Monthly Archives: December 2018

Daughter Bought Good Ramen @ le Shrimp Ramen Paragon on 13Dec2018

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prawn dumplings ramen intense prawn stock

daughter bought ramen dinner le shrimps ramen on 13.12.2018. ^^

she cannot take tonkotsu broth so i surprised she suggested ramen. i realised this one serves prawn broth. 🙂

prawn dumplings ramen intense prawn stock

i must say the chicken broth was really good,like a very good haemee (prawn noodles) and as good as a good tonkotsu broth almost, very very tasty.

the processed dumplings though were so so la…i won;t take this…

torikatsu dry ramen

i took the torikatsu dry ramen.

torikatsu dry ramen

and the dry ramen was also very good. very tasty mix.

wife said it was like the chinese 葱油面. i gues it was a bit like. 🙂

braised soft bones

the braised soft bones were very good, excellent braise.

i can do this too, just not east to find the right soft bones at sheng shiong, need to go market & get.

torikatsu

torikatsu was ordinary, so the braised soft bones side was much better by comparison.

signature ramen

wife & JH took the signature ramen S$19.90.

the broth was wonderful like the processed dumpling ramen daughter took. there were couple prawns but really the ingredients were like nothing to me, basically it was the ramen and the broth, and maybe this was almost the standard of japanese ramen.

prawn twisters

the prawn twisters were really poor, crispy enough, oily, a bit old, not tasty.

le shrimp ramen at paragon

there was a queue when we came, maybe 10mins wait and continued to have a queue while we dining and left.

signature ramen

honestly i don’t even take ramen in sginapore. so very expensive and just taking carbs. and prawn ramen here maybe good standard, but the japanese tonkotsu ramen with chashu still better la.

c.h.e.f andy

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

Le Shrimp Ramen at Paragon
Address:
290 Orchard Rd, #B1-42 Paragon, Singapore 238859
8R3M+FX Singapore
Contact:
paradisegp.com
Opening Hours:
daily
  • 10:30am–10pm
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Great Crab Dinner @ Dancing Crab on 14Dec2018

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2x700g pepper crabs = S$98

my RI bro CL arranged 5pax dinner at dancing crab @ orchard central on 14.12.2018. ^^

he bought the 5.30pm offpeak chope vouchers 3x$100 at 50% discounts…additionally there was a $6 dbs/posb discount for each $100 voucher so 3x$100 vouchers cost $132.

Our dinner including 2x700g pepper crabs for $98 was = $299 so we used $300 chope vouchers costing $132 for 5pax = $26pax 👍👍👍

dancing crab @ orchard central

dancing crab @ orchard central

never been to dancing crab any outlet so first time for me.

nice enough place for me and the crab should be good. 🙂

2x700g pepper crabs = S$98

2x700g pepper crabs = S$98

we ordered 2pepper crabs (menu said 700hg& it was indeed sizable) at S$98. 🙂

we crabs were very good, meaty, and the black pepper sauce great too, tasty!

usually at dancing crab, you lay out the crabs on the table and ate with hands. we had several other dishes on the table so just ate from the parchment paper like usual dishes.

S$12 crabmeat salad

crabby garden salad was good. refreshing & swet with crab meat.

S$29.90 lobster roll

we tried the lobster roll, reminiscent of london’s burger & burger..not quite there though. brioche no comparison. lobster meat ok but not that much serving, we chose sweet potato fries, quite good.

good to try one time. i won’t order this if i come again.

S$9  truffle fries

truffles fries good enough, we didn’t really need it as we had too much fries.

beer battered mushrooms

beer battered mushrooms was good.

this maybe i can do myself though i am not really hot on cooking deepfried stuff.

S$9 chicken wings

garlic bay sauce chicken wings were ok, the usual, still a good wing.

S$18 exploding crab meat fried rice

exploding crab fried rice very good, good wok hae.

crab meat fried rice

great accompaniment even if just eat little carbs. 🙂

we wanted to try the crab nachos but they didn’t have. basically try all the crab dishes since we at dancing crab.

waffles

we using chope S$300 vouchers and there was money to spare.

so we ordered waffles ice cream and drinks to add up to S$299.

2 pepper crabs

with chope 50% vouchers and also DBS discounts, we paid S$132 for 5pax, a really good deal.

will come back again if there is still discounts.

c.h.e.f andy

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

Dancing Crab (Orchard Central)
Address:
181 Orchard Rd, 07-14/15, Singapore 238896
Located in: Orchard Central
8R2Q+8M Singapore
Contact:
dancingcrab.com.sg
6509 1878
Opening Hours:
daily
  • 11:30am–3pm
  • 5:30–10pm

 

Curry Chicken and Potatoes – 77th Teban Gardens Community Breakfast on 14Dec2018

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curry chicken and potatoes

this my 77th 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.

heng’s malacca nonya curry chicken sauce

curry chicken is a dish that is easy to do with ready made sauce.

i used 3kg of bonesless chicken legs and i used heng’s malacca nonya curry chicken sauce.

marinated chicken fillet

i marinated the chicken pieces in the fridge the night before.

this morning, i fried curry leaves in a bit of oil and added the marinated chicken and fried thoroughly.

curry chicken

i added 1 cup water and cooked the chicken over 5-6mins.

then i removed the chicken and set aside.

