take care of some matters & happens to be early birthday celebration for J. quite fruitful day! 🙂

c.h.e.f andy

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

FOC
Address:
40 Hongkong Street, 059679

Contact:

+65 61004040

Opening Hours:

Mon – Thu: 12:00 – 02:00

Mon – Thu: 18:00 – 22:00

Fri – Sat: 12:00 – 02:00

Fri – Sat: 18:00 – 22:30

Closed: Sun

Braised Chicken with Potatoes – 69th Teban Gardens Community Breakfast on 24Aug2018

Posted on by

braised chicken with potatoes

made braised belly pork with carrots & cabbage for teban gardens community breakfast this morning on 24.8.2018.^^

this my 69th 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.

2.5kg boneless chicken legs

i thought of doing minced pork with egg plants 鱼香茄子煲 this week, but thought better. need to experiment myself on a small dish first before trying out for 140pax.

revert back to boneless chicken legs, defrosted, filleted, drained & then marinated with 3tbsp fish sauce, 1tbsp heap corn flour, 1tbsp sesame oil, 1tbsp heap oyster sauce & 3 tbsp huatiao wine in fridge overnight.

braised chicken

this morning got up at 7am as usual.

fried chicken with cut ginger & chilli padi in chicken fat. stir fried thoroughly in wok, then covered & cooked, must not overcooked so it is very tender, tasty, smooth (becos of cornflour). removed chicken.

potatoes, carrots, leek, yellow onions

fried carrots, onions, leek for 10mins.

drained the chicken gravy back to the wok & added cut potatoes. cooked for another 10mins (anyway tested potatoes, just cooked & broke when pressed against the side).

braised chicken with potatoes

then returned chicken to wok & mixed thoroughly.

braised chicken with potatoes

braised chicken with potatoes

braised chicken with potatoes

plated it to the aluminium carrier.

a really delectable dish, great colours & wonderful taste.

c.h.e.f andy

Delicious Tapas 4pax Dinner with WM and J @ FOC on 22Aug2018

Posted on by

iberico pork rib

went with wife & my OPS bro WM & wife J to foc for 4pax tapas dinner on 22.8.2018. ^^

been here several times lately, so just a quick record for memory will do. 🙂

i ordered 5 tapas, a fiduea (becos it is more unusual) and a main iberico pork rib which is my favourite here.

WM & J going to london & spain next week for 3 weeks so they will be having more tapas shortly. 🙂

mushroom croquette (later we ordered ham croquette)

J liked the croquette, very crispy outside & very tasty inside so i added a ham croquette.

each serving 4 pieces so nicely 1 each.

galicean octopus

galicean octopus as usual very tender.

eel & belly pork with egg york & mash 

eel & belly pork with egg york & mash a delectable dish. the egg york added a silky touch to the crispy pork belly & eel & the mash was very smooth & flavourf.

cauliflower

cauliflower very tasty. all the dishes were tasty la…

iberico pork rib 

& my favourite iberico pork rib. very tender & flavourful.

suckling pig fiduea

suckling pig fiduea

& the fiduea.

a very tasty dish…but again, our canned pork trotters beehoon equally tasty dish, very easy to make, maybe tastier even haha! and at fraction of this price. lol! ^^

there was pulled pork (shredded pork) in the fiduea added to the taste, no crackling skin so suckling pig just meant having pulled pork in this case.

4pax dinner was like S$212 including a S$24 “50:50 whisky drink”. an enjoyable dinner, wonderful time together & a great evening with good friends.

c.h.e.f andy

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

FOC
Address:
40 Hongkong Street, 059679

Contact:

+65 61004040

Opening Hours:

Mon – Thu: 12:00 – 02:00

Mon – Thu: 18:00 – 22:00

Fri – Sat: 12:00 – 02:00

Fri – Sat: 18:00 – 22:30

Closed: Sun

 

Good Tapas Set Lunch @ FOC Pimpam on 21Aug2018

Posted on by

anchovies on toast

went with my RI friend CP to foc pimpam for 2pax lunch today on 21.8.2018.

don’t meet this friend often.

the last time he bought me a very nice tapas set lunch at la ventana on 14.1.2017. :-)

foc pimpam set lunch menu

the set lunch menu quite ok.

but absence of good main i would place FOC singtel S$38 set lunch menu superior to this.

we ordered one S$25 & one S$35 set, so we had 3 tapas as starters plus one dessert.

gazpacho

there is a complimentary gazpacho, can be said amuse bouche.

