Castelo de Sao Jorge on 28Mar2016

castelo sao jorge

castelo de sao jorge

castelo de sao jorge, a moorish castle, occupyies a hilltop location in alfama, the ancient district spreading over a charming locality of narrow streets with historical buildings on the tejo esturary between the castle & tagus river.

walking from our apartment to the arc then to castelo

walking from our apartment to the arc then to castelo

after a great hearty breakfast at tartine, we took a walk to arco da rua augusta & the praca do comercio on the way to the castelo.

we followed the tram 28 route, but decided to walk both onward & return journey instead of taking the tram.

Entrance to castelo sao jorge

Entrance to castelo sao jorge

we passed by the winebar do castelo on the way up, and afterwards having visited the castle we had a most delightful port, chorizo, prosciutto & cheese session at the winebar.

Entrance to castelo sao jorge

Entrance to castelo sao jorge

there were buskers & street artist & stalls peddling artifacts. 🙂

busker playing the austrian hang

busker playing the hang

in particular there was an excellent busker playing the hang.

this guy was just so supergood! ^^

it was just incredible, the soothing sound flowing out with the hand movements, very soothing like the music they play at the spa…

watch the top video. ^^

castelo sao jorge

castelo sao jorge

the castle grounds….

castelo sao jorge

castelo sao jorge

the barbican walls…

the fortified central keep of castelo sao jorge 

the fortified central keep of castelo de sao jorge

the fortified central keep of castelo sao jorge 

the fortified central keep of castelo de sao jorge

a major restoration was undertaken in the 1920s.

View from castelo sao jorge

View from castelo de sao jorge

the castle was designed to withstand long siege & incorporated strong defensive fortifications.

View from castelo sao jorge

View from castelo de sao jorge

& sits on a high vantage point over the tejo estuary…

View from castelo sao jorge

View from castelo de sao jorge

looking over the tagus river..

peacock in the castelo grounds

peacock in the castelo grounds

peacock in the castelo grounds

peacock in the castelo grounds

there was a peacock walking the grounds. beautiful creature. 🙂

View from castelo sao jorge

View from castelo de sao jorge

it was a wonderful place to walk around & loiter & look over the historical buildings & old town..

c.h.e.f andy

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

Ticket & Schedule – http://castelodesaojorge.pt/en/tickets-schedule-and-information/

Transport – Bus 37 & Tram 12, 28

Quite Average Food Relatively Expensive Dinner @ Cantinho do Avillez on 28Mar2016

grilled scallops

grilled scallops – €21

cantinho do avillez

cantinho do avillez

we read that jose avillez is one of the most respected chef in portugal, has 4 restaurants in the chiado, and belcanto has earned 2 michelin stars, the first in 2012.

so we made reservation at the next best thing, cantinho do avillez, his canteen on the next road, for more casual dining & easy on the wallet evening outing on 28.3.2016. ^^

daughter wasn’t keen so we went with son for 3pax dinner. 🙂

restaurant was like fully booked & people were waiting at the bar area drinking & then brought to the tables.

bread & dip

bread & dip

bread

bread

there was a cover charge of €2.85pax.

quite ok as we were served nice bread with something like a bearnaise buttery dip.

dip

dip

bread & dip

bread & dip

can’t remember what it was, but it was good with the bread.

tuna tartare

tuna tartare – €11.85

tuna tartare

tuna tartare – €11.85

tuna tartare was with asian sauce.

tasted ok to me, but a far cry from what we had the day before at mercado timeout market la…

heavy & earth i should say both in taste & even in presentation.

wife was totally unimpressed.

scallop cerviche

scallop cerviche – €8.45

scallop ceviche was better. but again quite ordinary.

scallop cerviche2

scallop cerviche

of course it’s still cheaper than an equivalent dish in a good restaurant in singapore. anyway, so so la…

pig trotters with chick peas2

veal trotters? with chick peas – €6.50

pig trotters with chick peas

veal trotters? with chick peas – €6.50

pretty good dish for me. the trotters were like deboned, so only left the gelatinous gummy skin etc.

i should say a tasty dish & something i liked & easy to eat…

lamb with cous cous2

lamb with cous cous – tagine codeiro – €18.45

black pig with cous cous

lamb with cous cous – tagine codeiro – €18.45

son had the lamb.

he certainly liked it. i didn’t mind it too.

but it was like just ok-ish.

for example, the likewise middle-eastern braised lamb shoulder preparation at honey & co london was WAY better than this la…

black pig with black beans

black pig with black beans – €19

black pig & black bean sauce

black pig & black bean sauce – €19

i wanted the alentejano black pig this time. it was good too, charred & flavourful.

but we just had the black pig risotto at scaramento the evening before, & that was considerably better, and came with a very good standard mushroom risotto to boot.

mediocre food

average food ???

wife had the grilled scallops for main (top photo),

clearly competent, and a fair portion. a good main nothing to complain about.

3pax euro115

damage = 3pax euro115

the bill came to €115 for 3pax including bottle of wine.

it’s about same price as what we paid for 4pax at sacramento.

 

ok maybe we were too critical..to be fair food was competent & not really mediocre but just overrated & underwhelming…basically better & cheaper elsewhere la..

quality, quantity, price, overall experience not 1/2 as good as at Sacramento last evening la.

overall, it was still a good meal for me only unimpressed, unlike say at scaramento, mercado ribeira timeout market, & later at DOP in porto.

c.h.e.f andy

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

Cantinho do Avillez
+ 351 21 199 23 69
Rua dos Duques de Bragança, 7
1200-162 Lisboa

Opening hours:
Monday to Friday: 12.30-15.00 and 19.00-00.00
Saturday and Sunday: 12.30-00.00
Closed on public holidays: For dinner 24 December and all day 25 December

Delightful Port, Chorizo & Cheese @ Winebar do Castelo on 28Mar2016

ruby port & tawny port - proscuitto 24months & 36months, 3 chorizos & cheese...3 port, 3 proscuitto, 4 cheese, 3 chorizo

3 port, 3 proscuitto, 4 cheese, 3 chorizo

this winebar was recommended by son. he came with a friend some years back. 🙂

it’s a nice place. we saw it on the way to castelo de sao jorge, so after the castle we stopped by & enjoyed the port & cheese on 28.3.2016. ^^

wine bar do castelo

wine bar do castelo

it’s a cosy little place, with limited seating. 🙂

wine bar do castelo3

wine bar do castelo

good recommendations also by tripadvisor. 🙂

ruby port & tawny port

ruby port & tawny port

we were introduced to white port, ruby port & tawny port.

port are wine produced from red grapes grown in the duoro valley & fortified by addition of garpe neutral spirit (brandy) to stop fermentation, & so sweeter. tawny port has prolonged slow oxidation in wooden casks. it turns amber brown colour & is smoother, nutty & taste like brandy.

We had 2 ruby port €6 each & a tawny port €9

We picked 2 ruby port €6 each & a tawny port €9

we picked 3 port – 2 ruby port €6 each & a tawny port €9.

& a platter comprising 3 proscuitto, 4 cheese, 3 chorizo to share among 4pax. 🙂

olives & bread

olives & bread

the bread as always were very good.

the olives here also good quality, not the bery cheap salty type eg we had at a porto market

extra virgin olive oil & compote

extra virgin olive oil & compote

very good extra virgin olive oil.

& with the cheese & chorizo we also had very good fruit jam & compote.

3 chorizos & cheese...3 port, 3 proscuitto, 4 cheese, 3 chorizo(2)

3 proscuitto, 4 cheese, 3 chorizo

the platter was really something.