cut potatoes

peeled 5 potatoes and cut them into small pieces.

potatoes cooking in curry

and cooked the potatoes and added 1 packet 200ml of coconut milk, about 8mins till potatoes break when pressed against the side, then just nice cooked but not too cooked.

curry chicken and potatoes

then i added back the chicken and mixed thoroughly and transferred to the aluminium carrier.

curry chicken and potatoes

curry chicken and potatoes

i placed it in a 40degC oven. when leaving for teban gardens i sealed the carrier with aluminium foil tightly and transported it to TB.

c.h.e.f andy

 

Lovely Early Christmas Dinner with Teban Garden Friends on 12Dec2018

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christmas dinner for teban gardens

made early 8pax christmas dinner for KF, A & their teban gardens colleagues R, MH & HW on 12.12.2018. ^^

Menu

1 pumpkin rocket salad
2 nobu miso cod
3 teriyaki salmon belly
4 chorizo prawns
5 ika sugatayaki (flamed whole squid)
6 Dubrovnik orange jam chicken
7 grilled vegetables
8 vongole linguine
9 tagliatelle fruiti mare
10 tiramisu

the last time i had dinner with KF and A was before their croatia trip and after ours on 14.5.2018.

that time we had croatia brodet (a fish stew) and grilled fish…this time i decided to do more tapas and pasta, since i just returned from amalfi coast family trip..haha!

pumpkin rocket salad

did my usual pumpkin rocket salad.

just baked pumpkin 20mins in 250degC oven, added sea salt, black pepper, olive oil & honey.

when serving added rockets and cherry tomatoes, sea salt, pepper, extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar & honey (or agave nectar) to taste, an tossed.

teriyaki salmon belly & nobu miso cod2

teriyaki salmon belly & nobu miso cod2

teriyaki salmon belly

nobu miso cod

and the nobu miso cod, and teriyaki salmon belly.

nobu miso cod just marinade with 2 tbsp miso, 1/3cup mirin, 1/3cup sake, 1tbsp flat sugar, placed in double ziploc bag in chiller for 3 days. then dried with kitchen towels & grilled 15mins in 250degC oven.

teriyaki salmon belly marinade with 1tbsp miso, 1tbsp light soy sauce, 2tbsp mirin, 2 tbsp sake, 3cm chopped ginger, 5 cloves chopped garlic, placed in double ziploc bag in chiller for 3 days. then dried with kitchen towels & grilled 15mins in 250degC oven. served with dill from my garden.

both were excellent! this group of friends all preferred the salmon belly over cod.

Dubrovnik orange honey chicken (not the best this evening)

orange honey chicken (not the best this evening), slightly overdone so not as tender.

the best i did for wife’s friend on. that was “exquisite”, tender & tasty, as her friends noted.

chicken in orange juice marinade

deboned 1/2 chicken marinated in  fish sauce & white pepper and soaked in the juice of 2 oranges overnight in fridge. the pangrilled, then covered and cooked with orange juice, added jam. reduced the orange juice to serve as dip.

chorizo prawns

chorizo prawns was very good as usual. prawns succulent & tasty and the chorizo white wine sauce very flavourful.

chorizo and white wine sauce for chorizo prawns

the key as in many dishes was the sauce/stock.

i used very intense, tasty chicken stock (prepared with chicken bones, carrots, red onions, garlic, spring onions), fried chorizo, sweet basil, chilli padi, garlic, then chicken stock and white wine and reduced.

ika sugatayaki (flamed whole squid)

ika sugatayaki (flamed whole squid) is a ‘laku’ dish with my family and friends.

today it was a bit over done. ch helped to cut the squid for serving.

steamed whole squid for flaming afterwards

steamed squid >90% cooked, dried in fridge.

when serving, added sea salt, black pepper, drizzled with honey and olive oil, then flamed.

pangrilled red & yellow peppers and zucchini

oven grilled sweet corn, sweet potato and potatoes.

in addition to the pumpkin salad, i served 2 grilled vegetables. the peppers and zucchini i pan-grilled. just added butter, sea salt and pepper. can also tossed with a bit hoeny to finish. today i did not.

the sweet corn etc i grilled in 250degC oven for 1/2 hrs. added olive oil, sea salt and butter.

vegetables were all good.

seafood tagliatelle

white wine sauce for seafood tagliatelle

seafood tagliatelle

both the pasta this evening were excellent!

texture was important. i made my pasta more al dente after our recent amalfi coast trip. previously i did them al dente too, but the recent trip my family felt the pastas there in general evne more al dente than singapore.

and taste was the key. i had a very tasty white wine sauce using the usual browned whole garlic in live oil, fried with chilli padi & sweet basil, then added white wine & intense chicken stock & reduced.

when serving, added prawns, then squid (both seasoned with fish sauce and white pepper), then off fire and tossed pasta, added 1tbsp butter and tossed.

vongole linguine

vongole linguine

for vongole pasta, i do not use stock so as to have a purer taste of the sea. lol! dictated by children who are the best connoisseur of food and flavours.

just browned whole garlic cloves, chilli padi & sweet basil for aroma, then white wine and reduced, then the lala & covered till they open, then off fire and tossed.

voila!

tiramisu

did my usual tiramisu. i don’t do dessert much the last few years.

this container was not the usual i used, slightly bigger so needed maybe 25% more biscuits. i thought the tiramisu a bit dense than my usual, taste was still good, cake was still moist even if denser.