CP doesn’t take, so i had double helping.

quite standard gazpacho, the tomato flavours not standout enough like a good tomato soup.

chorizo on toast

the chorizo on toast was excellent. toast very crispy, chorizo was great, overall experience very good.

i did not try the anchovies, but can expect it was just as good. 🙂

potato with egg & chorizo

the potato with egg & chorizo was excellent too. CP avoids egg so i took this myself. 🙂

potato with egg & chorizo

very tasty dish. everything quite perfect.

squid ink paella

squid ink paella

squid ink paella was good standard, but not the very flavourful squid ink risotto in a good italian restaurant or i guess the paella at FOC.

& no comparison at all with the lamb paella i had recently at FOC on 17.7.2018.

vegetarian paella

CP took the vegetarian paella.

i did not try it, but it would be just as good la. 🙂

chorizo with caramel sauce

we shared the dessert chorizo with caramel sauce, somehow didn’t feel it was very good, not the right level of satisfaction. 🙂

foc pimpam

vegetarian & squidink paella

it was an enjoyable lunch.

we didn’t meet often so had great conversation & exchanges, a great time together. 🙂

c.h.e.f andy

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

Pimpam by FOC

Address:

442 Orchard Road #01-29, Singapore 238879

Contact:
pimpambyfoc.com
6100 4242
Opening Hours:
Saturday
  • 9AM–1AM
Sunday
  • 9AM–11PM
Monday
  • Closed
Tuesday
  • 12–11PM
Wednesday
  • 12–11PM
Thursday
  • 12PM–1AM
Friday
  • 12PM–1AM

OK Local and Indonesian Food @ Kopitaim Swissotel on 20Aug2018

Posted on by

OPS bros 3pax dinner @ kopitiam swissotel

went with my OPS bros, WT & HC for 3pax dinner at kopitiam on 20.8.2018. ^^

WM was unable to join us last minute.

OPS bros 3pax dinner @ kopitiam swissotel 

feed at raffles has monday discounts at most outlets including kopitiam for 50% discounts up to 5pax. so this first time i come to kopitiam i think >20yrs liao. 🙂

fish head curry S$38

the fish head curry at S$19 after 50% discounts included 3 white was a pretty good deal.

fish head curry was very good standard with fresh fish, lots of vegetables & curry.

may not stand out like what we had at chuen chuen on 15.8.2018 , but otherwise it was very good standard. 🙂

beef rendang S$22 & minced pork tofu S$18

i ordered beef rendang & minced pork tofu. 🙂

beef rendang S$22

beef rendang also good standard, though i have taken better more tasty rendang.

at S$11 after 50% discounts, it was a huge serving, like twice the serving in some nasi padang restaurants.

i think it was good, & i wouldn’t mind ordering thsi again but i probably try other dishes next time.

minced pork tofu S$18

minced pork tofu was good too.

tofu was crisp, minced prok & sauce were good. did not quite match the fish head curry dish, but an ok zi char dish with other orders.

next time i may try the prawn paste chicken.

the rule is 3 main courses so if i had ordered tauhu telor(which is consider 1/2 mina course, then i need to order another dish to meet the 3 main course requirements…lol!

chendol S$8

we ordered 3 chendol.

coconut milk was thick & good, but the gula melaka did not agree with me…sweet & not “pang” fragrant..WT liked it though..i wouldn’t take this again…

3 dinner dishes

dinner for 3pax include chendol came to S$60 nett.

overall pretty good stuff

though not as satisfying as our recent chuen chuen dinner 5pax for S$64, but of course our 5 dessert that day at honeymoon dessert would be like S$45! didn’t really make sense. lol!

c.h.e.f andy

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

Kopitiam @ Swissotel

Address:
2 Stamford Rd, Singapore 178882
Located in: Swissôtel The Stamford
Contact:
swissotel.com
6431 6156
Opening Hours:
Weekday
  • 6–10:30AM
  • 11:30AM–2:30PM
  • 6–10:30PM
Thursday
  • 6–11AM
  • 12PM–2:30PM
  • 6–10:30PM

Beef Brisket Noodles 牛腩面, 及第粥 Pig Innards Congee & Roast Duck @ Noodle Place on 17Aug2018

Posted on by

half roast duck

WM & J bought 4pax dinner this evening at noodle place orchard gateway on 17.8.2018. ^^

i was here only last week on 7.8.2018. restaurant is part of prima tower group.

noodle place 

chef 徐 came by and helped with the orders & shared about his dishes & his family & time in singapore.