3 very good quality 24mths & 36mths proscuitto (or aged ham) including alentejan black pig, 3 different chorizo & 4 cheese.

proscuitto & chorizo were so flavourful. i enjoyed all of them & the cheese. they were especially good when taken together with the port, though i can’t take much wine or liquor.

this was the best wine & cheese experience i had. service was excellent, with very good introduction & explanation of the port, proscuitto, chorizo & cheese.

c.h.e.f andy

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

LISBOA – LISBON, CASTELO DE SÃO JORGE, PORTUGAL
Winebar do Castelo – wine by glass and wine shop. Outstanding Portuguese wines, old Port and Madeira wines. Exceptional selection of the best Portuguese cheeses and fine charcuterie.
Opens daily 12:00 – 22:00
Located on the entrance of St. George Castle, in Lisbon, Portugal.
Address: Rua Bartolomeu de Gusmão, nºs 11 – 13
T: + 351 21 887 9093
E: winebardocastelo@gmail.com

Very Good 3pax Dimsum Lunch @ Red House Prinsep Street on 16May2016

thai chilli lobster

thai chilli lobster – S$88 

had 3pax dimsum with wife & daughter at red house @ prinsep street today on 16.5.2016.

really enjoyable lunch!

wife & i were here recently for a good friend’s birthday dinner on 4.5.2016.

i also came for a friend’s lunch treat, so this first time i came for lunch myself. 🙂

thai chilli lobster

thai chilli lobster – S$88 

the thai chilli lobster was the best, at a special promo price of S$88

server said it was a 800g lobster. w/o promotion lobster would be priced at S$145/kg.

on the bill it was described as blue lobster. not sure if i can make this myself.

prawn fun cheong

prawn fun cheong – S$7 

all the dimsum were good, very pleasantly indeed above our expectations.

there is a 40% discount available daily at Prinsep Street 11am – 230pm (last order 2pm) from now until 31 December 2016. 

truffle mushroom dumpling

truffle mushroom dumpling – S$6 

very nice mushroom flavours, skin & fillings both excellent, look great too! 🙂

har gao

har gao – S$6 

har gao was good. skin & filling both good. no better than the good dimsum places like crystal jade & imperial treasure.

steamed prok ribs

steamed pork ribs – S$6 

steamed pork ribs better than many places. yam very nice, pork ribs not too fat.

chilli crab bun

chilli crab bun – S$10 

chilli crab buns a bit ex. after 40% discounts it’s S$6.

chilli crab bun

chilli crab bun – S$10 

it was good though, certainly worth trying. the chilli crab sauce with bits of crabmeat really quite impressive la…

crispy char siew pao

crispy char siew pao – S$6 

the crispy char siew pao slightly sweet for me.

crispy char siew pao

crispy char siew pao – S$6 

competent if not as good as timhowan in hong kong.

salted egg custard bun

salted egg custard bun – S$6 

the salted egg custard was good.

salted egg custard bun

salted egg custard bun – S$6 

the skin though, both my daughter & i felt it was thicker & not as soft as the better ones at crystal jade etc.

i also had a S$100 chope voucher for S$90, so S$10 discount which could be used here.

lunch came to S$143nett. so with S$10 chipe duscounts, it was S$133nett

less the lobster, that would be S$33.60++=S$39.50nett!

quite good eh?

c.h.e.f andy

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

Red House (Prinsep Street)

Address
68 Prinsep Street, Singapore 188661
Contact
Fax = +65 6336 6801
Email = prinsep@redhouseseafood.com
Parking
Sunshine Plaza, POMO and Somerset Bencoolen

Opening Hours

Mon – Fri
11.30am – 2.30pm (last order 2pm) 5pm – 11pm (last order 10.30 pm)
Sat, Sun & PH
11am – 11pm (last order 10.30pm)

Great Breakfast Joint @ Tartine on 28Mar2016

breakfast @ tartine

breakfast @ tartine

we had a long & fun day on 27.3.2016, waking up in the wee hours to catch a taxi to luton to board a flight from london to lisbon.

so we all had a restful sleep, and planned for a later breakfast on 28.3.2016. ^^

wife & daughter had done their yoga.

daughter read about tartine (a short walk from our apartment) so we decided to go there for breakfast. 🙂

tartine pastry

tartine pastry

a tempting display of pastry…

tartine

tartine

we were seated on the inside next to the small outdoor section..

tartine

tartine

it was past 9am & not so many customers…

egg cream pastry - the best!

egg cream pastry – the best!

the pastry counter lady said this egg cream pastry was a popular item here.

i think it was the best, better than the natas & other portugese pastry we had & subsequently…

natas @ tartine

natas @ tartine

the natas here were good too.

i would say this was better than the natas we had at paradia portuguesa @Praça Luís de Camões.

& perhaps pasteis de belem’s was a bit better than this

portugese sweet croissant

portugese sweet croissant

we ordered the portugese version of croissant just to try.

this however was disappointing. the french croissant is much better for my palate.

soft boiled egg with toast

soft boiled egg with toast

son was hungry, so he ordered a soft boiled egg with toast. not my kind of food.

expresso with cream

expresso with cream

wife took a expression with cream & i took my usual flat white.

the coffee here was good. 🙂

a nice relaxing breakfast before we start out to alfama district & castelo de sao jorge. ^^

c.h.e.f andy

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

TARTINE PADARIA & RESTAURANTE

RUA SERPA PINTO, 15 – A

TEL: +351 21 342 91 08

MONDAY TO FRIDAY: 8AM TO 8PM

SATURDAYS, SUNDAYS AND HOLIDAYS: 10AM TO 8PM

Our Best Dinner in Lisbon @ Sacramento Restaurant on 27Mar2016

octopus split for 4pax

grilled octopus split for 4pax

we had quite a full day on 27.3.2016-

it’s time to have a nice dinner & relax! 🙂

sacramento restaurant3

sacramento restaurant

we didn’t have a restaurant in mind so i looked at the google map which showed the restaurants nearby as we walked along rue do carmo past saint justa elevator.

with luck on our side, we picked sacramento. not a promising name, certainly not portugese sounding. the deco was described as funky in one guide. seemed a bit cheesy to me, somehow reminded me of a certain jack’s place at havelock road in the early 1980s?

well, turned out to be the best restaurant & best meal we had in lisbon.

nice bread

nice bread

we were served some nice bread & nice extra virgin olive oil.

it must be said that all bread at all meals we had were very nice here in lisbon, & also later porto.

chorizo & cheese

chorizo & cheese

we had a chorizo & cheese to share.

all very nice, but not really better than mercado timeout market or comparable with the excellent chorizo, cheese & port we had at castelo winebar the next day…

for today we waited an inordinately long time (like 1 hr+) for our food.

(it was ok at our next visit for dinner the evening before we left for porto).

not acceptable really, and the restaurant probably knew it.

we ordered a grilled octopus to share, and the restaurant split into 4 plates for us.

each plate had really a huge portion, plus very nice spinach to boot as side (top photo)!

we all agreed this was the best octopurs we had, better than at lake como, at lake marggiore, at cinque terre & of course singapore!

entrecote steak

entrecote steak

we ordered a main each, so 4 mains, & we shared the food anyway.

wife had the entrecote. it was very nice. the piece i had was quite marbled and very flavourful.

kurobuta with funghi risotto

black pig with funghi risotto

son had a black pig with funghi risotto.

incredible is the word!