R didn’t like it because too much liquor. i used brandy (whatever i have). wife & i ok with it.

seafood tagliatelle

it was a great dinner with friends.

my RI friend KF and his church PPHBC started teban gardens community service centre in 2002 and these friends here have been serving the residents, and i cook a dish every friday breakfast when i can. 🙂

c.h.e.f andy

 

Good Indian Dishes @ Shahi Maharani on 5Dec2018

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tandoori chicken

CL as usual was the ringmaster to get everyone together.

this evening we met for 5pax dinner with CCG, SM. M, CL & me at shahi maharani level 3 raffles cityrecommended by SM on 5.12.2018. ^^

CL liked tandoori so we ordered tandoori chicken.

and it was good here. i generally do not like tandoori chicken as usually they were dry & overcooked. this one was favourful and moist. :-).

shahi maharani

place was 1/2 full. considered decent crowd i think.

fish curry

fish curry

we wanted a fish curry. not sure what sauce SM ordered but it was good, both the fish & the curry. i like the dish, though i am more familiar with say kerala fish curry or just masala.

panner masala

panner masala

SM is vegetaria so a paneer (cottage cheese) was a good choice. all could eat la. 🙂

i always like paneer. they were just like bean curd, a slightly firmer bite, and tasty as this one was. 🙂

vegetarian curry

vegetarian curry

we had a vegetarian curry, not sure what vegetables but it was tasty too.

and all these curries very good for garlic naan to mop up la. 🙂

mutton biryani

CL liked the mutto biryani..

when the dish was served, we realised we should have ordered vegetarian biryani so that SM could share too.

biryani was good. CL liked it. i thought it was good but ordinary and other places had much more flavourful biryani and tasty mutton eg chat masala.

lovely indian food

garlic naan

garlic naan here good too. tasty 7 the just texture. did not dry out like at chat masala.

mutton biryani

we had a really fun 5pax dinner, a great evening with RI bros, missing HT who had work engagements last minute.

afterwards we had coffee at starbucks

this a really quality time evening, CCG relishing the “new” experience-chill & relax with great buddies.

c.h.e.f andy

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

Shahi Maharani @ Raffles City

Address:

252 North Bridge Rd, #03–21B, Singapore 179103

Located in: Raffles City Shopping Centre
7VV3+PH Singapore
Contact:
shahimaharani.com
6235 8840
Opening Hours:
daily
  • 12–2:30pm
  • 6:30–10:30pm

 

Great Seafood Miso Nabe 4pax with OPS Bro WM & J on 2Dec2018

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4pax seafood miso nabe dinner

made seafood miso nabe for WM & J 4pax dinner this evening on 3.12.2018. ^^

丹港水产shinjuku seafood miso nabe

we had seafood miso nabe @ 丹港水产shinjuku on 14.11.2018 during our recent tokyo koyo 红叶trip. see above photo.

over dinner at 丹港水产shinjuku  was overall below par, but the seafood miso nabe was very good!

chicken miso soup base

i had intense, tasty chicken stock in the fridge so i made chicken miso soup for the hotpot. ^^

seafood miso nabe

and assembled the ingredients like how they served the dish at 丹港水产shinjuku . 🙂

seafood miso nabe

seafood miso nabe

i had cabbage, brocoli, shitake and shimeji mushrooms in the fridge, good use of leftovers.

begetables

tofu

vegetables and tofu. 🙂

snapper fillet & toman fillet

prawns

oysters 

squid

i also had tofu, oysters, prawns, fish and whole sotong. 🙂

lala

i also bought 500g lala from sheng shiong.

seafood miso nabe

seafood miso nabe

seafood miso nabe

seafood miso nabe

seafood miso nabe

my stock was very tasty. but after adding meat and vegetables to the steamboat, it was somewhat diluted and nit as tasty!

anyhow after we took the meat and vegetables and reduced the stock a bit, it again became very tasty.

msw durians S$19/kg

wm brought some msw durians.

not quite the best but still good.

seafood miso nabe

we had a great dinner and great sharing time this evening. 🙂

c.h.e.f andy

Very Good S$38pax Alacarte Buffet 5pax Family Lunch on 2Dec2018

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prawn pomelo salad

sunday wife organised 5pax family dinner at patara, our favourite thai restaurant on 2.12.2018.^^

patara has a S$38pax ala carte buffet lunch daily. there is a permium buffet at S$48pax. we didn’t need that so we ordered the S$38pax buffet.

daughter ordered all the food. every dish was nice! we enjoyed the lunch thoroughly! 🙂

the prawn pomelo salad very good. wife commented pomelo very sweet, often we don’t get sweet pomelos when we buy ourselves.

thai fish cake

thai fish cake very tasty. good!

thai fish cake

among the best i had!

tomyam gung

tomyam gung and the clear seafood soup both good. i always like the traditional tomyam better than the clear one, but they are always good here at patara.

minced chicken crispy rice

minced chicken crispy rice not my favourite, but here it was also pretty good.

minced chicken crispy rice

didn’t mind it at all.