4pax dinner with WM & J

half roast duck

i ordered 1/2 roast duck, 1 beef brisket noodles 牛腩面, and 1 及第粥 pig innards congee to start. Lisa wanted 1 dumpling soup 水饺汤. we shared the food.

WM & J liked the food, and J wanted to bring here friends here, so later she added on some orders.

roast duck was very good standard, as before.

beef brisket noodles 牛腩面

beef brisket noodles 牛腩面

beef brisket noodles 牛腩面 was good as before, and as i mentioned last post, they served 炕腩, which according to wiki is a short rib..it was tender & still retained a good bite.

but as i showed chef 徐 the photo of kuen kee beef brisket noodles 牛腩面, for me singapore’s best cannot compare with hong kong’s 崩沙腩 (according to wiki a skirt steak), just the ingredients…

dumpling soup 水饺汤

the dumpling soup 水饺汤 was good. dumpling was very good.

及第粥 pig innards congee

congee was the usual hong kong standard. i think a bit overly soft & sticky.

chefs special 酸辣皮蛋

i asked chef 徐 to recommend other dishes.

he suggested his chefs special 酸辣皮蛋, and i think he actually went into the kitchen to prepare it himself.

the century egg was lightly coated with flour & deep fried & served with chilied flavourful black vinegar. something different & quite nice.

char siew, siew yoke chicken combo

J wanted to try other 烧味, so she ordered char siew, siew yoke chicken combo.

we all liked the chicken best with the ginger sauce like served at soup restaurant. i think i will make this for my RI bros next week.

the roast pork was very good, the char siew was good standard.

WM bought dinner, came to S$105 for 4pax after 10% discounts. quite ok for the food.

Rs 王中王durians

Rs 王中王durians

came home after dinner bought some 4-finger chicken for son. he requested.

daughter finished up the nice porridge Ros the centre director of teban gardens made..Ros also gave me a box 5kg of the best 王中王durians. I ate 5 seeds, wife took quite a few.

they were the best i had the recent season. very tiny seeds & very creamy & a bit of bitter taste. must ask Ros where to buy next time 👍

there were a lot left, so i asked WM & WT to come eat the next day.

c.h.e.f andy

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

Noodle Place Restaurant

Address: 
277 Orchard Road, #01-17 Orchard Gateway, Singapore 238858

Opening Hours: 

daily 10AM–10PM

Delicious Ramen, Bakuteh & Salt Baked Chicken 7pax RI Buddies Lunch on 17Aug2018

Posted on by

bakuteh prime ribs

made 7pax home bakuteh & ramen lunch for my RI buddies today on 17.8.2018. ^^

quite efficient start for today. 🙂

got up at 7am to cook braised belly pork with vegetables dish for 140pax teban gardens community breakfast & delivered at 8.45am & back home by 9.15am.

cooked the bakuteh (1hr).

CH came at 11am & we went together to holland dr to close some account. everything went smoothly & we were back at 11.45am & i told the friends that we would be back by then. 🙂

bakuteh prime ribs

i chose the prime ribs w/o the lean big loin portion.

the parts near the bones with the streaky parts are most tender & tasty for bkt. it was a bit long though, next time i ask them to chop it.

bakuteh prime ribs

bakuteh prime ribs

bakuteh easy to do & nice. ribs were tender & sweet & very important to have good dark sauce & cut chilli padi.

the soup was a bit salty for my friends. this need to be “to taste”. for myself, i prefer to do it more tasty & intense then add boiling water if too salty. the last time i told the friends to add water themselves this time forgot to.

ramen with chashu, braised pork soft bones & face meat

i made the 6mins runny yoke eggs a day before & kept in the chiller in the pork soft bone braise for the colour.

i used the seriouseats chashu method 4hrs in 130degC oven (6hrs for pork soft bones) to make the chashu, braised pork soft bones & for today i had happened to make face meat also.