(we had dinner at cantinho do avillez the next day. this is the “canteen” of 2 michelin star chef jose avillez who helms belcanto on the next street from cantinho. 

by comparison with sacramento, cantinho was overrated & the dinner entirely underwhelming, unfortunately…)

kurobuta with funghi risotto

black pig with funghi risotto

the black pig was a really huge serving, very well charred, very flavourful & marbled. a really excellent meat!

kurobuta with funghi risotto

black pig with funghi risotto

& the funghi risotto was excellent on its own, equal or better than a very good italian restaurant in singapore, and its only a side!

salt cod

salt cod

daughter had a salt cod.

poultry chorizo with rice

poultry chorizo with rice

& i had a poultry chorizo with rice. 🙂

both these dishes would have been very good restaurant standard dishes standalone.

salt cod is not a favourite for all for us. still it was very well done.

the poultry chorizo was not quite what i expected. i though it might be a chicken breast fillet which could be very tender & flavourful done in a good restaurant. it as instead a croquette deep-fried item. not my favourite preparation. still it was done well & tasty.

like the salt cod, this was more robust than fine food, and we already shared very good entrecote & black pig.

the rice was also very good. it’s different from the risotto, not as creamy, but tasted very good as well. of course we did not take most of it, just too much carbs la…

sacramento restaurant

sacramento restaurant

dinner was like €130 for 4pax, really excellent for the price! maybe we were just hungry la…

only complaint was the long wait…fortunately that was not repeated at our next visit.

restaurant largo

restaurant largo

on the way back to our apartment we passed by restaurant largo, with very tempting display of seafood & crustaceans!

well there were too many eating places we wanted to go, so in the end we did not go this one la…

c.h.e.f andy

Walking Around in Lisbon on 27Mar2016

Jardim de São Pedro de Alcântara - Jardim António Nobre

Jardim de São Pedro de Alcântara – Jardim António Nobre

after returning from jeronimos monastery & belem tower etc,

we had a nice cuppa (there was no nespresso capsules so we made filter coffee from some leftover pretty good coffee powder) & rest at the apartment before going out for an evening stroll.

daughter booked a nice spacious 200sqm 3-bedroom apartment at rua da misericórdia 98 for our 4pax lisbon stay.

it was a short walk past the st rogue church to the square,Jardim de São Pedro de Alcântara, where some street stalls are peddling handicrafts, ginjinha (cherry wine) & small eats. 🙂

Jardim de São Pedro de Alcântara - Jardim António Nobre2

Jardim de São Pedro de Alcântara – Jardim António Nobre

nice view of the surrounding.

Jardim de São Pedro de Alcântara - Jardim António Nobre3

Jardim de São Pedro de Alcântara – Jardim António Nobre

the jardim…

Jardim de São Pedro de Alcântara - Jardim António Nobre4

Jardim de São Pedro de Alcântara – Jardim António Nobre

terraces…

Ascensor da Gloria @ Calcada da Gloria

Ascensor da Gloria @ Calcada da Gloria

Olá a partir de Lisboa! ^^

greetings from lisbon!

there is always romanticism associated with these streetcar transport of yesteryears.

Ascensor da Gloria @ Calcada da Gloria2

Ascensor da Gloria @ Calcada da Gloria

Ascensor da Gloria @ Calcada da Gloria

Ascensor da Gloria @ Calcada da Gloria

Calçada do Lavra

Calçada da Gloria

 

Ascensor da Gloria @ Calcada da Gloria3

Ascensor da Gloria @ Calcada da Gloria

the gloria furnicular, opened to public in 1885, traverse an axis that slopes 17.7%, from Avenida da Liberdade to the Rua de São Pedro de Alcântara.

street art or grafitti

street art or grafitti?

street art or grafitti@Calçada da Gloria

street art or grafitti @ Calçada da Gloria

street art or grafitti @ Calçada da Gloria2

street art or grafitti @ Calçada da Gloria

there were no lack of loud wall graffiti along parts of the sloping calcada da gloria.

Ascensor da Gloria @ Calcada da Gloria4

Ascensor da Gloria @ Calcada da Gloria

Ascensor da Gloria @ Calcada da Gloria5

Ascensor da Gloria @ Calcada da Gloria

the furnicular ends at Avenida da Liberdade leading to praca restauradores. 🙂

praca da restaurandores

monumento dos restaurandores

the square….

national theatre d maria

national theatre d maria

national theatre d maria2

national theatre d maria

we walked over to the national theatre.

praca dom pedro IV

rossio square @ praca dom pedro IV

praca dom pedro IV2

rossio square @ praca dom pedro IV

fronting rossio square, which pays homage to Pedro IV, King of Portugal.

there was this famous ginjinha sem rival …

everyone was queueing up.

my son bought 2 cups. it was pretty strong & sweet wine with cherries at the bottom.

later we learned that in many places you are served with a chocolate container & finished off with the chocolate. didn’t have that this time though. 🙂

streets - rue do carmo

rue do carmo

we were 1/2 window shopping & looking for dinner place by now, walking up rue do carmo.

queue for santa justa elevator

queue for santa justa elevator

santa justa elevator

santa justa elevator

the santa justa elevator was round the corner, cost €5 for 2 trips.

there was a long queue.

i looked at the google map which showed the restaurants nearby.

with a spot of luck, we picked sacramento, and that was the best restaurant & best meal we had in lisbon.

we liked it so much we went back again the evening before leaving lisbon for porto. ^^

c.h.e.f andy

Crispy Fried Beehoon 三楼米粉

三楼米粉

三楼米粉 (from a subsequent second try)

my OPS primay school friend treated me to a very nice lunch at seng kee on 12.5.2016. ^^

one dish i was very much impressed was the 香煎米粉. i thought it was really good, crispy very fragrant good wok hae, bee hoon & ingredients inside tasty, not mushy, not burnt.

bagus la!

三楼米粉crispy fried beehoon

三楼米粉crispy fried beehoon

三楼米粉crispy fried beehoon

三楼米粉crispy fried beehoon

三楼米粉

三楼米粉 (from a subsequent second try)

suddenly felt like giving it a try today on 14.5.2016.

took out leftover sotong tentacles, some prawns, chicken breat from freezer & defrosted.

had 1/2 chinese cabbage in chillier, 2 leaves turning bad liao. cut 1/3 from the 1/2 & removed the spoiled portions.

  1. cut chinese cabbage into very thing strips & fried with cut chilli padi & oil first & fish sauce till soften. added the leaves & fried a bit more then added 1 cup water, turned to low & braised. chinese cabbage was to add veg sweetness as stock (i didn;t have any chicken stock).
  2. while cabbage braising (about 15mins), i cut the defrosted prawns, chicken, sotong tentacles & seasoned separately with fish sauce & white pepper.
  3. i removed the cabbage with little soup left & transfer to a bowl. then i added butter & fried the prawns, chicken, sotong tentacles maybe 80% cooked. removed them & set aside (i think this step not necessary but i was not sure how much stock to add & whether i had time to cook them before drying out the beehoon).
  4.  i added oil, onions, chopped garlic into pan & fried till fragrant, turned fire high & added 2 eggs & scrambled.
  5. then i returned the stock to the pan added the beehoon (soaked in water & drained) together with the prawns, chicken, sotong tentacles & braised the beehoon.
  6. i turned fire to high to dry out the beehoon, then i added the scrambled egg & mixed.
  7. the last step was to make the beehoon crispy. i was able to do it in parts but could not flip over & make it into a pancake presentation.

anyway the result was still a very tasty, fragrant, quite excellent tasting beehoon with very good wok hae.

i added coriander (& some cut spring onions earlier). daughter commented the coriander flavour really nice (a bit like eating orh lua, a crispy fragrant egg dish matches well with coriander la)…

anyway now i have a good feel of the dish so can very the steps a little as provided below.