shredded duck spring rolls

the shredded duck item turned out to eb another spring roll? there was already spring roll in the menu…

it was good, but spring rolls are spring rolls, nothing much to say…

tofu

tofu was good. i liked it. this one tasted exactly like a north indian food – paneer, cottage cheese, texture wise.

scallops

scallops were large and plump and sweet. 🙂

crispy fish fillet

fish fillet was very crispy. son, wife all liked it.

salted egg sotong

daughter said salted egg sotong not too salty, and texture was perfect, not overcooked!

crabmeat fried rice

crab meat frie drice was very good!

half portion olive rice

half portion olive rice

but no enough for hungry folks!

son ordered half portion of olive fried rice. 🙂

chicken in red curry

the red curry was very good, and the chicken was tender and moist. this one i am impressed ‘cos many places overdo the chicken…

aussie sirloin panang curry

the austrlian sirloin with panang curry was fatastic! so we orered one more portion, no 1/2 portion for this one la!

dessert

thai bobo chacha

dessert came in a super tiny serving. we didn’t know and server who took order didn’t tell us, so we had couple more orders.

aussie sirloin panang curry

the beef and the panang curry was really good! real shiok!

c.h.e.f andy

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

Patara Fine Cuisine @ Tanglin Mall

Address:
163 Tanglin Rd, #03-14 Tanglin Mall, Chicco, Singapore 247933
Contact:
patara.com.sg
6737 0818
Opening Hours:
daily
  • 12–3PM
  • 6–10PM

Slow Braised Beef Short Ribs (First Experiment) on 1Dec2018

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slow braised beef short ribs and tagliattele in white wine sauce

tis the season to be jolly! ^^

doing like 4 christmas dinners this season (this month of december). got to plan menu a bit & test out some new dishes and relish some old dishes that i have not done for a long time also…

===================

 slow braised beef short ribs

as i said, my 1pax meals often used to test out new dishes. 🙂

bought 2 twin-slabs grain fed angus beef short ribs 2.7kg from qbfood delivered today..

today my first experiment of braised beef short ribs – planning to do for 12dec2018 teban gardens friends dinner and my family christmas eve dinner.

slow braised beef short ribs

slow braised beef short ribs

slow braised beef short ribs and tagliattele in white wine sauce

slow braised beef short ribs

following chef edward leonard’s excellent recipe= https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_-CObG00ck8&feature=youtu.be

(basically pan-charred short ribs, removed and added carrots, zucchini, onions, fried and camarelised a bit, then deglazed with white wine and chicken stock, then baste over the short ribs in an oven proof dish, covered & placed in oven)

i use 165degC. my a tiny piece maybe 250g..at 1hr 45mins it felt quite nicely done..at 2hrs15mins the thicker part was excellent the thinner part slightly overdone..

taste wise i did not have beef stock or red wine so used a little white wine & chicken stock..tasty especially with vegetables ratatouille, but still not the fantastic taste & texture like the wagyu ribs at akira back..

texture can adjust in any case timing different if making 1kg slab..taste iwise f unable to get beef stock will have to stick to an intense chicken stock

tagliattele in white wine sauce

tagliattele in white wine sauce

for my 1pax dinner, i made a small side of tagliattele in white wine sauce.

 

tagliattele in white wine sauce

slow braised beef short ribs

overall shortribs was delicious and pasta side usual great pasta. so dinner was great.

shortribs preparation of course need a lot more improvement. i using akira back superb wagyu ribs standard as reference target.

will do a proper recipe when i do this for a larger serving on 12.12.2018 and 24.12.2018. 🙂

c.h.e.f andy

RI Bro QTC Bought Nice Dinner @ Tunglok Signatures at Central Mall on 30N0v2018

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TC and me

my ri bro (he was also like a mentor to my youngest daughter) was away in israel with his son,

when wife organised a dinner for me recently at alba attended by a few of my ri bros and ops bros on 25.10.2018.

so today he arranged a 2pax belated birthday dinner for me at tunglok signature.

i told him tunglok no more lovedining discounts lol! anyway we went ahead. it is near his office very convenient and food here quite good whether at a good deal price or normal price. 🙂

S$78 set menu

it’s like a thai flavours seafood and sharksfin set.

thai conpoy cake with tomtoes

so the appetizer like a thai fish cake deep fried, menu sid conpoy. it was good, tasty…the tomato with a bit of pomelo on top was sweet & refreshing.

tc & me

really thankful to have such a wonderful friend and bro. 🙂

Double-boiled Shark_s Fin with Sakura Chicken

next was a sharksfin dish. the soup was outstanding! tunglok and lei garden, imperial treasure etc lie tong soup always very good.

this was a sharksfin thick soup, very intense tasty superior stock 上汤 so smooth and so very tasty. 🙂

Pan-fried Tiger King Prawn with Supreme Soya Sauce

Pan-fried Tiger King Prawn with Supreme Soya Sauce

the pan-fried tiger king prawn was good. done well.

i guess it was like any other large prawn…

Traditional-style Steamed Sliced ‘Soon Hock_

the steamed soon hock always good at tunglok. and they do other fish fillet dishes very well too.

Traditional-style Steamed Sliced ‘Soon Hock_

this was like the chinese fine dining answer to western cuisine – individual serving plated very well with great sauce and garnishes, vs the traditional whole soon hock fish presentation. lol!

