Author Archives: chefquak

Good Xinlu Fishball Noodles 新路鱼圆面 on 19May2017

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S$3 fish ball noodles 19.5.2017

after teban gardens community breakfast, my OPS buddy & i decided to go to mei ling food centre to take the Xinlu Fishball Noodles 新路鱼圆面 on 19.5.2017. ^^

xinlu fishball noodles 19.5.2017

the stall opened at 5.30am & closed after lunch soon after 2pm!

6 fish balls 19.5.2017

both of us ordered less noodles 面少, so we got an extra 6th fishballs.

fishballs were bouncy & sweet as always.

S$3 fish ball noodles 19.5.2017

& the noodles were qq (al dente), not lumpy & mushy, and most important the chilli was great with noodles.

always enjoy the noodles here. today though unlike say ah heng curry chicken noodles at hong lim food centre, i would not purposely drive to have this fishball noodles.

it’s just S$3, so overall quite satisfying eating it.

another OPS buddy joined us. he ordered a mee siam.

afterwards, we walked over to the dessert stall.. i had soursop jelly & my 2 friends had cold cheng teng.

had a great time chit chatting with good friends.

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

 

Wine Chicken with Taupok, Onions & Leek – 34th Teban Gardens Community Breakfast on 19May2017

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wine chicken with taupok, onions & leek

i did wine chicken with taupok, onions & leek for teban gardens community breakfast this morning on 19.5.2017. ^^

this my 34th friday breakfast community meal at teban gardens community service centre.

i first started doing a community meal dish for teban gardens CSC on 8.1.2016.

the centre was started in 2002 after much effort & challenge by our RI friend who is a pastor of pasir panjang hill brethren church (pphbc) which owns & runs the CSC.

i had done wine chicken for teban gardens community breakfast previously on 9.12.2016. today’s was similar but instead of celery i had taupol, onions & leek sides.

deboned chicken seasoned

deboned chicken seasoned

basically i used my chinese wine braised chicken 黄焖鸡 recipe here.

so i deboned 2 chicken the evening before, wake up early at 6am to marinate the chicken with (best to set aside for 1-2hrs) –

  • 3tbsp fish sauce
  • 2tbsp oyster sauce
  • 2tbsp corn flour
  • 2tbsp sesame oil
  • 4tbsp shaoxing chine wine

then very hot wok, fry sliced ginger (3cm), 2 cut chilli padi, then add 1 tbsp chopped garlic in 1tbsp oil.

additionally i made intense chicken stock the evening before. cut a packet of 12x taupok to 4 slices each, then boil in stock for 1.2hr to infuse the stock flavours to the taupok.

in a separate wok, fry chicken (high heat), remove chicken & add wings first to the taupok (wings took a bit longer to cook). add another 4 tbsp shaoxing wine & cover (low heat) to cook the chicken.need about 8-10mins..

in the separate wok, fry the onions to soften then the leek. when leek is cooked just right (about 5mins) add to the chicken & taupok.

wine chicken with taupok, onions & leek

the completed dish looked quite appealing.

and the chicken tasted tender & sweet.

 

wine chicken with taupok, onions & leek

recently the residents attending the breakfast had increased, now it’s above 120.teban gardens catered a good breakfast of beehoon, porridge & you tiao, another resident cooked a dish of fried egg omelette so including my dish, there was quite enough food for everyone.

c.h.e.f andy

Good Rojak So-so Chilli @ Habib’s Rojak Stall 68 on 18May2017

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habib’s stall 68 indian rojak

my RI bro organised indian rojak at ayer rajah food centre this morning on 18.5.2017. ^^

habib’s stall 68 indian rojak

they decided to car-pool & drop by my place at 10am. so we had a round of brewed coffee & good chat at my place.

we left in one car, 5pax (a good green practice) by 11am & was at the indian rojak stalls by 11.15am.

habib’s stall 68 indian rojak

rojak was not open yet. a few men looked like preparing to open the stall.

from the last makan we had here on 25.2.2016, we thought that salam rojak stall 73 offered a better deal.

the stall said it would be ready in 20mins. we ended up waiting for about 50mins & it didn’t look like any progress.

i finally asked them whether they were opening the stall at all. it was then that they told me the stall was closed last 2 weeks & they were just returning today (could have told us earlier).

so we decided to go with habib’s rojak at stall 68 instead.

habib’s stall 68 indian rojak

we ordered almost all the items! not quite la..just the main ones, and included both the squid & the cuttlefish.

habib’s stall 68 indian rojak

it was rather a large plate, and the cost was S$29.

it looked like 2x the size of what we ordered previously which was the about S$23.

so maybe habib’s was a good a deal as salam rojak, stall 73…our only grouse was that the chilli was not great. that was for me a significant item…maybe got to look for better indian rojak elsewhere la…

c.h.e.f andy

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

Habib’s Rojak

Address:

503A W Coast Dr, Singapore 121503
Contact:
6873 7010

OPS Bros S$98 Peking Duck Set Lunch 4pax @ Kai Garden 嘉苑 17May2017

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peking duck

i organised a 4pax OPS bros lunch today at kai garden on 17.5.2017! ^^

last time i came here was on 15.4.2017..

one of the famous dishes and a very pretty looking one is the five colour peking duck 五彩缤纷鸭. it comes with 5 colour wraps & 5 sauces, not that i can remember them all.

peking duck

normally the peking duck cost S$88++, and that does not include the second eat, which they charged S$28 to make a duck beehoon!

so basically kai garden is expensive, or very expensive!

kai garden S$98 peking duck set lunch menu for pax

for this lunch set, they offer the peking duck + the second eat beehoon, and also appetizers, dimsums, garoupa fillet & dessert – all for S$98 for 4pax!

kai garden 4pax set lunch

it is quite big place & the tables were quite well taken up.

marinated cloud fungus

the2 small eats – appetizers were e marinated cloud fungus. this was very good.

deepfried fish skin

& deep-fried fish skin also very good.

skin were very crispy 脆 & not salty, very well done dish…

dimsum

the 2 dimsums were the xiaolongbao (i forgot to take photo) and the fried prawn dumplings.

prawn dumplings very good…xiaolongbao good standard no better than other places like crystal jade & imperial treasure.

peking duck

what is special about this peking duck is the 5 colour wraps – original, spinach, pumpkin, beetroot & squidink.