c.h.e.f andy

Ingredients:

  • 120g beehoon
  • 8 small prawns.
  • 1/2 squid – 12 slices
  • chicken breast or pork – 8 slices
  • 1.5cup chicken stock
  • 1 cup thinly sliced chinese cabbage
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tsp chopped garlic
  • 1/2 sliced yellow onions
  • 1 cut chilli padi
  • fish sauce (about 1.5tbsp in all)
  • 1 stalk cut spring onions
  • 1 bunch coriander (for garnishing)

Directions:

  1. add oil, onions, chopped garlic into pan & fried till fragrant. turn fire high & add 2 eggs & scramble. set aside.
  2. fry chinese cabbage & cut chilli padi with oil & fish sauce till soften. add 1.5 cup chicken stock, turn to low & braise. reduce to 1/2 cup or so.
  3. marinate prawns, sliced chicken breast (or pork), sliced sotong with fish sauce & white pepper.
  4. add beehoon (soak in water & drain first) together with the prawns, chicken/pork, sotong & braise the beehoon.
  5. turn fire to high to dry out the beehoon, then add the scrambled egg, cut spring onions & mix.
  6. flatten out the beehoon & press to crisp over high fire. flip over if possible. if not, crisp enough parts of the beehoon. garnish with coriander & serve.

Jeronimos Monastery, Discovery Monuments & Belem Tower on 27Mar2016

jeronimos monastery

jeronimos monastery

after having the “best” natas (portugese egg tarts) at pasteis de belem, we walked over to jeronimos monastery on 27.3.2016. ^^

unfortunately it was the easter weekend, & the monastery was closed. it felt strange to us, since one should expect bigger crowds & visits on public holidays, but i guess everyone deserve to have their day off.

we knew of this of course, checking on the various websites to see if it was open, but we had to manage our itinerary & had to settle for just seeing the outside of the monastery.

jeronimos monastery

jeronimos monastery

the construction of the monastery & church started in 1501 & took 100 years to complete.

jeronimos monastery

jeronimos monastery

built to commemorate vasco da gama’s voyage, it was also his final resting place where his tomb was laid by the entrance.

jeronimos monastery

jeronimos monastery

it is a prominent example of late gothic maneuline architecture in lisbon, a richly ornate & complex architectural style.

jeronimos monastery

jeronimos monastery

jeronimos monastery

jeronimos monastery

the cloisters certainly looked magnificient on the e-guides.

there were sea monsters, corals, sea motifs carved onto each column… too bad we were not able to view the inside.

Jardim da Praça do Império

Jardim da Praça do Império

we crossed over to the gardens, adjoining jardim de belem.

jeronimos monastery

jeronimos monastery

& took a shot of the monastery from across the road.

Jardim da Praça do Império

Jardim da Praça do Império

the anchor….

Jardim da Praça do Império

Jardim da Praça do Império

& fountains….

discoveries monument

discovery monuments

lead to the discovery monuments, Padrão dos Descobrimentos, by the tagus river…

discoveries monument

discovery monuments

& celebrate the age of exploration during the 15th & 16th centuries….

discoveries monument

discovery monuments (western profile)

there were 34 statues of explorers on the western & eastern profile. 🙂

discoveries monument

discovery monuments (eastern profile)

on the eastern profile, henry the navigator carrying a model of a carrack sailing ship, stands at the front.

discoveries monument

at the discovery monuments

discoveries monument

at the discovery monuments

from the discovery monumnets, we could see the 25rh april bridge, lisbon’s “golden gate bridge”. 🙂

view7 from top of discoveries monument

view from top of discovery monuments

view from top of discovery monuments 

view from top of discovery monuments

admission is €4 for adults. there are family, school & senior citizen concessions.

there is a small marina on the east side of the monuments.

view7 from top of discoveries monument

view from top of discovery monuments

& view of cristo rei (Christ the King) across the tagus river, lisbon’s equivalent to rio de janeiro’s Christ the Redeemer. 🙂

view of cristo rei from discovery monuments

view of cristo rei from discovery monuments

& a zoomed-in look at the christo rei….

view7 from top of discoveries monument

view from top of discovery monuments

view7 from top of discoveries monument

view from top of discovery monuments

view from top of discovery monuments 

view from top of discovery monuments

on the western side is the tower of belem in the distance.

view3 from top of discovery monuments

jeronimos monastery

& looking back, the monastery & the gardens.

we took a short stroll to the belem tower & the jardim da torre de belem.

Belem Tower

Belem Tower

Belem Tower

Belem Tower

Belem Tower

Belem Tower

belem tower, alongside jeronimos monastery, is a UNESCO world heritage site.

it was built in a similar late gothic manueline architectural style with cloister & charming loggia on a small island in the tagus & connected to the shore, completed in 1519 in the early 16th century.

jardim da torre de belem

jardim da torre de belem

jardim da torre de belem

jardim da torre de belem

the park & open space in front of the tower.

Belem Tower

Belem Tower

Belem Tower

Belem Tower

Belem Tower

Belem Tower

after the belem tower, we took a cab back to apartment for just €8.10 though cab driver appropriated & did not return change for €10. 🙂

for 4pax it was quite convenient & more economical way to travel. the tram 15e was €2.85pax & took a long time & also we would need to change to the subway or walk back to the apartment from the ribeira at cais do sorde

c.h.e.f andy

Steamed Sutchi Fillet + White Belly Pork – 11th Teban Gardens Community Breakfast on 13May2016

steamed sutchi fillet

steamed sutchi fillet

this morning we had an additional dish for teban gardens community breakfast on 13.5.2016. ^^

a RI friend made steamed sutchi fillet. he had to wake up real early to prepare the dish & bring it from sengkang to teban gardens to arrive on time by 830am in the morning rush hour traffic. very good chappie!

for myself i made white belly pork.

(i had prepared 3 angkoli fish aka sea bream, removed the heads & also fillet the fish to make a fish curry dish without bones for the teban gardens community breakfast. heard from my friend the day before that he was making steamed sutchi fillet, so made a last minute switch to belly pork).

this my 11th friday breakfast community meal at teban gardens community service centre (CSC).

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.

white belly pork

white belly pork

i made 1.2kg belly pork. reduced the quantity since there was already the sutchi dish.

white belly pork

white belly pork

i used a simple preparation.

  1. scald the belly pork to remove scum, & clean thoroughly.
  2. add 4 tbsp shaoxing wine, 1 tbsp salt & 1 tbsp sugar & mix to dissolve. can heat if required.
  3. season the belly pork & place in oven-proof dish in a 90degC oven for 4 hours. this can be done the evening before.
  4. final step, place belly pork in steam oven (or steamer) for 75mins.
  5. cut the pork

pork is tasty & tender & still have bite.

monthly birthday cake

monthly birthday cake

every month, a volunteer bakes a cake for the centre to celebrate the birthdays of folks whose birthdays fall within that month. very meaningful & endearing for the folks to have everyone celebrate their birthdays together.

very nice cake today!

& tasted good too. just a little sweet for me.

c.h.e.f andy

Chocolate Banana Cake – Simply Awesome!

chocolate banana cake

chocolate banana cake

today i made a chocolate banana cake for the first time on 11.5.2016. ^^

chocolate banana cake

chocolate banana cake

& actually it turned out quite awesome! ^^

chocolate banana cake

chocolate banana cake

my primary school friend is buying lunch the next day.

so i thought i would make a banoffee pie so we can all share after lunch.

just happens that the conversation on group whatsapp was chocolate banana cake. a friend had just taken that at awfully chocolate. i know cedele sells that too but have not tried it, and also secret recipe when i googled.

i found a recipe on joy of baking which i thought i can do.