Braised Belly Pork, Onsen Egg and Broccoli on steamed rice

the braised pork was nice, great texture, a bit of vinegared sweet taste 糖醋 served with brocoli, sweetened salted veg and 1/2 hardboiled egg.

as a dish on a whole though, not very good standard w/o good sauce and basically a lot of plain tasting carbs. of course i didn’t take much rice. lol!

Chilled Aloe Vera Lemon Jelly 椰皇青柠雪葩芦荟冻

the chilled aloe vera lemon jelly was good dessert.

complimentary drink

we were served a complimentary drink at the end when serving dessert. a plate cleanser for dessert? anyway nice drink no need to know what it’s for….

birthday verse caligraphy

birthday verse caligraphy

tunglok provided 2 longevity buns 寿桃

and the usual birthday celebratory caligraphy by the restaurant manager. something i recorded previously on 27.5.2015 ^^ –

少年壮志当十一

英俊潇洒二十一

状元高中三十一

年龄岁岁四十一

成就显赫五十一

儿孙满堂六十一

回想当年七十一

福禄寿全八十一

享受人生九十一

要找北京101？？？

we dispensed with the recital this time. 🙂

i had a really good time. we shared about our family, some recent news about a close friend and bro, and i talked a bit about my relatives in china…

so grateful to have a few good close friends.

c.h.e.f andy

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

Tunglok Signature @ Central
Address:
6 Eu Tong Sen St, 02-88, Singapore 059817
Located in: Clarke Quay Central
7RQW+PJ Singapore
Contact:
tungloksignatures.com
6336 6022
Opening Hours:
daily
  • 11:30am–3pm
  • 6–10:30pm

 

Potatoes, Carrots, Onions with Minced Pork in Nonya Sauce – 76th Teban Gardens Community Breakfast on 30Nov2018

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potatoes, carrots, onions with minced pork in nonya sauce

made potatoes, carrots, onions with minced pork in nonya sauce for teban gardens community breakfast this morning on 30.11.2018.^^

this my 76th 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.

potatoes, carrots, onions in nonya sauce

for my last post on 9.11.2018, i wrote about the challenges of cooking one dish for 140pax senior residents, the selection of chicken , belly pork, zutchi fish fillet, and the recent 3 times (including today) using minced pork, and varying the dish.

the last 2 times i did minced pork with long beans and a bit of mala sauce, and minced pork with shallow fried egg plants. i think both will very good.

today i vary it a bit using other vegetables – carrots, potatoes and onions.

was debating if i should do my own sauce, basically oyster sauce based. but since i had a packet of nonya sauce i decided to just used it.

potatoes, carrots, onions in nonya sauce

i woke up at the usual time 7am.

cutting 4 large carrots, 3 large onions, 5 potatoes total about 1.5kg took good part of 20mins, but it’s ok because cooking wouldn’t take long.

i fried the onions and carrots first to soften. after 5mins i added the potatoes. potatoes should take about 8mins to cook and i wanted them just right and not mashed.

i added the nonya sauce paste after frying the potatoes a bit, and mixed thoroughly. when potatoes were cooked, just pressed against the side of the pan – it should break..i dished the vegetables out and set aside.

minced pork

then i fried the minced pork in the still oil wokpan. 4 packets about 1.5kg also. 🙂

minced pork

added 1 heap tbsp of cornflour and 1 tbsp heap of oyster sauce and mixed thoroughly, so minced pork was smooth and not dry.

potatoes, carrots, onions with minced pork in nonya sauce

minced pork had to be fully cooked.

i then added back the nonya sauce vegetables and mixed thoroughly.

potatoes, carrots, onions with minced pork in nonya sauce

potatoes, carrots, onions with minced pork in nonya sauce

dish looked great!

potatoes, carrots, onions with minced pork in nonya sauce

the dish texture was good, both the minced pork and the vegetables..taste was ok but nonya sauce i felt not the best for the dish..

my own oyster sauce mix w/o premix sauce would be better 🙂

this my 3rd minced pork dish for TB..can’t think of other good variation, next round probably revert to chicken or belly pork.. 🙂

c.h.e.f andy

S$16 Song Fish Head 松鱼头 @ HK Street Old Chun Kee Commonwealth Crescent on 29Nov2018

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S$16 spicy black bean paste song fish head 松鱼头

eating dinner alone this evening on 29.11.2018.

lazy to cook. decided to go nearby hk street old chun kee at commonwealth crescent.

i ordered the S$16 spicy black bean paste song fish head 松鱼头.

S$16 spicy black bean paste song fish head 松鱼头

nothing much to write about.

i thoroughly enjoyed the fish head though i made this dish myself often.

very fresh, tasty and excellent sauce/condiments, tangy, slight sweet and salty, perfect for the fish head.

sometimes i do want to enjoy the fish head all by myself..haha! when i eat with sister, usually i leave the gelatinous parts for her so did not get to eat..

what to say…simply shiok!

c.h.e.f andy

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

Kopi Kia  (hong kong street old chun kee 香港街老珍记）
Blk 117 Commonwealth Drive #01-733 Singapore 140117
Tel: 83606663
Email: enquiries@kopikia.com.sg
Operating Hours:
12.00PM – 10.30PM (Monday to Sunday)

 