& the 5 colour sauce – original, chef sweet sauce, sesame, pepper, seafood.

oh, so i do remember, for now anyway…

another special item is the corn crisp. it added a special texture & bite to the whole wrap.

peking duck

duck skin was sliced very well, very thin & large pieces.

peking duck – 5 colour wraps

of the sauces, my preference still the original & the chef sauces which were the sweeter ones.

the seafood more savoury, and the sesame & pepper were both good.

the wraps, i couldn’t distinguish the taste of one from the others.

peking duck – pumpkin wrap

peking duck – pumpkin wrap

anyway the overall dining experience, taking this peking duck – very good la!

peking duck – beetrootwrap

peking duck – squidink wrap

whichever wrap we tried, all were nice.

& there was about 4 or 5 pieces for each of us, and with duck skin to spare.

garoupa fillet

the garoupa fillet was more of the ordinary stuff.

garoupa fillet

ok, competent, not much more…

duck beehoon

the duck beehoon was very good!

this the 炆 braised method-the best to produce a tasty beehoon. just have the right amount of reduced very tasty stock, add the beehoon & let the stock reduce further & the beehoon infused with the flavours. very easy to make. & such wonderful flavours. almost want to finish my whole bowl.

osmanthus jelly

the osmanthus jelly was good but ordinary. our OPS friend can make them too…

i picked 黄金桂 for our tea. it was S$3.20pax. that is like a cover charge & included the starter appetizer.

tea has a range of prices, so in this kind of places must be careful what order so we would’t be paying 1/2 the price of lunch for tea.

anyhow, the restaurant forgot to charge tea=4xS$3.20++. i pointed out to the lady who brought the bill. she said nevermind she would waive it. later we got her calling card & realised she was the GM…anyway i told her since she did not charge the tea i would give a tip & she said it’s ok just to put on the credit card, so i added about S$15 tip, for a total S$130nett. that’s lower than what we should have paid for tea anyway.

very good lunch. all my OPS bros enjoyed it.

c.h.e.f andy

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

Kai Garden 嘉苑

Address:
6 Raffles Boulevard, #03-128A/128B, Marina Square, Singapore 039594
Contact:
kaigarden.com.sg
6250 4826
daily
  • 11:30AM–3:30PM
  • 6–11PM

Drink & Live Music at Timbre @ Gillman(good chill no vibes this evening) on 16May2017

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supersonic band – timbre @ gillman

after the birthday dinner at da paolo pizza bar for aunty Bes, wife suggested we go to timbre @ gillman for some drinks & live music.

one daughter was busy, so wife, son, eldest daughter, aunty Bes & i – 5pax, went to timbre.

this was the little bali place i used to come around 2000-2002 i think when i was still doing some business.

timbre @ gillman

quite a nice place to chill PLUS live music.

crowd was thin this evening.

son said when he came with my wife, this supersonic?? music was very good. today though he said tonight it’s like 1/2 the band (3pax).

somehow this evening no energy no vibes (unlike the live lounge in cardiff i went with my 2 traveling companion in my recent wales trip), but it also had to do with audience interactions. it’s like a mutually enhancing dynamics.

the SMS music request NOT working so aunty Bes went to deliver her music request herself & they sang her couple birthday songs.

aunty Bes was the most into the groove person in the whole place, standing up & singing & clapping.

a very Happy Birthday to aunty Bes!

after that we went home & cut cake, sing birthday song & take photos.

c.h.e.f andy

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

Timbre @ Gillman

Address:
9A Lock Road, Gillman Barracks, Singapore 108937
Contact:
timbregroup.asia
6694 4201
Opening Hours:
Monday
  • 4–11PM
Tuesday
  • 4–11PM
Wednesday
  • 4–11PM
Thursday
  • 4–11PM
Friday
  • 6PM–1AM
Saturday
  • 4–11PM
Sunday
  • 12–9PM

Our Helper Aunty Bes’ Birthday 6pax Family Dinner @ Da Paolo Pizza Bar on 16May2017

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crab cake

today is our helper aunty Bes’ birthday.

my eldest daughter is the chief planner for the family (when wife not doing it…haha!). she arranged for 6pax family dinner at da paolo pizza bar @ jln merah saga on 16.5.2017. ^^

& daughter really knows here stuff. she was able to direct my car, and just as she anticipated, we were able to find parking lots. it was 7.30pm on tuesday perhaps not so bad…

da paolo pizza bar

ambience quite good, with alfresco sitting also.

da paolo pizza bar

we chose an inside table. 🙂

crab cake

daughter ordered the food.the crab cake was good. very well done.

crab cake

i attempted this some years back. maybe can revisit this item.

prawn salad

the prawn salad was good too, refreshing.

prawn salad

great prawn salad with avogado & croutons. good serving too.

crab spaghetti in pink sauce

the crab spaghetti was very good restaurant standard, creamy, good amount of crab meat, great shell fish flavour & maybe some cognac.

we ordered 2 portions for 6pax.

crab spaghetti in pink sauce

it’s similar to the pink sauce pasta at valentino.

not quite the same as wife & my pink sauce pasta. i am thinking how i can recreate this dish. i will try fresh crab & cognac i think.

quattro formaggi – 4 cheese pizza

we ordered 2 pizza.

thequattro formaggi – 4 cheese pizza turned out to be the better one. everyone liked it. but oddly the pizza in this pizza bar wasn’t great at all. maybe it’s me, not a pizza person. anyway we all left most of the thicker outer crust. neither great texture for this part nor flavour in the dough itself.

truffle mushrrom pizza

the truffle mushroom pizza was the poorer by comparison.

truffle mushrrom pizza

zero truffle taste basically, all overwhelmed by the mushroom..an ok mushroom pizza i guess.

overall i think it was like S$200net for 6pax.

we did not order that much food, but it was also enough.

not particularly hot on this place myself, but it is doable to come once in a while. in fact this my first time here!

c.h.e.f andy

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

Da Paolo Pizza Bar
Address:
44 Jln Merah Saga, Singapore 278116
Contact:
dapaolo.com.sg
6479 6059
Opening Hours:
Mon-Fri
  • 12–2:30PM
  • 5:30–10:30PM
Sat, Sun
  • 11AM – 10:30PM

Not As Good As Before Chai Chuan Tou Chinese Mutton Soup 柴船头羊肉汤 at Bukit Merah View on 15May2017

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chai chuan tou chinese mutton soup 柴船头羊肉汤

my good RI bro came to fetch me to buy LED lights at a shop in hillview terrace on 15.5.2017.

chai chuang tou chinese mutton soup 柴船头羊肉汤 

after that i wanted to go lunch at tunglok signatures at orchard parade hotel.

i already parked the car, and my friend suddenly remembered that tunglok had stopped amex lovedining privileges. i was away so did not get the grapevines.