10" x 10" cake tin from phoon huat

10″ x 10″ cake tin from phoon huat

next was to go buy a cake tin & the ingredients like flour, baking soda, baking powder etc, all i didn’t have.

i bought a 10″ x 10″ cake tin from phoon huat, S$6.50.

mashed banana

mashed banana

recipe seems simply enuf!

i just have to manage the sugar, as usually the western recipe has many times the sugar we like.

i mashed about 1.5 medium bananas & kept 1/2 for some banana chunks (not in recipe).

mixed eggs, water, milk, vanilla essence, mashed bananas, oil

mixed eggs, water, milk, vanilla essence, mashed bananas, oil

i mixed 2 eggs, mashed bananas, 1 cup water (240ml), 1/2 cup milk (120ml), 1.5 tsp vanilla essence & 1/2 cup oil (120ml) in a large bowl, & whisked.

mixed cocoa, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar

mixed cocoa, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar

i sieved 1 & 3/4 cups plain flour (245g) & sieved 3/4 cup cocoa powder (75g) to a large bowl, added 5 tbsp sugar (75g), ! & 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1 & 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt & mix.

recipe called for 400g sugar. i used just 75g so i could adjust later. i tried the cake mix later & added 1 tbsp & then 1 more tbsp sugar so in total 7 tbsp (105g) sugar

fold the wet light mix to the dry mix

fold the wet light mix to the dry mix

i added the wet light mix to the dry mix.

i made a big mistake though!

i forgot that i should fold & not whisk!

cake mixture before baking

cake mixture before baking

well for this time it didn’t matter that i whisked.

as i said earlier, i tasted the cake mix before baking, so i added 2 tbsp more sugar, 1 tbsp at a time & guess what, i had to whisk la!

so in the end no diff!

baked for 40mins at 180degC

baked for 40mins at 180degC

i buttered the 10 by 10 cake tin & pour the cake mix in.

baked for 40mins according to joyofbaking recipe instructions.

made chocolate ganagce for frosting

made chocolate ganagce for frosting

then i made the ganache.

boil 180ml whipping cream with 1 tbsp butter (15ml). broke up 200g dark chocolate (i used cadbury) & whisked.

chocolate ganagce for frosting over baked cake

chocolate ganche for frosting over baked cake

after the cake had cooled completely, i added the ganache frosting.

chocolate banana cake

chocolate banana cake

when i tested the cake, it was still warm & the ganache flowed a bit. ok but didn’t feel special.

chocolate banana cake

chocolate banana cake

i put it in the fridge & tried the next day.

what can i say? it was awesome leh!

well it was pretty good la…chocolate cake standalone not really my favourite, but this was really jolly good. the ganache was specially good. the cake itself was dense but it was ok good.

i may add a bit more bananas, but for me, this cake just like this was quite good enuf.

c.h.e.f andy

Ingredients:

  • 2 medium bananas
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup water (240ml)
  • 1/2 cup milk (120ml)
  • 1.5 tsp vanilla essence
  • 1/2 cup oil (120ml)
  • 1 & 3/4 cups plain flour (245g)
  • 3/4 cup cocoa powder (75g)
  • 7 tbsp sugar (105g)
  • 1 & 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 & 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 180ml whipping cream
  • 1 tbsp butter (15ml)
  • 200g dark chocolate (i used cadbury)

Directions:

  1. mash 1.5 medium bananas & kept 1/2 for some banana chunks (not in recipe).
  2. mix 2 eggs, mashed bananas, 1 cup water (240ml), 1/2 cup milk (120ml), 1.5 tsp vanilla essence & 1/2 cup oil (120ml) in a large bowl, & whisk.
  3. sieve 1 & 3/4 cups plain flour (245g) & sieve 3/4 cup cocoa powder (75g) to a large bowl, add 7 tbsp sugar (105g), 1 & 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1 & 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt & mix. <recipe called for 400g sugar. i used just 5tbsp (75g) so i could adjust later. i tried the cake mix later & added 1 tbsp & then 1 more tbsp sugar so in total 7 tbsp (105g) sugar>
  4. add the wet light mix to the dry mix & fold, figure of eight motion.
  5. butter the 10 by 10 cake tin (or non-stick spray), placed the banana chunks on cake tin & pour the cake mix in. bake for 40mins according to joyofbaking recipe instructions.
  6. make ganache frosting – boil 180ml whipping cream with 1 tbsp butter (15ml). break up 200g dark chocolate (i used cadbury) & whisk.
  7. when cake is completely cooled, add the ganache frosting. voila!

Very Good Enjoyable Lunch @ Seng Kee on 12May2016

香煎米粉or三楼米粉 fried beehoon

香煎米粉or三楼米粉 fried beehoon

my OPS primary school classmate bought 5pax lunch at seng kee today on 12.5.2016.^^

the 香煎米粉or三楼米粉 fried beehoon we had today, i so enjoyed this i am going to try making this myself.

i came here twice before, both times with my RI friends.

the last time was a year ago after watching australian open tennis finals between djokovic & murray on 1.2.2015.

food was so so that day. the steamed fish head was good.

香煎米粉or三楼米粉 fried beehoon

香煎米粉or三楼米粉 fried beehoon

recently these friends brought me to try many interesting food, like the white bee hoon at tampines 844.

some i tried before in the younger days maybe but did not pay much attention, some i have not tried.

today my friend ordered 6 dishes.

the 香煎米粉or三楼米粉 fried beehoon seems to be a seng kee’s newly added dish.

& it was very good. very nice flavours, wok hae, nicely crisp, not soggy, i think overall almost perfect.

after that i googled & saw some photos of the 三楼米粉 at 三楼海鲜园 Taman Pelangi, Johor Bahru. just by picture alone, i would think the seng kee one look much better. of course will have to try la one day….

assam fish head

assam fish head

the assam fish head was also good.

basically fish head was fresh & sweet, & the assam sauce added to the taste. would have been just as good steamed (like last time the teochew style).

东坡肉dongporou with brocoli & bun

东坡肉dongporou with brocoli & bun

the 东坡肉dongporou was not the best, but it was pretty good. my friends felt the fat was not done well enuf, in terms of the bite. i guess so. i think the meat taste & sauce also not as good not 入味 intense enuf. brocoli buns all that ok but those were not definitive of the dish.

deepfried tofu with minced meat sauce

deepfried tofu with minced meat sauce

the deep-fried tofu was good too, very well done.

the meat sauce though quite pedestrian, by the way type.

kidney mee sua...so so

kidney mee sua…so so

their famous kidney mee sua??

kidney mee sua...so so

kidney mee sua…so so

i wonder, nothing great about it…same thing i thought the last time. that was worse actually, there was a taste i remember, this time no bad taste, but nothing great, in fact nothing good.

any bakuteh stall would be better la…so i rate this as the worst dish…

didn’t have a photo of the romaine lettuce 油麦菜. it was ok but nothing to talk about just very average.

overall it was a very good lunch. friend wasn’t satisfied himself but i enjoyed the lunch quite a lot. wasn’t much of a problem for us. he can keep buying lunch until he is satisfied la…the least you can do for a friend…lol! ^^

my friend paid. i haven’t found out about the cost. will update this later if i know the cost.

c.h.e.f andy

 

Samgyetang 삼계탕 参鸡汤 Korean Ginseng Chicken Soup

#1 samgyaetang 参鸡汤

Samgyetang 삼계탕 参鸡汤 Korean Ginseng Chicken Soup

another dish i did when my friends gathered at my place to relish hong kong food fun moments on 20.1.2016 was Samgyetang (Korean Ginseng Chicken Soup).