hakata & miyazaki ramen & ilc bkt sachet

i did not have any more ichiran ramen, so had to make do with 2 packets eahc of hakata ramen & miyazaki ramen bought few days back from donki at amara hotel. 🙂

for bkt, i used the usual ilc sachet, tasty good enough for me. 🙂

runny yoke egg

6mins runny yoke egg pretty standard, though still not perfect, 1 egg a bit ruined.

chashu & face meat

the face meat very fatty. i cut away the fat which was like 50%. it was ok but texture a bit like jelly not really my favourite.

salt baked chicken 盐焗鸡

salt baked chicken 盐焗鸡

the salt baked chicken 盐焗鸡  quite perfect today. i did 1hr 15mins fully wrapped in baking paper & aluminium foil in 170degC oven, then 30mins open up to give a drier not steamed not grilled texture.

salt baked chicken 盐焗鸡

messed up the deboning. friends all arrived so rushing a bit. anyway chicken was nice & tender. KH said it’s tastier than 白斩鸡. i do not prefer this to 白斩鸡 myself (I like both equally).

fried leeks with oyster sauce

i made some simple veg dish, fried garlic with oyster sauce. it was good.

ramen with chanshu, braise pork soft bones & face meat

today the ramen itself was not as good as ichiran ramen which i made the other day for another group of 6pax RI bros on 6.8.2018. 🙂

since i did not have ichiran ramen, have to make do. have not tried both the hakata (same locality as ichiran brand) ramen or miyazaki, so i cooked first 1 packet hakata shared by 3, then the miyazaki shared by 2. i decided hakata tasted better than miyazaki so the 3rd packet for CL & myself i made the hakata ramen.

for the first 2 ramen packets i tasted the broth but not the ramen. as 2.5 mins was just right for ichiran, i did not follow the instructions 3mins. so i think 1st packet for HAB, KH, CH was ramen undercooked though HAB felt his was ok. the second packet i kept longer maybe 2mins45secs for HK & LKY. the 3rd packet i decided to taste the ramen & indeed needed to cook longer so i think full 3mins for CL & myself.

for myself the texture was perfect at 3mins.

ramen was good enough i guess if you don’t make comparison, but clearly not near the best ramen you can eat outside. the tonkotsu stock is the most important, so ichiran is of the standard but these 2 are not quite there.

my slow braised pork soft bones quite perfect now so both groups (the earlier on 6.8.2018) and today both loved the pork soft bones.

KH liked the chashu better! today’s chashu was a lot better than what i had on 6.8.2018. very very good standard.

c.h.e.f andy

 

Braised Belly Pork with Carrots & Cabbage – 68th Teban Gardens Community Breakfast on 17Aug2018

Posted on by

braised belly pork with carrots & cabbage

made braised belly pork with carrots & cabbage for teban gardens community breakfast this morning on 17.8.2018.^^

this my 68th 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 with carrots & cabbage

i have been making chicken & fish most of the recent period. anyway these are more healthy.

for today i thought of making belly pork & added lots of vegetables to balance.

i used 1.6kg frozen belly pork from sheng shiong.

i used the seriouseats chashu method & slow braised 4hrs in130degC oven the day before. then put in ziploc bag in chiller overnight. i had 1 tbsp sugar, 1tbsp white vinegar, 1/2tbsp salt, 3tbsp hua tiao wine as the braising liquid.

braised belly pork with carrots & cabbage

braised belly pork with carrots & cabbage

this morning, i fried cut cabbage & carrots with chopped garlic, cut chilli padi & oil, added oyster sauce, covered & cooked vegeatbales for 20mins till soft.

then i added the cut belly pork.

braised belly pork with carrots & cabbage

braised belly pork with carrots & cabbage

the belly pork were tender & already tasty on its own from the braises, and as they were take from the fridge they were easy to cut nicely.

i added the pork to the vegtables, mixed thoroughly & tasted it was ok quite tasty, so i transferred to the aluminium carrier to bring to teban gardens.

today, Ros the centre director made her famous congee. it was very good so i could not resits taopao a bit back. also Ros gave me a box of 5kg of the best 王中王durians. i took some later with wife. it was the best i had this recent season.