we returned to the car but there was no grace period for the carpark so kena charged S$5 for like 3 mins. what to do right?

chai chuan tou chinese mutton soup 柴船头羊肉汤 

anyway we decided to go for chai chuan tou chinese mutton soup 柴船头羊肉汤 at bukit merah view though t may be long queue & carpark crowded.

luckily we got a carpark immediately!

there was a queue of maybe 12pax but it was ok like 10mins+ wait.

chai chuan tou chinese mutton soup 柴船头羊肉汤

somehow the mutton soup was not as good as i expected, not having taken for long time i thought it would be very good.

it was still better than the other places like i had. the soup not unnaturally sweet, but like not as intense & flavourful as previously? was it just psychological?

chai chuan tou chinese mutton soup 柴船头羊肉汤

we ordered 2x $6 bowls.

one was a 羊杂 which we didn’t want the mitton balls so just had stomach & mutton.

however it did not have the 金钱肚 so very prominent in the bowl i had previously on 14.8.2014. why???

chai chuan tou chinese mutton soup 柴船头羊肉汤

the other bowl we had ribs.

must say we could not tell the difference between the specified ribs order & the 羊杂 which supposed to have mutton? but looked just the same as ribs.

not that i am complaining. i love the mutton ribs. they were still tender & still very nice with the chilli.

my main grouse was the not so tasty soup & the missing 金钱肚.

overall i still enjoy the mutton soup but not as much. maybe my palate has changed? no?

c.h.e.f andy

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

Chai Chuan Tou Chinese Mutton Soup 柴船头羊肉汤

Address:
115 Bukit Merah View, Singapore 151115
Contact:
9109 5631
 
Opening Hours:
Monday to Saturday
Sunday
  • 11AM–2:30PM
  • closed

 

Lobster in Superior Broth 龙虾上汤焗 RECIPE

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lobster in superior broth 龙虾上汤焗

made lobster in superior broth 龙虾上汤焗 the second time.

this time it was excellent!

first time was when i made 2pax valentine’s day dinner on 14.2.2017. it was the same lobster, largely the same preparation, but somehow i did not get it right. even though wife said the lobster was good & tasty, basically it was the texture was somewhat overdone & not the best…not meeting my own standard la..

680g live lobster from sheng shion $41+

i decided i must give it another try la…

got a 680g live lobster from sheng shiong at S$41+

680g live lobster from sheng shion $41+

it’s too large for my basin. 🙂

lobster poached for 3-4mins

i decided to poach it this time round.

it’s the same supposedly humane treatment. put lobster in the freezer for one hour so it is like in a “coma” or deep unconsciousness??? then either kill it by putting the knife through the head/brains or put into boiling water.

lobster poached for 3-4mins

so i put it in boiling water. for about 3-4mins, just looking at the colour….

this a less messy preparation than cutting through the head w/o poaching (which results in more liquids flowing out.

anyway after removing lobster, it was the same putting the knife through the head & halving the lobster.

then i cracked/removed the pincer shells & cut the lobster tail into 2 pieces.

680g not really a lot of lobster – body 4 pieces + 2 pincer + head….

lobster in superior broth 龙虾上汤焗

i was doing claypot chicken rice so had 1/2 chicken bones. i added 1 cut large carrots & boiled for about 3hrs.

i added the lobster shell & boiled another 2 hrs, basically reduced & made a very intense stock/broth. the carrots were very nice after infusing the broth.

lobster in superior broth 龙虾上汤焗

when cooking, i just fried ginger, cut chilli padi in butter, then added garlic, last added chopped spring onions with the broth, brought to boil, added in the lobster pieces & covered to braise + steam the lobster. another another 5mins.

i turned the head, lobster tail pieces, pincers to make sure they are cooked & NOT overcooked.

and i was able to produce a very sweet, tasty lobster in superior broth 龙虾上汤焗. so good!

c.h.e.f andy

Ingredients:

  • 650g – 700g live lobster
  • 1-2 cut chilli padi
  • 2cm ginger cut small wedges
  • 1 tbsp chopped garlic
  • 2 stalks cut spring onions
  • 1tbsp usalted butter

for stock

  • 1/2 or 1 chicken bones
  • 1 large carrot cut
  • shells of lobster pincers

Directions:

  1. put lobster in freezer for 1 hr. then put it in boiling water. for about 3-4mins, just looking at the colour.
  2. put the knife through the head & half the lobster. then crack/remove the pincer shells & cut the lobster tail into 2 pieces per half = 4 large pieces.
  3. meanwhile prepare stock – boil chicken bone & carrot 3hrs. add lobster shell, bol another 2 hrs.
  4. when cooking, fry ginger, cut chilli padi in butter, then add garlic, last add chopped spring onions with the broth, bringt to boil, add in lobster pieces & cover to braise + steam the lobster. another another 5mins. turn the head, lobstail pieces, pincers to make sure they are cooked & NOT overcooked. VOILA!

Mother’s Day Homegourmet Dinner 3pax on 14May2017

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lobster in superior broth 龙虾上汤焗

originally i proposed to cook a mother’s day family dinner at home on 14.5.2017.

while i was away in london & wales, wife decided to have brunch at pimpam by foc on mother’s day.

the 2 daughters now not available for dinner, so we decided to do homecooked family dinner another day.

claypot chicken rice

son had earlier joined my homecooked dinner 8pax for my friends on 24apr before i left for london & wales trip on 27.4.2017.

he liked the claypot rice & wanted to take claypot rice again this evening..

So did wife! so i cooked a 3pax dinner instead.

though i did not garnish & take a great photo this evening, the claypot rice (above photo) was very good, as good as i did other times. ^^

lobster in superior broth 龙虾上汤焗

i decided that though last minute, i should do something more than just claypot rice since it was mother’s day.

so i went to sheng shiong & got a 680g live lobster for S$41+.

i made lobster in superior broth 龙虾上汤焗 this evening. this the second time i made this dish & this time it was excellent.

will do a separate recipe post on lobster in superior broth 龙虾上汤焗

perhaps not comparable with kai gardens (above photo).

but still very good c/w with many others la…

lobster in superior broth 龙虾上汤焗

of course live lobster & done correctly & right texture not old or overcooked always very sweet, bouncy & tasty.

but also the superior broth 上汤 is the key!

i had chicken stock (chicken bones boiled with carrots), then added the lobster shells & reduced to very intense broth, very tasty & flavourful.

stir-fried romaine lettuce

& my usual stir-fried vegetable dish.

this evening, i made romaine lettuce, my wife’s favourite!