Delicious 9pax Homecooked Dinner for Brother and Sister Families on 26Nov2018

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family

had a fun 9+1pax dinner this evening with my brother & sister families, and some vegetarian dishes for JR🙂

dinner dishes

i made 10 dishes –

menu

1 腊味饭 sausage claypot rice
2 醉鸡 drunken chicken
3 口水鸡 saliva chicken
4 元蹄 teochew braised hock + trotters
5 冻乌鱼 chilled mullet
6 和风wafu pasta for 净蕊
7 和风wafu eggplants for 净蕊
8 fried tofu & leeks
9 salted egg bittergourd
10 fried long beans

made sausage claypot rice 腊味饭. just fried cut ginger & chicken fat in claypot. then off fire & added salted fish & chopped garlic. added 3 cups rice and fried. added sliced chinese thick mushrooms. then added 3 cups chicken stock (not adding chicken so needed chicken stock for taste) and soaked. added 2 pork sausage and 3 pork liver and duck liver sausages.

when serving started high fire to boil, then lower fire for rice to cook about 30-35mins. 🙂

bought 1.1kg kampung chicken from sheng shiong to make drunken (醉鸡) chicken and saliva chicken(口水鸡).

白斩鸡poached chicken method. salted chicken overnight. cooked 9mins & poached 20mins in chicken stock (carrots, red onions, spring onions. ginger, garlic cloves). immersed in ice water & placed in fridge. then deboned & placed in 2 dishes.

for drunken (醉鸡) chicken, added 1/2 cup chicken stock, 1/2 cup huatioajiu, 2tbsp fish sauce & 1tbsp sugar. mixed thoroughly then cover immerse the 1/2 chicken.

for saliva chicken(口水鸡), added 2tbsp 老干妈mala chilli oil, 1tbsp – 1.5tbsp fish sauce, 1 tbsp sesame oil, 1 tbsp sugar. mixed thoroughly and drizzled over 1/2 chicken.

sealed with dish cover or cellophane and stored in the chiller compartment or fridge. take out  from fridge 1/2hr before serving.

they all loved the 2 chicken dishes. 🙂

brother likes pig trotters. sil understandably restricts the intake but seems that after retirement he is eating pig trotters every week. lol!

teochew braised trotters

my teochew braised trotters also very tasty, & gelatinous – flavour & texture are the key la! 🙂

i bought a whole front leg comprising the hock (upper) and trotters (lower leg) from sheng shiong just S$9.90.

braised them together, 元蹄 (the whole hock) and the chopped up trotters.

my own recipe…

of course the whole horde of aromatics. fried star anise, cinamon bark, cloves, bay leaves till smell the aroma. added hock and trotters and fried. added garlic cloves, red onions, spring onions, ginger. then added braising sauce =  3-4tbsp light soy sauce, 2tsp dark soy sauce, 1 tbsp sugar, 2-3tbsp huatiojiu..

the keys to a good trotters – flavour (braising sauce and infusion), and gelatinous texture which also makes it tasty.

so braising should be done with littel braising sauce for 1st 1/2hr. covered & turned several times…then added more water & braised for 2.5hrs in total.

the teochew chilled mullet 冻乌鱼 was easy to prepare. just steamed & chilled.

the 2 fishes were >1kg, so i steamed for about 15mins this time, usually about 9mins.

didn’t take photo but fish was good, like teochew muay stalls outside.

fried tofu with leeks

my niece JR is vegetarian, so i made all the other dishes were vegetarian. i only used vegetarian (oyster) sauce.

she brought her 2 boys. the elder S is coming to 3 years. he is also vegetarian currently.

fried tofu with leeks

fried tofu with leeks

tofu just fried with little oil & drizzle sea salt. then freid the leek, added vegetarian sauce and cornflour. added tofu to infused the sauce flavours.

when serving boiled the sauce, added 1 egg, let it formed & drew with chopsticks.

dinner dishes

i made wafu (和风）pasta specially for JR.

simple dish to. just browned 1 whole bulb of garlic cloves in olive oil, added sliced sweet basil, shitake & shimeji mushrooms, caramelised them, added white wine, 2tbsp tsuyu, 2 tbsp mirin, then reduced and set aside. pasta sauce ready.

when serving, prepare 200g spaghetti before al dente, boiled the sauce, off fire & tossed the pasta, added 15g butter, mized thoroughly, then plated and garnished with sweet basil leaves.

for this wafu preparation, if not vegetarian, can add chopped bacon bits or sliced bacon, very nice too1

pasta was very tasty, but for myself, could never c/w a non vegetarian pasta. 🙂

wafu (和风)eggplant

i made the wafu (和风)eggplant also for JR. same mirin, tsuyu preparation like a teriyaki..

it was ok i think but didn’t stand out.

my usual salted egg bittergourd.

slight mala long beans

long beans were very nice this evening. i just added 1 tsp 老干妈mala sauce. simple dish yet very tasty. 🙂

we had a wonderful family dinner. sil and brother’s 2 chlldren, WS and WC all liked the food. wife said we should do this more often. indeed so. food is just food. family spending time and spending the evening together is what makes it memorable.

c.h.e.f andy

Great Oysters, OK Chirashidon and Yakinikudon on 25Nov2018

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chirashi don S$20

went along with wife to get something from metro orchard on 25.11.2018.

after that we walked to orchard central & had dinner at tanuki raw just before 6pm no queue.