c.h.e.f andy

Nice Suckling Pig 10pax OPS Dinner @ Bee Hiang on 16Aug2018

Posted on by

suckling pig

my OPS buddy CH bought 10pax suckling pig dinner at bee hiang for his own birthday (belated) on 16.8.2018. ^^

i was just kidding about suckling pig on group whatsapp chat & there we were, yummy suckling pig. looks like i have to do more kidding. lol! 🙂

bee hiang was actually a restaurant i been to a bit in my twenties (like loy sum yun)..which i had not been the last 30+yrs so good to revisit.

we got a bit lost. the address is jurong gateway road and located next to J cube, we somehow ended up parking at westgate & asking our way over. lol! 🙂

suckling pig

the suckling pig was the best dinner dish for me – good, crispy, quite tasty, quite ok even though no better than other places like chui huay lim, swatow, ah yat, hung kang etc with good suckling pig. M doesn’t take. FM took 2 pieces, so WM & me took a lot la. haha! 🙂

fish maw soup

fish maw soup

fish maw soup was quite a good soup, and good ingredients,

just that the stock taste wise (which is most important for soup) no comparison with beng thin.

hae chor & ngoh hiang

the hae chor & ngoh hiang was a failed dish for me…

hae chor “buay past” by most teochew restaurant or zi char standard..

ngor hiang no comparison with HC’s wife I’s very nice ngoh hiang. and no need to say really just one look at above photo can already la…

crispy oyster egg

the crispy oyster egg quite a good dish i guess.

but if c/w beng thin’s crispy oyster egg (above photo), kind of far off…

kong bak pau

kong bak pau was competent, like most places.

asparagus

the asparagus dish looked ordinary, but surprisingly PK & I agreed it was good & tasty.

hokkien mee

WM thought the hokkien mee was the worst dish.

for me it was actually ok, competent, quite tasty & basically the typical taste of hokkien mee in this kind of restaurant like at beng thin or Singapura.

in fact, low carbs me finished the whole serving.

so personal opinions on food taste can vary quite a bit… 🙂

orh nee

the orh nee was ok for me also.

not the very fragrant “pang”, smooth and “sung” orh nee like at fragrant gardens, but ok.

S$502 for 10pax suckling pig dinner

the bill S$502 not say expensive because it included suckling pig but not particularly cheap also as there are many suckling pig sets at good restaurants swatow, hung kang, ah yat that are in the S$500++ range.

suckling pig

dinner was a fun time for our OPS friends of 53 yrs standing, an enjoyable time together celebrating again our good friend’s arrival at this important milestone…lol! ^^

c.h.e.f andy

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

Bee Hiang Restaurant

Address:
135 Jurong Gateway Road, #02-337, Singapore 600135
Contact:
benghiang.com
6221 6695
Opening Hours:
daily
  • 11:30AM–3PM
  • 6–10PM

Excellent Fish Head Curry Good 白斩鸡 @ Bugis Street Chuen Chuen Restaurant 白沙浮津津 on 15Aug2018

Posted on by

OPS 5pax buddies dinner 

my OPS bro, WT, bought 5pax dinner at bugis street chuen chuen at 21 Tan Quee Lan St on 15.8.2018. ^^

CH who was treating 10 of us OPS friends at his own birthday dinner tomorrow, went to JB today, but still made it for dinner. 🙂

S$26 excellent fish head curry 

the fish head curry was quite excellent.

fish was fresh & meaty & the gravy was excellent, very tasty, and there was lots of vegetables. we all loved the curry, so there was not enough to go round, and i asked server to add some curry which they did…very shiok!

for me, it was better than the curry fish head at sum kee which also WT bought 3pax lunch on 18.5.2018.

S$14 half 白斩鸡

the S$14 half 白斩鸡 was also good standard.

better than most. 白斩鸡 very smooth usually meat not very sweet & needed good chilli & sauce, that is just the nature of the dish. this considered very good already. chicken breast still a bit not mist enough & lacking taste.

$3 liver & gizzard

$3 liver & gizzard nothing to complain.

S$5 chicken feet

the glass chicken feet very well done, great bite texture & sweet. i actually don’t particularly like the sauce or too much of it. maybe ask them to serve the sauce separately next time or just the chicken sauce will do.

S$10 nai bai veg

奶白 was good enough but the fish head curry had lots of veg so for myself when i come don’t really need to spend $10  for this. 🙂

bill S$64 for 5pax

a very good fulfilling dinner for 5pax for S$64.