like i told my son, best flavours dry water don’t add water (there’s water in the veg) just add some oyster sauce. of course one school said to sprinkle just a little water when 起锅, to create the wok hae…yet to try that though…

cheese board

after dinner we had some cheese.

very nice cheese especially with the truffle honey dip. excellent!

chroizos son bought from porto

son brought back a few type of chorizo from porto.

we started with the cheaper lot. but this lot really not too good. will open the better ones when when have more pax.

white port son brought back from porto

and the cheese & chorizo were perfect with the white port (which has the whiskey fermentation stopper added). this really excellent port!

white port son brought back from porto

we had that during our holiday in porto, and we all love it, so son brought back a bottle from porto for my wife.

a simple 3pax dinner put together for mother’s day, and a very good & enjoyable one!

c.h.e.f andy

Mother’s Day Brunch 7pax Family @ Pimpam by FOC on 14May2017

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grilled chicken + pumpkin salad S$19

wife herself wanted to try out pimpam by foc & organised the mother’s day brunch on 14.5.2017. ^^

restaurant is by foc, which the family quite like, & we have been to foc several times, the last on 18.8.2016.

pimpam by foc

restuarant has great ambience, nice bar. 🙂

pimpam by foc

& the tables in the quite spacious restuarant was well taken up.

sangria

ordered a few drinks. son had sangria. i don’t drink.

spanish torttilla or spanish omelette?

this “tortilla” is NOT the mexican flat bread, but a spanish omelette with onions & potatoes.

it was competently done but really no better than my very own spanish omelette.

same ingredients, so i guess can’t get too far…

ham & spinach & pine nuts croquettes

we ordered the ham, crab croquetas (S$2.50 each, minimum order of 2) & spinach & pine nuts (S$2 each, minimum order of 2).

all were nice. the spinach pine nuts were the best. 🙂 the other 2 not as good as foc.

grilled octopus S$22

we ordered the grilled octopus. it was pretty good, just not the standard of what we had in italy, and more recently what i had at Maze by gordon ramsay in mayfair london.

confit tuna salad S$12

tuna confit salad was pretty ok too but a rather insubstantial dish.

grilled chicken + pumpkin salad S$19

the pumpkin with added grilled chicken was good. the pumpkin mash was good too.

my youngest daughter liked it very much.

for me it was no better than the grilled chicken my helper or I made.

squid ink paella S$26

the squidink paella was quite excellent!

very flavourful, intense squidink flavours, creamy. a very nice dish..

pork & scallop paella S$24

the pork & scallop paella less so…very porky, strong pork smell, not ideal…

pork & scallop paella S$24

i had wanted the scampi fiduea we had at foc, but they only chicken fiduea here, and the others were not keen.

overall the paella here not quite foc standard.

iberico pork ribs S$30

another must-have at foc was the iberico pork ribs.

iberico pork ribs S$30

just as good as foc i think. very tender, great flavours, not the very porky taste in the paella dish.

somehow less wow c/w foc, maybe just psychological.

i made a very good mock kurobuta using frozen pork prime ribs after being inspired by this iberico pork rib dish in foc.

& my mock kurobuta was very good really for a frozen non black pig. maybe will try this again with pork soft bones.

300g beef tallata – onglet steak S$35

we ordered the tallata. i guess this is the spanish take of the italian tagliatta (cut or sliced).

presentation was poor!

not quite the standard expected for a good onglet steak or hanger steak. it had the strong beef taste (or kidney taste) but that was expected. somehow the texture & taste not the best…

& they did NOT have the excellent rack of lamb they had at foc.

spanish lazos churros with chocolate S$6

supposed to have good churros here.

anyway chrros NOT my kind of food.

magic S$5.50

the “magic” (daughter said it was between latte & cappuccino) was very good.

for me it’s a very good flat white, nice coffee aroma & very silky smooth, what a good flat white should be. not sure it was any better than say dutch colony. about same i think.

dinner was like S$299 for 7pax, not too ex. we ordered few drinks.

overall ok especially this was mother’s day dining out, and this is one of the places we will go for such dining out which does not charge extras for occasions.

for me, given a choice i would go foc & NOT pimpam.

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

A Wedding on 13May2017

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good friend’s son’s wedding @ Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour

one of the first “event” after returning from our immensely fun & memorable holiday in london & wales (for me 27apr to 12may2017 arriving evening of 12may) was a good friend’s son’s wedding on 13.5.2017.

it was held at the Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour. 12 of us RI friends attended.

we had a reception after the church ceremony & took many photos with the happy & proud parents & also with the wedding couple.

afterwards 8 of us went to killiney kopitiam siglap to have a cuppa. another friend staying nearby who was unable to go for the wedding during to prior commitments joined us for coffee.

this my close RI friend. we have been meeting quite regularly for the last few years, after a small group of us started to meet up with the 2010 world cup viewing.

old friends are always fast to get together even after many years of not being in contact. still, spending more time together, sharing & doing things together do make a difference. and among this group of close RI friends, we have been doing that more regularly the last few years.

this friend in particular has been to many of my home dinners. usually/always, he makes an effort to come earlier & chit chat a bit. we also helped out at newgate learning hub bread of life (BOL) saturday community breakfast last year in 2016 with 2 other RI friends.

i cooked total of 14times for BOL breakfast dish, the last on 8.10.2016.^^ the program ceased last year, for time being.

we now also do an almost monthly birthday get-together among this group of friends.

and i had a very enjoyable birthday dinner & tete a tete with this friend recently at mikuni on 27.3.2017. ^^

it’s always a good feeling to see the young ones starting out in life, seeking & finding what they want, and the union & happiness that are theirs for a lifetime.

c.h.e.f andy

 

 

 

Homecooked Bakuteh @ 30Apr2017 (Day 1 – Wales 3pax 9-Day Tour 30Apr-8May2017)

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bakuteh breakfast 

leaving for llandudno & conwy in wales this morning on 30.4.2017. ^^

last evening after (a) burger & lobster, and (b) walk through chinatown & covent garden, we decided that i should cook bakuteh breakfast, so we had something substantial in our stomach before setting out on a 5hr drive to conwy.

that was a really good decision! even though we had chocolates & energy bars, we only made a stop-over break for macdonalds before we arrived at our airbnb in conwy at 5pm.

bakuteh spices 

my son had the ilc bakuteh spices in his apartment. this is something that can get easily in singapore so no problem to replenish. anyway only used 1 packet.

so we bought some spare ribs at waitrose the evening before, about 800g.

freeze dry instant coffee with nespresso foam 

i needed my morning coffee.