glutinous rice stuffed chicken soup HK$188 2-in-1 special

glutinous rice stuffed chicken soup HK$188 2-in-1 special

interestingly, during our recent 6pax hong kong eat & hike 10-14Jan2016, i had one of the best samgyetang  at-

Tao Heung 稻香 (Tsimshatsui) on 11.1.2016

the soup was very intense, sweet & flavourful. chicken was tender & the glutinous rice added an interesting texture. this something i always like, similar to the indian mulligatawny soup which i like.

well, this the chinese version. there was NO ginseng in it. neither has mine. 🙂

#1 samgyaetang 参鸡汤

Samgyetang 삼계탕 参鸡汤 Korean Ginseng Chicken Soup

my chicken soup was also very tasty (though maybe still not as intense as the wonderful glutinous stuffed chicken soup we had at tao hueng tsimshatsui), & chicken very tender as my friends noted.

i stuffed the chicken with 3 tbsp glutinous rice (soaked in water for 1 hr according to one internet samgyaetang recipe), 3 cloves garlic & 3 dried red dates, cut ginger, 2 spring onions.

i boiled the small 1kg chicken with chicken stock i made the day before, added 3 more red dates & sliced ginger & spring onions, salt (to taste) & boiled medium for 45mins, then turned over medium low for 30mins.

seems that the glutinous rice in the koreanbapsang internet recipe was too little, would have been better with more so texture of soup will be better. will try 1/2 cup next time.

overall, a nourishing, warming comfort food, very shiok with the other dishes we had. ^^

c.h.e.f andy

Ingredients:

  • small 1kg chicken, cleaned & massaged with salt
  • 1/2 cup glutinous rice (soaked in water for 1 hr)
  • 6 cloves garlic
  • 6 dried red dates
  • 3cm cut ginger
  • 2 twig spring onions
  • 5 cups chicken stock

Directions:

  1. stuff small 1kg chicken with 1/2 cup glutinous rice (soaked in water for 1 hr), 3 cloves garlic, 3 dried red dates, cut ginger, 2 spring onions. tie legs with kitchen twine.
  2. boil chicken with 5 cups chicken stock, add 3 more red dates, cut ginger & spring onions, salt (to taste) & boil medium for 45mins, then turn over medium low for 30mins.

Dried Mustard Leaves Belly Pork 梅菜扣肉

#4 dried mustard leaves belly pork 梅菜扣肉

dried mustard leaves belly pork 梅菜扣肉

i read about mei cai kou rou recipe on internet many times but never got to try it.

post our 6pax hong kong eat & hike 10-14jan2016,

my friends gathered at my place to relish hong kong food fun moments on 20.1.2016

though we did not have 梅菜扣肉 in hong kong, i was thinking what dishes to add to the lunch menu.

this my first try at梅菜扣肉 & in any case a good opportunity to get my friends to try it.

it was very well done. ^^

i varied a 梅菜扣肉 recipe i read on internet.

  1. i bought the sweet mustard leaves, mei cai,  梅菜 from sheng shiong & used the whole packet with about 500g+ of belly pork. the mei cai,  梅菜 need to be soaked & washed many times to remove the sand.
  2. i placed the belly pork in a 90degC oven for 3 hrs, instead of boiling it in water for 35mins according to the recipe.
  3. i then seared the skin & sides & added 1/2tbsp dark sauce to coat the belly pork. & sliced the belly pork when cool.
  4. then i melted 1 tbsp sugar, added 1 tbsp oil & fried the 梅菜 & added 1/2cup chicken stock.
  5. then i placed the 梅菜 on the sliced belly pork & placed in the steam oven for 75mins.

the 梅菜 was just perfect, texture, colour, taste, everything & the belly pork 扣肉excellent, so tender & tasty!^^

c.h.e.f andy

Ingredients:

  • 500g belly pork
  • 1 packet sweet mustard leaves, mei cai,  梅菜
  • 1/2 tbsp dark sauce
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tbsp oil
  • 1/2 cup chicken stock

Directions:

  1. soak & wash sweet mustard leaves, mei cai,  梅菜 many times to remove the sand. cut into small bits.
  2. scald the belly pork to remove scum. place the belly pork in a 90degC oven for 3 hrs (or boil it in water for 35mins).
  3. sear the skin & sides & add 1/2tbsp dark sauce to coat the belly pork. slice the belly pork when cool.
  4. melt 1 tbsp sugar, add 1 tbsp oil & fry the 梅菜. add 1/2cup chicken stock.
  5. place the 梅菜 on the sliced belly pork & place in the steam oven (or a steamer) for 75mins.

 

 

 

 

Stewed Cabbage with Fried Beancurd Puff (Taupok)

cabbage with tau pok

cabbage with tau pok

i did a stewed cabbage with fried beancurd puff for a 4pax lunch for my OPS (Outram Primary School) classmates on 17.3.2016. ^^

it’s a wonderful dish really!

at good & cheap teochew muay stalls like ye shanghai, they do simple dishes like cabbage that are very tasty.

i managed to do that quite a few times including a homecooked teochew muay lunch for my friends-

my cabbage with tau pok was also a variation of my usual cabbage for teochew muay.

this time it was a lot tastier even, because i reduced the stock more & also the hara fried beancurd puff added a very pleasant, sweet taste.

a great improvement even compared with the cabbage everyone liked on 28.10.2015!

fried ikan bilis2 fried ikan bilis

i had the idea of adding ikan bilis.

i got that from the nice ikan bilis bee hoon we had last time at ayer rajah food centre afte the indian rojak.

it went very well with the cabbage dish actually, but you can’t have too much of it so i just added 1/2 portion of what i made.

so basically, the steps are –

  1. add cut chilli padi, chopped garlic & fry
  2. then add the cabbage, oyster sauce, fish sauce (or light soy sauce), and fry for 2 mins to coat the cabbage with the sauce.
  3. then add stock, cover & reduce, 10mins.
  4. add hara taupok (cut each taupok square into 4 strips), cook for 20mins. the taupok is a good combination, add texture & more sweetness to the dish.
  5. reduce is the key, so flavours are more intense, too much water will dilute the taste. make sure cabbage not overcooked & still retain the crunchy bite.
  6. fry ikan bilis (optional)

c.h.e.f andy

Excellent Fish Head Curry

fish head curry was very good

fish head curry was very good

recently, i have made fish head curry a number of times & happy to say it has consistently good everytime, and my friends all thought the fish head curry was the best dish. ^^

mak's curry paste for fish head curry

mak’s curry paste for fish head curry

first time i did fish head curry was 14.3.2016. it was a 10pa curry rice lunch + bakuteh post JB trip. ^^

i grabbed a curry paste from sheng shiong. found this mak’s nonya fish head curry S$2.45, used it for the first time.

fish head curry

fish head curry

wife went to chinatown & bought me an angkoli (sea bream) fish head. i though it was very expensive at S$16.

anyway it was super fresh, meat was firm & sweet.

fish head curry

fish head curry

cooking was easy. i just followed instructions at the back of the sachet-

  1. fry first the sliced yellow onions, curry rempah & some coconut milk.
  2. add cut okra (lady’s fingers) and fry another few minutes.
  3. add fish head & coat thoroughly both sides with rempah
  4. add cut egg plant, chicken stock & coconut milk, covered, simmered about 8 – 10mins
  5. add cut tomatoes.
fish head curry

fish head curry

i did this a few more times, & it was good, in fact excellent, every time-

fish head curry

fish head curry

what i like was the simplicity in the preparation.