I took chirashi don S$20. wife took goie gras yakiniku S$23. both are ok not lousy not great also..

we ordered 1/2dozen oysters S$2ea happy hour 5pm – 8pm, but must order a drink so wife ordered a S$12 sake.

dinner was ok i didn’t mind it..

6 oysters S$2 each

6 oysters S$2 each

oysters were fresh and plump, very good actually at S$2 each. wife thought it was better than what we had at halia recently.

chirashi don & yakiniku don

chirashi don did not have premium cuts, but they were thick cuts and fresh and sweet. there was no uni or anago or butan ebi but there was a piece of chutara and the hotate were fresh and sweet, good quality.

nothing like the 800yen set i had at standing sushi bar at shibuya central gai recently but that was a different world la1

foie gras yakiniku don S$23

foie gras yakiniku don S$23

wife said foie gras was good but yakiniku was ordinary. i took one piece it was ok but but a top quality beef cut. at S$23 for dinner ala carte i guess it was ok but not special.

c.h.e.f andy

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

Tanuki Raw @ Orchard Central
Address:
181 Orchard Rd, 04-01, Singapore 238896
Located in: Orchard Central
Contact:
6636 5949
Opening Hours:
daily
  • 11:30AM–10:30PM

Cheap S$3 Xinlu Fishball Noodles Best la! on 25Nov2018

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S$3 xinlu fishball noodles

back from tokyo a few days liao, so today went to xinlu at meiling street fc to take the s43 fishball noodles on 25.11.2018. ^^

S$3 xinlu fishball noodles

S$3 xinlu fishball noodles

so shiok right/

chilli, qq meepok all perfect!

6 fish balls

fish balls too!

i had 6 fishballs because i ordered less noodles, so compensated 1 more fish ball. haha!

emptied

my RI bro CCG and my OPS bro both messaged on 28.11.2018 to go coffee and makan.

so 3 of us met at my place and went in CCG’s car to eat the xinlu S$3 fishball noodles.

tiong hoe coffee

then we had coffee at tiong hoe on the next road. 🙂

S$3 xinlu fishball noodles

WM bought the xinlu fishball noodles.

and CCG bought coffee at tiong hoe..CCG & WM had mocca latte. I had poccolo latte. 🙂

c.h.e.f andy

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

xinlu 新路 teochew fishball noodles
Address:
Blk 159 Mei Chin Road, Mei Ling Food Centre #02-05
Opening hours:
6am – 3pm, closed on Thursday

 

Recipe = Herb Crusted Rack of Lamb on 20Oct2018

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did my first pistachio crusted rack of lamb on 15.3.2015. ^^

i just followed Foodwishes.com Chef John’s pistachio crusted rack of lamb recipe.

while we were devouring the other dishes, I just put the lamb rack into a 210degC oven for 23 mins and voila, I had a very impressive-looking & tasty pistachio crusted lamb which everyone really enjoyed!

====================

it was a break of a few years.

lately i started cooking this rack of lamb a few times.

i was lazy to make the chopped pistachio, so i just improvised (or actually just shortcut the process) by doing a herb crust instead of pistachio. 🙂

i served the rack of lamb as a hot tapas for 8pax friends dinner on 21.3.2018. ^^

this lamb bought from qbfoods already denuded (frenched & caps off). i religiously removed the remaining fat (very little of it, would have been a mountain of fat if not denuded) & some membrane. i decided to simplify the effort so no chopped pistachio, just herb crusted.

roasted at 210egC for about 22-23mins.

everyone loved it including CL who generally avoids take lamb. 🙂

more recently, i did the herb crusted rack of lamb for wife’s good friend family J, H and M. 🙂

the rack of lamb was very good. i lazy to do pistachio crusted so just used chopped fresh celery (could not get parsley) and chopped mint from my garden).

H told J and my wife (who also doesn’t take lamb) that it was like a very good chicken. indeed no gamey taste, very tender & moist, and nice flavour. M loved the crust too.

c.h.e.f andy

Ingredients:

  • 1 frenched lamb rack (standard 8 ribs, about 800g, good for 4)
  • 1 cup of chopped herbs (parsley…for this time i used mint and celery)
  • 2 tbsp breadcrumbs
  • 1 tbsp melted butter
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • sea salt & coarse black pepper to taste
  • 2 tbsp dijon mustard

Directions:

  1. Prepare the lamb rack – cut/trim away the fat (to reduce the strong gamey taste/smell), cut about 2cm every 2 ribs w/o cutting into the loin (this for easy serving of the lamb rack afterwards), season with sea salt & coarse black pepper & pangrilled including the ends over a very hot pan. set aside on an aluminium lined baking tray & reserve.
  2. Prepare the herb crust mix – chopped 1 cup of herbs. in a large bowl add 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs, 1 tablespoon olive oil & 1 tablespoon melted butter, & mix.
  3. coat the lamb loin with 2 tablespoon of dijon mustard. This serves as binder to enable herb crust to stick. now coat the herb mix on the lamb to form a crust. Preheat oven to 210degC and place the lamb in the oven for 22minutes (or longer if you like it more done). serve

Recipe = Simply Delicious Chorizo Prawns 2.0 on 3Nov2018

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chorizo prawns have become one of my regular tapas dish.