we did not have enough nespresso to go around for so many days, and nespresso capsules is more inconvenient to buy & replace. so i made freeze dry instant coffee & added the foam milk from the nespresso machine.

not quite nespresso, but we made do la…

bakuteh breakfast 

bakuteh about the easiest dish to make. actually pasta too.

for bakuteh, there is no frying…best!

just cut the ribs, wash with salt, scald with boiling water, then put in a dutch oven (deep pot) with the ilc bakuteh spice packet & 1 bulb of garlic cloves & boiled for 50mins to 1 hr.

and voila!

bakuteh 

soup was very sweet & tasty.

bakuteh 

spare ribs not the best ribs..less meaty..less fatty..less flavourful c/w fatty prime ribs..

bakuteh 

still it was pretty tasty dish, the hot mildly peppery soup warmed the stomach. and it was perfect with rice, so that was good staple for the day.

chinese tea 功夫茶 

and i made some chinese tea 功夫茶. perfect with bakuteh.

chinese tea 功夫茶 

my 2 friends liked the tea though not particularly aficionados for chinese tea 功夫茶, so i did not make any more chinese tea 功夫茶  for the trip.

chinese tea 功夫茶 travel kit 

this thanks to the chinese tea 功夫茶 travel kit my sis bought for me which i used a lot in hong kong with my OPS friends who loved the chinese tea 功夫茶.

chinese tea 功夫茶 travel kit 

very nicely packed & so convenient!

c.h.e.f andy

Walking through Chinatown and Covent Garden on 29Apr2017 (3pax RI Mates Trip London & Wales 27Apr-11May2017)

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walking through chinatown and covent garden

we were meeting our london friend at burger & lobster dean street for 4pax dinner at 5.30pm on 29.4.2017. ^^

so we took the tube from king’s cross st pancras to leicester square, and walked through chinatown.

walking through chinatown

the mood & ambience of chinatowns everywhere…

walking through chinatown

chinatown in london is pretty ok.

food is pretty good by comparison, and you can get most provisions also if you need to shop.

walking through chinatown

& whole gamut of other shops…

four seasons roast duck @ chinatown

we passed by four seasons roast duck.

this one of the 2 choices i would come for roast duck in london. last time i came here was with my son almost 3 years ago on 25.8.2014.

(subsequently another london friend arranged to have roast duck dinner at goldmine in bayswater, so we did not go to four seasons).

four seasons started an outlet at capitol piazza 2 years ago. i did not visit. heard that it’s S$75 for a whole duck now, and most feedback i had not great. it’s something to pay £20 for a very good 1/2 roast duck in london, and something else to pay S$75 for a whole duck when so many equally good or better roast duck are available at <2/3 the price.

little four seasons roast duck @ chinatown

didn’t notice there was a little four seasons the last time.

did not check out…maybe it sells dimsum & other small eats.

so we soon found burger & lobster at dean street where we had very good £23 lobsters with our friend.

after dinner we wanted to go to monmouth for a cuppa. it was 7pm. when we googled, we realized that monmouth was closed already.

long queue at dishoom covent garden

on the way we passed by dishoom covent garden, next door to jamie’s italian.

the queue was similar to dishoom king’s cross, hard to tell, maybe less than the one & half hours at king’s cross.

in the end, we never ate at dishoom this time. my friends & i were not fan enough for indian food (or most food) to want to queue one half hours during our travels.

busker at agatha christie memorial

we passed by a quite talented busker singer who parked himself at agatha christie memorial at the junction of cranbourn street & st martin lane.

my friend said first time he gave gratuity to street performers. i gave some myself & i noticed there were several £5 notes, so perhaps the busker could collect £50 or even £100. but he was good la!

covent garden

covent garden

covent garden

covent garden a nice ambience.

most of us have been here before. the stalls were closed at this time so only food & drinking places.

a good first day in london for my 2 friends. we got back to king’s cross, bought some stuff from waitrose. the next day we set off for 9day trip to wales – to llandudno/conwy, snowdownia, angelsey, pembrokeshire, cardiff.

and before setting off on the 5hr drive to llandudno/conwy, a stomach warming homecooked bakuteh PLUS nice round of chinese tea 功夫茶

c.h.e.f andy

£23 Whole Lobster @ Burger & Lobster Dean Street on 29Apr2017 (3pax RI Mates Trip London & Wales 27Apr-11May2017)

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lobster (half steamed half grilled) £23

some london eats on our itinerary included roast duck (goldmine or four seasons) and burger & lobster.

an old RI schoolmate of ours was doing his sabbatical & staying in london with his family, and we arranged to meet for a meal together. happened that he had not tried burger & lobster so we decided to meet here at 5.30pm on 29.4.2017, as there is often a long queue later.

the last time i came here was a year ago with my wife & son on 25.3.2016.

burger & lobster dean street

we were all on time at 5.30pm.

our friend who stayed to watch the 3hr romeo & juliet play at shakespeares globe was the earliest to arrive.

burger & lobster dean street

so we got to sit down almost immediately.

lobster (half steamed half grilled) £23

the menu has changed substantially.

the concept at the start, i was told, was simply bulk buying. just 3 items on the menu – loster roll (nice brioche no need to use hands), whole lobster, and burger. so no need big menu, no need much cooking, just sell lots of live lobsters at an affordable £20.

now it’s £23. price wise it was quite ok, with inflation, £ at lower forex whatnots. the menu now included other options & combinations.

but primarily, it is still lobsters! except i noticed our £23 only got us a one pounder – 454g lobster. the lobster didn’t seem much smaller. the one & a quarter pounder (which i asumed was the standard previously) is now £32!

hasn’t really fathom this, but anyhow it was a great experience. we all very much enjoyed our £23 lobster. & all of us agreed that the steamed lobster was sweeter, more moist & overall better. same observation as my last time.

my friends wanted to celebrate, so we took a £30 white wine.

and indeed we do have much to celebrate for – our good health, lasting friendship, wonderful time together! ^^

c.h.e.f andy

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

Burger & Lobster

Address –

36-38 DEAN STREETSOHOLONDONW1D 4PS
Opening Hours –

MON-WED: 12PM-10:30PM
THURS-SAT: 12PM-11PM
SUN: 12PM-  10PM

Reservations –

RESERVATIONS TAKEN FOR PARTIES OF 6-10 PEOPLE

Bubble Gum Art @ Millenium Bridge on 29Apr2017 (3pax RI Mates Trip London & Wales 27Apr-11May2017)