S$26 excellent fish head curry

i liked the curry fish head especially, and the 白斩鸡 is also something i enjoyed.

c.h.e.f andy

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

Bugis Street Chuen Chuen Restaurant 白沙浮津津

Address: 
21 Tan Quee Lan St, #01-01 Heritage Place, 188108

Opening Hours: 

10:30AM–10:30P

OK S$40++pax Robatayaki Lunch @ Mikuni on 14Aug2018

Posted on by

miyazaki wagyu & kurobuta skewers

went with GCM for 2pax robatayaki lunch at mikuni today on 14.8.2018. ^^

have been been to mikuni for the longest time since i refused to renw amex lovedining when they started charging S$321 annual fee.

recently wife got the card. so i got the supplementary card la…

robatayaki menu S$80 

little has changed at mikuni except prices had gone up.

the robatayaki/teppanyaki set lunch used to be S$68, now it is S$80!

for ala carte i saw lobster is now S$68. was S$48! mikuni maki gone up to S$32. i think it was S$28. etc…

& now they charged S$3 for water? how ridiculous is that…seriously? i asked waiter who was very polite & good service, he said the lovedining 50% discounts apply. ok la pay S$1.50 for tap water won’t die, so i agreed.

when the bill came it was S$3 no discount! I apointed out to the server, and restaurant was good enuf to do service recovery, so we still got the water but no charge.

anyway i think charging S$3 for tap water no discount is wrong policy in the first place, but they have prerogative what they want to do…consumers just vote by their feet or don’t order, that’s all, very fair wad! lol! 🙂

my friend wanted robatayaki so we ordered 2 sets.

3 kinds of sashimi

we started with the crackers.

& then sashimi..the salmon, hotate & kampachi were all good, very fresh & sweet.

robatayaki set 

the robatayaki set came with miso soup & garlic fried rice.

miyazaki wagyu & kurobuta skewers

the miyazaki wagyu & kurobuta skewers were good!

the scallops on the shell was pretty good & tasty. the corn was nice. a pretty good set, not a big serving.

miyazaki wagyu 

bets was the miyazaki wagyu, marbled, tender, tasty.

the kurobuta skewer was ok, but minced meat skewers can only be that la…

garlic fried rice

garlic fried rice doable, carbs not for me..

yuzu ice cream

yuzu ice cream good.

miyazaki wagyu & kurobuta skewers

overall S$40++ (after 50% discount) lunch set, good quality food very small serving, i guess so-so la…nothing wow!

not much excitement for me to come back like in the past!

c.h.e.f andy

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

Mikuni @ Fairmont Level 3

Address:

80 Bras Basah Rd, Fairmont Hotel 3/L, Raffles City, Singapore 189560

Contact:

6431 6156

Opening Hours:

Mon-Saturday: 12-2:30pm, 6:30-10:30pm (closed sunday)

Superb Value 1 for 1 9-course Wagyu Dinner S$68.80 @ Maru on 13Aug2018

Posted on by

#1 beef carpaccio – this excellent!

had a superb value 1 for 1 9-course wagyu dinner with my OPS bro WT on 13.8.2018. ^^

beef carpaccio was excellent with the truffle ponzu sauce, tasted better than many western retuarants.

1 for 1 9-course wagyu dinner S$68.80

the 1 for 1 9-course wagyu dinner S$68.80 menu.

2pax dinner with WT

they really give you quality stuff here. 🙂

& the serving size was substantial not meagre.

maru

but “bo business leh”!

F&B in singapore very “pai ton”, restaurant quite empty at 7.30pm on a monday evening.

#2 beef salad on toast

the toast came with tasty beef, peppers & pine nuts…very nice bruschetta really. 🙂

#3 foie gras tofu

foie gras tofu very crispy. it’s quite nice maybe non descript among the other tasty dishes…

#4 ikura onsen egg

#5 ikura onsen egg

ikura onsen egg was nice texture & experience, needed a bit of the ponzu sauce from #1 dish to bring out the flavours. 🙂

#6 shabu shabu salad

#6 shabu shabu salad

the shabu shabu salad very nice too, & good amount of shabu beef. dressing quit esimilar to the ponzu sauce.

wagyu beef steak

wagyu beef steak

the wagyu beef steak was unexpected as it was not on the menu…not sure if this was served regularly or some changes this evening…

a huge difference bamboo skin & a good 200g serving of wagyu beef steak served on a banana leaf, similar preparation to a oba steak.