this is really an excellent hot tapas dish, absolutely easy to prepare with a good stock, and really, really delicious la! ^^

i first attempted chorizo prawns last year inspired by 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 

chorizo prawn tapas on 9.11.2017

my own first rendition came a few days after, on 9.11.2017. ^^

taste was good with chorizo and stock, prawns were done just right, tasty and succulent, just that presentation and colour could do with some improvements.

subsequently, i did chorizo prawns tapas many times, and added red or yello peppers, which made it a more complete dish, ehancing the presentation and also the taste.

the most recent time was a 8pax homecooked dinner for wife’s friends on 3.11.2018. ^^

chorizo prawns very good with very tasty, intense chicken stock, chorizo, basil, chilli padi flavours. the prawns were just frozen prawns. my eldest daughter (not with dinner this evening) actually prefer the frozen prawns to fresh ones. for me i still prefer fresh.

and before that couple of other times. 🙂

preparation was straight forward-have a very good, tense, tasty stock (chicken stock or chicken + prawn stock); brown garlic cloves in olive oil, add sliced chorizo, add cut chilli padi and sliced sweet basil, fry red or yellow peppers char a bit then remove & set aside, add stock and white wine and reduce.

and the sauce is ready!

when serving, boil, add shelled deveined prawns, the fried red pepper and cover. make sure prawns just cooked but not overdone. garnish with sweet basil (or when i didn’t have i added few twigs of mint).

and voila!

try it, you will absolutely love it!

c.h.e.f andy

Ingredients:

  • 400g large prawns (10-12 pieces)
  • 1 small red or yellow pepper cut
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 bulb peeled garlic cloves
  • 1 cut chilli padi
  • 3 sweet basil leaves sliced
  • 8 sliced chorizo
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 1/2 cup white wine

Directions:

  1. have a very good, tense, tasty stock (chicken stock or chicken + prawn stock);
  2. brown garlic cloves in olive oil, add sliced chorizo, add cut chilli padi and sliced sweet basil
  3. fry red or yellow peppers char a bit then remove & set aside
  4. add stock and white wine and reduce. and the sauce is ready!
  5. when serving, boil, add shelled deveined prawns, the fried red pepper, and cover. make sure prawns just cooked but not overdone.
  6. garnish with sweet basil (or when i didn’t have i added few twigs of mint).

 

Recipe = Drunken Chicken 醉鸡 2.0 So Delicious, Tasty on 26Nov2018

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recent days, i did drunken chicken 醉鸡 and saliva chicken 口水鸡 several times.

for one, i made 8pax dinner for wife’s friends this evening on 5.11.2018. ^^

i did both drunken chicken 醉鸡 and saliva chicken 口水鸡. this evening, both dishes were quite excellent. all the friends liked them. wife especially like the drunken chicken.

==============================

i used the usual 白斩鸡 preparation, but becos kampung chicken is 1-1.1kg c/w large chicken 1.4-1.6kg, i have to adjust the timing = so boiled 9mins & poached 20mis.

the evening before, i salted the chicken and dry in the fridge and washed thoroughly next morning before boiling in the chicken stock.

so the usual ice water treatment to produce the smooth taut skin and chill in fridge, then debone, and place 1/2 chicken in each dish.

for drunken chicken 醉鸡 i added 1/2cup huatiaojiu, 1/2 cup chicken stock, 2 tbsp fish sauce and 1 tbsp sugar. mixed well then added to the chicken and placed sealed in the chiller.

and i did a 6pax dinner for OPS bros and friends on 3.10.2018. 

both the 口水鸡和 醉鸡 saliva chicken & drunken chicken were very tasty & texture of the kampung chicken excellent. my friend finished the drunken chicken & only 2 wingstick of the saliva chicken left so they were well received.

drunken (醉鸡) chicken

so for the recently 9pax dinner with brother and sister families on 26.11.2018, i again did both drunken chicken 醉鸡 and saliva chicken 口水鸡.

again i used the 白斩鸡poached chicken method. salted chicken overnight. cooked 9mins & poached 20mins in chicken stock (carrots, red onions, spring onions. ginger, garlic cloves). immersed in ice water & placed in fridge. then deboned & placed in 2 dishes.

for drunken (醉鸡) chicken, i added 1/2 cup chicken stock, 1/2 cup huatioajiu, 2tbsp fish sauce & 1tbsp sugar. mixed thoroughly then cover, immerse the 1/2 chicken and place in the fridge.

c.h.e.f andy

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 kampung chicken

chicken stock

  • (1 whole chopped carrot, 1/2 red onions, 2 stalks spring onions, 2cm cut ginger, 1 bulb peeled garlic cloves)

wine marinade

  • 1/2 cup chicken stock, 1/2 cup huatioajiu, 2tbsp fish sauce & 1tbsp sugar

Directions:

  1. make chicken stock with bones from 1 chicken, carrots, red onions, spring onions. ginger, garlic cloves.
  2. salt chicken overnight.  cut chicken into 1/2 and washed thoroughly. cook 9mins & poach 20mins in chicken in stock. then immerse in ice water & place in fridge. then debone & place in 2 dishes.
  3. for the drunken (醉鸡) marinade, add 1/2 cup chicken stock, 1/2 cup huatioajiu, 2tbsp fish sauce & 1tbsp sugar. mixed thoroughly then cover, immerse the 1/2 chicken and place in the fridge.