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bubble gum art @ millenium bridge 

i blogged about the chewing gum man, ben wilson almost 3 years ago on 23.8.2014. ^^

bubble gum art @ millenium bridge

that time, like today, i was walking through borough market & enjoying the street eats with my son. then my son led me to walk along the thames to the millenium bridge.

at the time, ben wilson had already created >400 mini art pieces using chewing gum spit stuck between the metal gratings.

bubble gum art @ millenium bridge 

walking along southwark/tate modern side, i found that many of the “art pieces” had been removed, “cleansed??”.

bubble gum art @ millenium bridge 

fortunately, as i progressed towards st pauls’ end of the millenium bridge, i found several pieces remained.

sign of relief! phew! ^^

bubble gum art @ millenium bridge 

there were mermaid & snake people & river birds, and of course all different kinds of patterns & abstracts.

bubble gum art @ millenium bridge

quite a pleasant distraction & attraction.

bubble gum art @ millenium bridge 

works of beauty, nature or man-made are recognisable anyway.

bubble gum art @ millenium bridge 

these may have been mini or minor effort of one person, but it is still adding colours & joy to the bridge &  to our lives if we want to see the colours & enjoy the moments.

c.h.e.f andy

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

Millenium Bridge

Address:
Thames Embankment, London SE1 9JE, UK
Construction started: 1996
Opened: June 10, 2000
Location: London
Architect: Norman Foster

Millenium Bridge, Shakespeare Globe Theatre, St Paul’s Cathedral on 29Apr2017 (3pax RI Mates Trip London & Wales 27Apr-11May2017)

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view of st paul’s cathedral from millenium bridge

After borough market, we walked towards millineum bridge crossing the thames connecting tate modern museum & St. Paul’s Cathedral on 29.4.2017. ^^

we exited from the green market to cathedral road.

golden hinde II

on the way, we passed by the ship golden hinde II.

golden hinde II

this a full scale  replica of sir francis drake 16th century galleon moored at millibank london. ^^

golden hinde II

The ship is a registered wedding venue and is available for private and corporate hire.

bridge across river thames

we walked alongside the thames past southwark bridge & shakespeare’s globe theatre.

the shard was behind us, standing out in the background

the shard was behind us, standing out in the background

along river thames, southwark bridge in the background

there were many tourists here, as there were at borough market.

weather was good, temperature around 16degC. it was a very nice atmosphere walking along the thames.

shakespeare’s globe theatre

we passed by shakespeare’s globe.

shakespeare’s globe theatre

romeo & juliet was showing, and my friend decided to stay & watch the 2hr 50mins show.

there are £5 tickets if you are happy to stand for 3hrs. most people are (above photo).

for today, tickets were sold out, but there is a mechanism where people can return the ticket, & there was a queue outside to buy the returned tickets at full price no discounts.

my friend was second in queue. ahead of him was a young couple. there was one ticket available first so my friend got the ticket.

the 2 of us who were not staying to watch left after he got his ticket.

river thames from millenium bridge

river thames is quite a busy place.

river thames from millenium bridge

at 215miles (346km), the thames is the longest river in england & second longest in UK after the severn.

looking back on millenium bridge in the direction of london bridge

looking back on millenium bridge in the direction of london bridge – tower bridge is in the distant & the shard stands out in the background.

“the shard is a  is a 95-storey skyscraper in Southwark, London. Standing 309.7 metres (1,016 ft) high, the Shard is the tallest building in the United Kingdom…& the second-tallest free-standing structure in the United Kingdom, after the concrete tower at the Emley Moor transmitting station.”

river thames from millenium bridge

another view of the thames from the millenium bridge.

st paul’s cathedral from millenium bridge

looking across the thames to st paul’s cathedral.

st paul’s cathedral from millenium bridge

there was a constant stream of people crossing millenium bridge in both directions.

millenium bridge

looking back at tate modern.

st paul’s cathedral

& st paul’s cathedral.

st paul’s cathedral

this where the wedding of prince charles & princess diana was held. 

st paul’s cathedral

st paul’s cathedral

st paul’s cathedral

the 2 of us mingled around to take some photos.

st paul’s cathedral

st paul’s cathedral

nice views from the front.

after that we walked to st paul’s station & took the tube back to king’s cross st pancras.

c.h.e.f andy

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

St Paul’s Cathedral

Address:
St. Paul’s Churchyard, London EC4M 8AD, UK
Contact:
stpauls.co.uk
+44 20 7246 8350

 

Street Eats @ Borough Market on 29Apr2017 (3pax RI Mates Trip London & Wales 27Apr-11May2017)

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borough market

we were meeting an old schoolmate (now residing with his family in london for his sabbatical) for early dinner this evening at burger & lobster on 29.4.2017.

millenium bridge

so the idea was to explore borough market, sample the famous street eats.

and afterwards to walk over to the beautiful pedestrian millenium bridge linking tate modern on the south side of the thames to st pauls across the river.

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

i bought some milk, eggs & granola earlier. as we were having street eats then early dinner, a light breakfast would do, so we had a hard-boiled egg & a bowl of granola with milk each. 🙂

then we set off.

IFO – identified flying object

we had the pleasure of viewing the art piece? IFO – identified flying object in broad daylight..

IFO – identified flying object

bird cage?? haha…anyway…quite nice la..

st pancras clock tower

my photographer friend could not resist a shoot of the st pancras clock tower, constructed between 1866 and 1873…

st pancras clock tower & king’s cross station

how about sleeping in a £5m apartment for a night via airbnb?

maybe next time?

st pancras clock tower

a magnificient building like to capture on camera…

king’s cross st pancras to borough market -london bridge station

we took the tube to london bridge station, and borough market was just round the corner of the block.

going up london bridge station escalators

we all had the oyster card, will travel.

exiting london bridge station fare gates

like old london pro…

borough market

we were early at 11am. borough market not yet crowded & congested.

folks were having an early morning beer

folks were having an early morning beer, a great bazaar atmosphere.

interesting ambience

a rather interesting ambience.

fresh seafood 

fresh seafood

cured items

among the first stalls we saw was the fresh seafood stall, and some cured items.

large freshly shucked oyster – £2 each 

we were drawn to the oyster stall – large freshly shucked oysters for £2 each. this size oyster sashimi would be like S$12++ in a japanese restaurant in singapore.

short queue to get oysters

no short of people queueing up to sample the large, plump, sweet oysters, no metallic taste.

a herb chicken dish – quite nice 

opposite the fresh oyster stall was the herb chicken (furness foodhut advertising malaysian curry chicken).

i tasted, was quite nice with the herbs, not sure how it is malaysian curry??

my friends weren’t keen..they were fed too much chicken on the MAS flight….

bomba paella 

at the same stall was bomba paella.

i tried that the last time i was here. didn’t think it was good.

boma paella 

more crowd now..