this was excellent too, medium rare, tender & sweet, on a enoki mushroom bed & with some shitake mushrooms & leek.

wagyu sushi

wagyu sushi

wagyu sushi also very good, though i have taken better ones at hachi but those were ohmi A5, these were what restaurant said australian equivalent to A2/A3.

got such thing meh? they couldn’t tell me what MBS marbling score for the australian wagyu…

yakiniku don

the yakiniku don came with a tiny bowl but a massive serving of yakiniku wagyu. it’s like a full bowl serving.

yuzu ice cream

yuzu ice cream always nice la…

yakiniku don

the entire dinner all wagyu beef, which they said are australia wagyu equivalent to Jap A2/A3 wagyu.

whatever, every dish was very nice, from carpaccio to steak to yakiniku don. i think a really fantastic value omakase dinner.

i had the other 1 for 1 omakase set with wife the other day at S$78 & it came with free 250ml sake.

when i asked server she checked & pointed to menu the sake was S$34. so i guess coming with wife we would go for the free sake. for myself, i think this wagyu omakase is even better.

c.h.e.f andy

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

Maru Dine & Bar  丸 

Address:

Icon Village, 12 Gopeng St #01-05 to 11, Singapore 078877
Contact:
marusg.com
6327 1123
Opening Hours:
daily
  • 11:30AM–11PM

Lovely Walk at BTNR & 3pax Home Dinner on 12Aug2018

Posted on by

1hr walk @ bukit timah natural reserve (BTNR) 

wife arranged with her good friends J & H to go btnr.

.they couldn’t make it in the end so 2 of us went ourselves around 4pm..

this tie we walked in all 3.9km 1 hr 11mins. 🙂

start @ BTNR 

4pm on a sunday. we found parking at hindhede walk, not mych problem.

the route was mostly shaded so no problem but ambient temp was still high & humid & oppressive, but ok we manage that all the time.

dairy farm loop @ BTNR 

we walked BTNR summit often.

it is just 25mins up & 20mins down, so 45-50mins.

this time we decided to try a short portion of dairy farm route which takes  total1.5hrs (didn’t have time as had to go home to cook dinner)..

going down rengas path @ BTNR

we took part of the rengas path steps down.

rengas path & jungle path @ BTNR 

then returned from jungle path steps which were tougher..we could not finished in one go..

it was only 5.20pm when we returned to the visitors centre.

sicc bukit ice kachang 

new service buzzle

we decided to go sicc bukit for high glycemic ice kachang not that we needed sugar boost just greedy.

today ice kachang was poor. not enough gula melaka. sicc ice kachang had always been good. if this standard then koufu at tanglin halt commonwealth MRT better la.

service also not good. hardly 3 tables, no service, don’t refill water. i was going to place 1*, wife pressed 3*. we asked the server casually about the new service buzzle when closing bill. she said if 1*, it’s like a complaint, manager has to come down to speak to the staff. maybe that would do them some good. 🙂

nonya steamed ang kueh (red snapper) head

then went home cooked 3 dishes &  daughter came to join dinner –

  1. nonya steamed ang kueh (red snapper) head
  2. claypot wine chicken with taupok
  3. fried prawns with yellow chives

all very nice, quite perfect!

put back all the calories too!

reached home 6.10pm. told daughter 7.30pm dinner.

not much to do anyway, so quite ok.

ang kueh (red snapper) fish head 1mins to steam, just minimal preparations.

wine chicken with taupok

wine chicken with taupok took 30mins, but mostly to cook the taupok so it was soft & infused the stock taste.

chicken i had deboned & marinated earlier (1tbsp fish sauce, 1tbsp sesame oil, 1tbsp cor flour, 1tbsp oyster sauce, 2tbsp hua tio wine). just fried high fire with cut ginger, chilli padi, minced garlic, then added chicken stock, covered claypot medium fire about 8mins.

removed chicken & just cooked taupok like 20mins & added back chicken when serving. always reduce & taste stock is flavourful, intense, not dilute.

yellow chives with large prawns

fried yellow chives first, with cut chilli padi, minced garlic.

then added large prawns (seasoned with fish sauce & white pepper), and fried till cook. do not overcook.

quite a perfect dish.

an active & fun sunday with wife & family.

c.h.e.f andy