fish head curry

fish head curry

& that it is consistently good without fail.

i am planning to do this for the community meals at teban gardens & at bathesda bedok.

fish head curry

fish head curry

i am good with using premix for my cooking. if they works why not? why invent the wheel? no hang-ups for me. 🙂

i do have a good recipe for nonya curry chicken, so for that i do not use curry paste, but there is no fix rules, whatever works, works for me la…

c.h.e.f andy

Ingredients:

  • 1 angkoli (sea bream) fish head about 1kg (or garoupa)
  • 1 Mak’s fish head curry sachet
  • 1 small yellow onions (sliced)
  • 5 ocra (1cm cut)
  • 1 egg plant (1.5cm cut)
  • 2 tomatoes (cut into 8 or 12 pieces)
  • 200ml coconut milk
  • 750ml to 1000ml chicken stock

Directions:

  • wash fish head with salt thoroughly & drain.

i just followed instructions at the back of the sachet-

  1. fry first the sliced yellow onions, curry rempah & some coconut milk.
  2. add cut okra (lady’s fingers) and fry another few minutes.
  3. add fish head & coat thoroughly both sides with rempah
  4. add cut egg plant, chicken stock & coconut milk, covered, simmered about 8 – 10mins
  5. add cut tomatoes.

12pax Home Dinner + Silk Road Adventure Briefing on 9may2016

made a simple homecooked 12pax dinner for friends today on 9.5.2016. ^^

a good friend was briefing us on a silk road adventure tour she planned for sep this year.

mouthwatering it was! ^^

it was simple as curry dishes are easy to do & by now i am quite organised for these dinners.

the heavy cooking was only 3 full hours.

so i in fact went to the gym in the morning & a good friend bought a good teochew muay buffet lunch afterwards.

of course that excludes deboning the chicken, making stock, making the paste for nonya curry chicken & making tiramisu, all done the day before. 🙂

great wines brought by 2 friends

great wines brought by 2 friends

2 friends brought 2 nice reds.

we had the yellow label, the michel torino for another occasion.

for this evening’s dinner, i made 7 dishes-

#1 fish head curry
#2 nonya chicken curry
#3 teriyaki sutchi fillet
#4 kou rou (w/o mei cai) + white kong bak (both experimental)
#5 chap chai
#6 fried hokkien noodles
#7 tiramisu

& a friend brought excellent cheng chow dessert

the fish head curry, like the last 2 times, was excellent. everyone loved it.

my nonya curry chicken was very good too.

very lemak, flavourful & a key difference with curry chicken outside, my chicken was very tender not overcooked.

kou rou扣肉 preparation w/o the mei cai 梅菜 (experimental)

kou rou扣肉 preparation w/o the mei cai 梅菜 (experimental)

the kou rou扣肉 preparation w/o the mei cai 梅菜 was experimental. result was excellent. several friends picked this as the best, their favourite. 🙂

i used my mei cai kou rou recipe basically.

this time i used shao xing wine & sea salt & sugar to marinate, put in 90degC oven for 4 hours, browned on non-stick pan, added dark sauce to coat & some sugar, then steam oven for 1hr 15mins.

white kong bak 白腩肉 (experimental)

white kong bak 白腩肉 (experimental)

white kong bak 白腩肉 also experimental.

this after having the teochew white belly pork at bedok north food centre.

this was excellent too. a similar number of friends picked this as their favourite.

today's teriyaki sutchi not so good

today’s teriyaki sutchi not so good

the teriyaki sutchi fillet was not so good today.

i did teriyaki sutchi fillet for teban gardens community meal & bathesda bedok community meal recently. of you look at the photos, the difference is quite evident.

i think it was because i wrap it in aluminium foil in oven for 2 ovens & the fillet sweat.

chap chai was good sweet & tasty

chap chai was good sweet & tasty

chap chai was very good. cabbage sweetness + taupok yellow bean sweetness + chicken stock sweetness & reduced.

tanhoon gave some additional texture.

fried hokkien noodles tasty but soaked up the gravy & a bit mushy

fried hokkien noodles tasty but soaked up the gravy & a bit mushy

this the second time i made fried hokkien noodles.

but amount was doubled that of the first time so quite different.

another big difference was that the first time i served & ate right away, this time it was in a 50dgegC ove to keep warm for 2 hours wrapped in aluminium foil. it was tasty still but noodle soaked up the gravy & became a bit mushy.

excellent cheng chow mango, longans & aloe vera

excellent cheng chow mango, longans & aloe vera

a friend brought excellent cheng chow dessert.

excellent cheng chow mango, longans & aloe vera

excellent cheng chow mango, longans & aloe vera

it was very nice, with canned longans, freshly prepared aloe vera, lime juice & cut mango with some tanginess.

my usual tiramisu -irresistable for one friend

my usual tiramisu -irresistable for one friend

my usual tiramisu, simply irresistable to one friend, he mopped up all. ^^

korean strawberries quite sweet

korean strawberries quite sweet

korean strawberry was sweet for me, not sweet enuf for some friends.

grapes very sweet

grapes very sweet

a friend brought the grapes, very sweet! 🙂

had a great time with friends. & we had an excellent briefing too on silk road trip which one friend is organising. such a thrilling adventure from the slides presentation! 🙂

c.h.e.f andy

Good S$13.80nett Teochew Muay Buffet @ Gimtim on 9May2016

teochew muay buffet dishes

teochew muay buffet dishes

friend bought 3pax lunch at gimtim at amk ave 4 on 9.5.2016. ^^

this was a follow-up of our last makan at toa payoh lor 8 food centre on 30.4.2016.

i have been to 2 other gimtim group restaurants & they were pretty good-

sweet potato porridge

sweet potato porridge

they have a S$13.80 nett teochew muay weekdays buffet lunch.

buffet turned out better than i expected. 🙂

setting & dishes were humble, but the taste was quite good.

braised chicken

braised chicken

chicken was good, tender & sauce tasty.

braised duck wings

braised duck wings

duck wings so so, can skip.

mui choy 梅菜

mui choy 梅菜

mui choy 梅菜 was good, not salty, nice flavour.

kiam chai咸菜

kiam chai咸菜

kiam chai咸菜 also good, not salty, & sweet.

egg plant

egg plant

egg plant boleh da…

chicken feet

chicken feet

chicken feet was good. friend went to get a second helping.

ter kar (pig trotters)

ter kar (pig trotters)

ter kar (pig trotters) nice gummy texture & tasty. people took most of it i managed to get some odds & ends.

tau kee

tau kee

tau kee average competent.

pork & cauliflower

pork & cauliflower

pork & cauliflower simple, ok.

tofu fungus chinese cabbage

tofu fungus chinese cabbage

egg tofu quite well done. with wood fungus & chinese cabbage, sweet.

braised pig heat meat & tofu

braised pig heat meat & tofu

strange they did not have kong bak. friend only picked up pig head meat, tofu & egg. they were good. 🙂

braised pig ears

braised pig ears

there was a refill, but only pig ears. good too. 🙂

ikan selar

ikan selar

the i think ikan selar? was good. people took the tails so only left heads.

i will try to cook this dish myself.

sides

sides

i enjoyed all these little sides – fermented beancurd, peanut ikan bilis, olive vegetable, haebeehiam & radish pickles.

all memory foods from childhood la….

pulut hitam

pulut hitam

had some fruit (papaya) + pulut hitam.

i don’t mind this place. can come back some time again with my sis.