ROAST sandwiches stall

i stood in line for the short few person queue for the must-have roast sandwich.

Roast crackling belly pork sandwich 

we decided on the crackling belly pork sandwich.

my 2 friends though this was the best food here. pork was sweet, tasty & moist. actually the skin was NOT crackling enough & so slightly tough. & the baguette was not that great. the brioche i had previously at the duck confit stall & at maltby market were much better.

ROAST restaurant 

Roast restaurant is just atop on the second level. can consider trying it sometime but not a priority.

stall selling duck confit salad or sandwich 

next we went to try the duck confit.

stall selling duck confit salad or sandwich 

we decided not to have bread, so we ordered a salad.

duck confit salad £6.50 

today the duck confit was not so good too.

the flavour still there, but it was a bit stringy & the texture a bit dry & tough.

duck confit salad £6.50 

the greens complement the dish a bit. overall it was passable but not great.

borough market shard building behind 

from this side we could see the shard building behind. 🙂

borough market

borough market 

more crowd milling around the market.

chorizo shop 

my friends weren’t keen on another sandwich though the chorizo sandwich was good from my last visit here.

we went into the shop, tried the iberico cured ham (prosciutto) & bought a packet.

strawberries, cherries, fruits 

we looked at 2 fruit stalls, one opposite the duck confit.

strawberries, cherries, fruits 

we decided to buy from the stall on the outside.

we bought packet of strawberries (i think 400g) for £2, and cherries for  £1.

green market (part of borough market) 

we walked past bomba paella to the other side.

there is the green market, selling fruits, vegetables, cheese etc.

getting crowded around 12pm

it was now very crowded.

we walked to the back of the market. wanted to take a cuppa, but the stall was quite crowded.

likewise the monmouth cafe at the other side (duck confit) we were on earlier also had a long queue.

we decided to start walking over to the millenium bridge & pick up a coffee along the way.

c.h.e.f andy

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

Borough Market

Address:

Borough Market
8 Southwark St, London
SE1 1TL

Tel: 020 7407 1002

Opening Hours:

Monday 10:00 – 17:00 Limited Market
Tuesday 10:00 – 17:00 Limited Market
Wednesday 10:00 – 17:00 Full Market
Thursday 10:00 – 17:00 Full Market
Friday 10:00 – 18:00 Full Market
Saturday 8:00 – 17:00 Full Market

Fabulous Steak, Great Ambience 3pax Dinner @ The Greek Larder on 28Apr2017 (3pax RI Mates Trip London & Wales 27Apr-11May2017

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crevette saganak £9.50

met my 2 RI bros at Kings Cross St Pancras Regent’s Canal exit..no problem for them, they said – directions was clear..

Giffgaff SIM card working well. so we had whatsapped each other when they arrived at Heathrow T4.

i had intentionally passed by dishoom on the way. queue was like 40pax & 1.5hrs & had to queue physically not by taking queue no. dishoom was off…

so after putting down the luggage at the apartment, we decided to go to The Greek Larder at Arthouse for dinner instead..

greek larder

nice place, great ambience & crowd.

nice crowd – great happening place

imo as much happening place as dishoom.

difference is – we got table immediately.

nice crowd – great happening place

great food, wine, and we had some dessert also.

my friends had moscato too. celebrations!

bread

and service was good, friendly.

we had water. and they replaced the bread & butter when we finished the first.

angelo, the waiter from latin america (forgot the country) was cheerful & friendly. he took photos & also had a photo together with us after dinner.

crevette saganak £9.50

the greek prawn dish, crevette saganak, had a nice presentation (top photo & above).

prawn is prawn, so good if ordinary, the salsa was good with the prawns. may look at some online recipes later.

grilled octopus £13.50

the grilled octopus was good, especially the “chao-ta” bbq flavours. not enough i think. the texture itself slightly tough, not tender enough, not quite the standard of the italian dish at lake como, milan & cinque terre.

still it was a good dish, quite pricey now at £13.50

salt cod £8.50

my friends heard about the salt cod & didn’t mind to try it.

one friend said it was a bit salty but quite ok with the skordalia mash(greek potato & garlic spread) …overall quite ok dish..

grilled steak – about 300g = £23

the best turned out to be the grilled scottish steak. it’s done like the italian tagliata (which means serving the steak in slices).

grilled steak – about 300g = £23

it was done nicely medium rare.

i think it was about 300g – anyway a very good helping for 3 of us.

grilled steak – about 300g

& came with nice mushrooms & tasty mash.

grilled steak – about 300g

the steak, though grass fed & not top quality, was very nicely done – sweet, tender & flavourful.

desserts

my friends wanted to try the desserts.

galaktoboureko – traditional greek custard pie

we ordered 2 desserts to share. i am not a dessert person. so i took just a little to try. both desserts were competent. not my kind of dessert, but pretty ok standard..

galaktoboureko – traditional greek custard pie

galaktoboureko is a traditional greek custard pie.

carmelised icing, custard inside…

baklava & ice cream

baklava is a filo pastry with chopped nuts & cream layers. ok too.

the bill – £85.50

dinner was £85.50, inclusive of 12.5% service.

not including the 2 moscato & dessert, it would be £54 for the food alone, 3 appetizers & one main to share for 3pax. i think quite ok price in London.

chef & kitchen – greek larder

the servers & chef all quite cheerful, and the overall ambience was quite engaging. a place to come back again.

c.h.e.f andy

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

Greek Larder
Address:
ArtHouse, 1 York Way, Kings Cross, London N1C 4AS, UK
Located in: Granary Square
Contact:
thegreeklarder.co.uk
+44 20 3780 2999
Opening Hours:
Mon-Fri 11:00 AM – 10.30PM
Sat           10:00 AM – 10.30PM
Sun          11:00 AM – 4.00PM

 

King’s Cross Apartment 27-29apr2017 (3pax RI Mates Trip London & Wales 27Apr-11May2017 )

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2 bedroom apartment near king’s cross st pancras

my son & a friend stayed in a 2-bedroom apartment near king’s cross. this period they were away, so my 2 close RI bros joined me & planned for this London/Wales trip.

i arrived via Qatar (S$1,035) 1 day earlier on 27apr, as the pricing of direct flights by SIA (about S$2,200) & BA (S$1,580) simply made no sense to me.

my 2 friends arrived via MAS on 28apr.

my son & his friend kept the apartment pretty clean & neat. a good space of sitting, dining & kitchen.

2 bedroom apartment near king’s cross st pancras

& 2 bedrooms, the master room which my son used (& i used during this period) was the bigger room.

2 bedroom apartment near king’s cross st pancras

the room my son’s friend used has the same double bed, which my 2 RO bros used during this period.

king’s cross st pancras station

this the King’s Cross St Pancras exit direction of regent’s canal.

i arrived late in the evening, about 11pm when i reached the apartment. flight arrival was 8.40pm & still quite long queue at immigration, and the piccadilly line from Heathrow T4 to King’s Cross St Pancras about 55mins.

the apartment may be near King’s Cross St Pancras, but it is still 1km 12mins walk.

king’s cross st pancras station

this looking back at the station exit.

instant noodles

i kew i would be lazy to go out just for makan myself so i brought along 2 packets of instant noodles.

the convenient stall along yorkway & copenhagen street corner was still open at 11pm so i grabbed a bottled water, milk & tray of 12 eggs.

instant noodles

on 28apr, i took 1 hard-boiled egg for breakfast.

instant noodles

& later i decided on the soup noodles for lunch & added another egg. did not in the end took the goreng noodles so left it in the apartment.

nespresso

& helped myself with the nespresso.

there was NOT enough nespresso for 3 of us for that many days so i brought along a packet of 3 in 1, and also bought a freeze dry coffee from waitrose later.

anyway my friends don’t take coffee like i do, so most of it were left in the apartment.

queue to take train to Harry Potter hogwarts school of magic at 9&3/4 platform

my friends were arriving about 7pm on 28apr.

i went early & passed dishoom. the queue was 1.5hrs, and it is a physical queue not by queue numbers, otherwise i would pick up a 1.5hrs queue number, settle my friends in the apartment then go dinner at dishoom. too bad!

queue to take train to Harry Potter hogwarts school of magic at 9&3/4 platform

i went by the harry potter magic 9 and 3/4 platform. there is like forever a queue here of fans or people out for a good time paying money (all £9.50 for on photo) to have a go at being photographed as the next wizard or witch.

well watching is FREE!

harry potter shop next to 9&3/4 platform

& of course the shop next to the platform to magically spend more money.

google building

google had committed to building a vast campus for 7,000 employees (apparently to continue despite Brexit) next to its existing google building.

very exciting of course!

google building

ii took some photos & the next day my RI resident photographer friend took more photos.

google building

there were a few new dining outlets at this quite new google building – mexican tortilla, a middle-easrtern & a fast japanese joint with packed sushi sashimi, curries for dine in or take-away.

street stalls

the king’s boulevard walkway from the station exit to regent’s canal now has semi-permanent street stalls, even branded KERB!

street stalls

something that beckons…

street stalls

like a mini mini maltby or bricklane market….

king’s cross st pancras station

looking in the direction of St Pancras clock tower along pancras road.

king’s cross st pancras station

the open space at King’s Cross St Pancras exit.

google map showing the station exit to king’s boulevard, 9 & 3/4 platform, google building & St Pancras where we collected our rental car on 30apr.

regent canal

after collecting my 2 friends, we walked past regent’s canal.

regent canal

this like the cleaning up of singapore river, haha!

granary square

walked past granary square, past the Arthouse, then along copenhagen street to our apartment.

after that we went to Greek Larder, located at the Arthouse, for dinner.

c.h.e.f andy

Sin-London by Qatar Air on 27apr2017 (3pax RI Mates Trip London & Wales 27Apr-11May2017)

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qatar economy airbus A350-900 – big screen

first time i took Qatar Airways!

according to skytrax world airline awards 2016 ranking, Qatar Airways (2nd) ranks below Emirates (1st) & above SIA (3rd) & Cathay Pacific (4th) for world’s best airline.

& Qatar Airways ranks second, above SIA (3rd) for world’s best economy airline, AND Qatar Airway ranks 1st, again above SIA (2nd) for world’s best business class airline.

so Qatar Airways ranks above SIA, generally! amazing!

the truth is i would have taken SIA economy if the pricing made sense.

there was no promotion price for SQ when i could confirm my period of travel. i checked both SIA & BA which i preferred as they were direct flights whereas for Qatar i have to stop-over at Doha, so 15hrs/16hrs c/w 13hrs+direct flight.

but SQ was like S$2,200 & BA S$1580 by economy return! made no sense when i can have Qatar economy return at S$1,035! so that’s what i did.

i usually travel light & do not check in luggage. however Qatar only allows 7kg carry on, so i checked in my luggage. fortunately the online check-in queue for bag drop was just 10mins.

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

so safely on board!

the leg room seemed better on this new Airbus A350-900 than my usual SQ experience (on the first sector Sin-Doha…on the second sector Doha-London, it was a Boeing 777-300ER, so maybe leg room about the same).

and a big screen for movies! (top photo)

flight meals menu 1st sector Sin-Doha – dinner & light snack

i felt though that the food & drinks were not as good as SQ, and the service too!

i press the attention light, and it was on for an inordinately long time i turned it off myself, and NO service response! (it was ok on the return flight, so many one-off!)

flight meal – dinner food tray

for dinner, i picked the roast chicken rice.

sautéed mushroom appetizer good

the sautéed mushroom appetizer was good! very tasty, flavourful..

chicken dry & tough..sauce tasty

the roast chicken though was dry & slightly tough.

luckily the sauce was tasty…

green tea cake was good

the green tea cake was good too!

i finished it, though not the subsequent second sector dessert & not on the return flight. in fact dessert on all the sectors were quite good.

light snack = chicken panini & sweet cake

the chicken panini was quite good.. (on the second sector i took vegetarian – that was poor!)

the sweet cake was nice! not overly sweet & nice crispy skin..

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

the plane landed like 1/2 hr late, and we had to be rushed & shepherded to board the transfer. anyway made it la!

second sector Doha – London = braised lamb tasty but tough

on the second sector Doha to London on Boeing 777-300ER, the previous standard bearer along with A380, leg rom was less, screen were small, food marginally poorer.

the appetizer salad was usual mediocre.

braised lamb tasty but tough

the lamb was tough, but the braise was good, tasty…

braised lamb tasty but tough

the mash was ok… i finished the lamb & veg.

So overall, from the flight & also the return flight, for me the food & service slightly poorer than SQ. but the ticket price was <50% = S$1,035 vs S$2,200.

SQ pricing just made n sense to me la!

c.h.e.f andy

 

 

2nd sector doha to london 737-300