c.h.e.f andy

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

GIMTIM

Address : Blk 157, Ang Mo Kio Avenue 4 #01-546 Singapore 560157
Hotline : 6459 7766 (Reservation is needed on Saturday and Sunday)
Fax : 6458 0467
Email : amk157@gimtim.com.sg
Business Hour : Monday – Friday (Lunch 11.30am – 2.30pm / Dinner 6.00pm – 10.30pm)
Saturday, Sunday, Public Holiday (Lunch 11.00am – 2.30pm / Dinner 6.00pm – 10.30pm)

 

Fabulous Mother’s Day Lunch @ Majestic Restaurant on 8May2016

crab roe sharksfin soup

crab roe sharksfin soup (limited to one order)

bought wife & family a fab 5pax mother’s day lunch at majestic today on 8.5.2016. ^^

look at the crab roe sharksfin soup (top photo), a perennial favourite of ours at majestic. it was still so good! one of the very best soup i had, so sweet & tasty.

chilli lobster

chilli lobster (limited to one order)

majestic does a mother’s day ala carte buffet lunch at S$68pax++ with 15% citibank discounts.

a new item on the ala carte buffet menu was chilli lobster (used to be a NOT great chilli crab). for me, still not great la…

majestic restaurant

majestic restaurant

we came early at about 12pm. restaurant was full by 1230pm.

majestic restaurant

majestic restaurant

i did not find a recent post on majestic on my blog. perhaps i did not record.

the one i had was 3 years ago, a world gourmet summit dinner in apr2013.

roast duck, roast chicken, char siew, siew yoke

roast duck, roast chicken, char siew, siew yoke

for today, there was a self service station. the roasts were excellent!

roast duck, roast chicken, char siew, siew yoke

roast duck, roast chicken, char siew, siew yoke

roast duck was especially good. we had a few individual helpings. char siew was good. siew yoke ok not as good as the usual cube roast pork servings in these kind of good restaurants.

lotus bun, pumpkin, braised duck wing

lotus bun, pumpkin, braised duck wing

the lotus bun was good. we shared one among 5 of us. i took the braised duck wing. the pumpkin with 肉松was non-descript for me. wife liked it though.

century egg porridge皮蛋粥

century egg porridge皮蛋粥

i wanted to try the porridge. took a tiny bit. it was good!

braised belly pork卤肉

braised belly pork卤肉

the braised belly pork was very flavourful. texture was tender though it didn’t look it in the large serving claypot.

har gau虾饺

har gau虾饺

from the ala carte menu, har gao was average. many dimsum places like crystal jade, imperial treasure better.

crab roe sharksfin soup

crab roe sharksfin soup (limited to one order)

the crab roe sharksfin soup was limited to one serving each. top draw stuff!

chilli lobster

chilli lobster (limited to one order)

the chilli lobster was so so for me.

chilli lobster

chilli lobster (limited to one order)

chilli gravy was good especially with the bun which was excellent.

lobster meat was not bouncy. did not feel like live or fresh lobster.

the thai lemongrass chilli lobster i had recently at red house was far, far better.

wasabi prawns

wasabi prawns

wasabi prawns were very good. tops!

did not look it though with too much of the green mayo. but the batter was very good, not like most places where they were thick, hard, tough. prawns were very fresh, water melon a great balance, counterpoint.

chilean seabass

chilean seabass

i love chilean seabass, & majestic served very good steamed ones in their regular menu.

here it was non descript.

锅仔牛柳beef ribs korean style - galbi

锅仔牛柳beef ribs korean style – galbi

the galbi style beef ribs were ok.

somehow it works better when served in individual small portion courses.

lobster crab roe broth

lobster crab roe broth

the sharksfin soup was limited to one order. there were like 3 or 4 other soups unlimited orders. we ordered 2 lobster crab roe broth to share.

a pretty good soup, though no comparison with the crab roe sharksfin soup.

spinach wolfberry soup

spinach wolfberry in superior broth

the spinach wolfberry was good. this something i can do easily myself.

oyster mee sua蚝仔面线

oyster mee sua蚝仔面线

wife love the oyster mee sua.

oyster mee sua蚝仔面线

oyster mee sua蚝仔面线

it was very tasty with nice oyster flavour.

this also something quite easy to do myself-basically a good stock, as also for the spinach wolfberry, that’s about it.

salted egg custard buns流沙包

salted egg custard buns流沙包

the salted egg custard buns流沙包 was very good here.

salted egg custard buns流沙包

salted egg custard buns流沙包

the best!

deepfried durian ice cream

deepfried durian ice cream

& the deepfried durian ice cream, another perennial favourite here.

deepfried durian ice cream

deepfried durian ice cream

i ended up eating 1.5 portion.

really enjoyable lunch & family time on mother’s day.

after that, some of us had what my children called food induced coma.

not eating dinner this evening.

really!

c.h.e.f andy

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

Majestic Restaurant
New Majestic Hotel
31-37 Bukit Pasoh Road
Singapore 089845

Contact
Tel: [65] 6511 4718
Fax: [65] 6222 3379
E-mail: restaurant@newmajestichotel.com 

Majestic Hours

Tuesdays to Sundays
Closed on MondaysLunch – 11.45am to 2.30pm
Last lunch order – 2.15pm

Dinner – 6pm to 10pm
Last dinner order – 9.45pm

Excellent Fried Hokkien Prawn Noodles

fried hokkien prawn noodles

fried hokkien prawn noodles

did a fried hokkien prawn noodles today on 7.5.2016. ^^

had always wanted to do since the very nice fried hokkien noodles at a friend’s home gathering in nov last year (2015). 🙂

just never got round to it till now.

i googled for an internet recipe, and found a rasamalaysia.com.

fried hokkien prawn noodles

fried hokkien prawn noodles

i varied the recipe according to the estimate amount i wanted to cook the the ingredients i had-

  1. fry prawn heads & shells in oil & some butter till fragrant. add 500ml chicken stock. boiled for 1.2 hr. add water as required.
  2. fry thinly sliced belly pork & set aside.
  3. add cut chilli, 2 tsp chopped garlic & fry in 2 tbsp oil. add 2 eggs & scramble.
  4. add yellow noodles & bee hoon (both soaked to clean & softened & then drained) & fry short while on high fire.
  5. add 1/2 the stock reduce till almost dry to infuse the flavours.
  6. add remaining stock, prawns & cut squids, and belly pork and cover. manage the stock so noodles is reduced & very flavourful but still wet.
fried hokkien prawn noodles

fried hokkien prawn noodles

it was my first time doing fried hokkien prawn noodles.

the taste was excellent really. i think better than many average fried hokkien noodles at hawker stalls. still need to try couple times more to see if i can reproduce this consistently & also if i have to make a larger quantity.

c.h.e.f andy

Ingredients:

200g yellow noodles
100g beehoon
6 medium prawns
1 medium sotong (squid)
100g pork belly
40g Green chives
500ml chicken stock
2 Eggs
2 chopped garlic

Seasoning:

1/2 tbsp fish sauce
1 dash pepper
(i did not add sesame oil)

Directions:
  1. fry prawn heads & shells in oil & some butter till fragrant. add 500ml chicken stock. boiled for 1.2 hr. add water as required.
  2. fry thinly sliced belly pork & set aside.
  3. add cut chilli, 2 tsp chopped garlic & fry in 2 tbsp oil. add 2 eggs & scramble.
  4. add yellow noodles & bee hoon (both soaked to clean & softened & then drained) & fry short while on high fire.
  5. add 1/2 the stock reduce till almost dry to infuse the flavours.
  6. add remaining stock, prawns & cut squids, and belly pork and cover. manage the stock so noodles is reduced & very flavourful but still wet.