RI JFL 1st Eat Together 28pax Dinner on 3Dec2015

 mee goreng

mee goreng

a group of us RI friends have the idea that as we all have a good time coming together enjoying the food & company, making new memories together, many may also be ready to share with others and spread the cheer.

two ideas were discussed-

  1. when we get together again in the new year 2016, maybe many will be in the mood to make some small donations to a beneficiary charity (we are thinking we can do this twice in 2016 at one of the friend’s place & maybe we can collect say between S$1000 and S$2000 each time).
  2. some of us who loves cooking (& there are many among us) may offer to cook community meals for some needy folks….currently many friends are already managing events (some weekly) at some premises where various groups (senior folks or needy families in the community) come by to share some food.

those were ideas to be discussed further for the time being.

meanwhile 2 friends helped to organise this dinner at a friend’s house on 3.12.2015. we had 28pax this evening including the host couple. ^^

tandoori chicken

tandoori chicken

3 of us offered to make some dishes for all our good RI friends to share some food & fun time together.

this eat-together actually also serve a specific purpose to work out the food logisitcs of planning & co-ordinating the type of dishes to make (by 3 parties) that are suitable for transporting to the host location for sharing among a sizable group, and also the arrangements for transportation. ^^

drinks

drinks

a friend who made some dishes also contributed 3 bottles of wine. another friend brought 2 sparklies & the host arranged the ice box & other drinks. 🙂

curry chicken

curry chicken

one friend made a nice curry chicken. love the colour. i took couple pieces & the curry. was nursing a throat infection. could not take more also.

nasi biryani

nasi biryani

& the biryani rice was very good too! very fluffy & light, good herb aroma. 🙂

this friend messaged me that he had to re-steam the rice. i replied that that is always a bit of touch up & make-overs only those who cook know…which our kaypoh friend proceeded to promptly broadcast to the rest as his pet trivials….haha! 🙂

one of my favourite for the evening (seems like everyone also) was the mee goreng (top photo).

cannot really compare apple to apple with fried hokkien prawn mee, the other delicious dish we had at another friend’s house recently. & i have not decided if i want to try cooking, but probably i will start with the hokkien mee if i do.

the other dish this friend cooked was the tandoori chicken (above photo further up), very nice colour w/o using any colouring.

babi pongteh

babi pongteh

all 3 of us used the same aluminium trays to transport the food w/o consulting each other. haha! ^

i made a babi pongteh. the tau jeon (& bit of gula melaka) flavours were good. i added mushrooms & taupok which were well-infused with the taste. the pork texture were just slightly hard c/w my usual very tender belly pork.

sambal seabass

sambal seabass

the sambal seabass prepared by my helper is a perennial favourite among my friends & also this evening.

thai red curry sotong

thai red curry sotong

i did a thai red curry sotong also. this was done with a ready made “dancing chef” curry mix.

dry wok prawns

dry wok prawns

& the usual dry wok prawns.

broccoli with cauliflower

broccoli with cauliflower

i also made a broccoli & cauliflower, just pan-fry with garlic & added oyster sauce, fish sauce, cornflour mix.

chilli long beans with fried bean curd

chilli long beans with fried bean curd

& i got my helper to make the chilli long beans with fried beancurd. this quite an appetizing dish.

one of our friend is vegetarian & coming late at 8.30pm. so we arranged for him to have some vegetarian mee goreng, a vegetarian wrap & kept some of the 2 veg dishes for him. i think he had a good time too. usually he doesn’t eat much when he comes.

chong lee's favourite drunken tiramisu

tiramisu

i made 2 tubs of tiramisu.

all the friends loved this. it was light, very moist with lots of strong coffee (200ml) & brandy (50ml).

我的美人 smile

a friend brought his usual sweet watermelon. he must be good friends with the vendor by now. 🙂

another friend brought lots of ice cream bars & eclairs. i usually don’t take these but i enjoyed an ice cream bar this evening. 🙂

we had a very fun time together. there were 27 of us old RI friends from our cohort + the host’s wife, total 28pax.

we emptied out all the food. this was part of the food planning. one friend was asking whether it was ok with addition of few other attendees.

just for myself, we are at the age where we don’t need to consume too much carbs & also can manage with a bit more or less food, so my overall view is if a few more people, we just eat a little less lor….of course we don’t want the guests to go hungry. haha! 🙂

in the end it seems the first eat-togehter that involves 3 separate persons cooking & transporting the food to the host’s place came out pretty well, thanks to good co-ordination & everyone helping out.

everyone had a really fun evening. good food & old & new memories help to bring & keep people together.

we also stayed back to “unmess” the place against the direct strict instructions of the host & hostess to leave.

c.h.e.f andy

A Most Memorable & Delicious Homecooked Dinner on 13Nov2015

fried hokkien prawn mee-bestest!

fried hokkien prawn mee-bestest!

a RI friend invited us to her newly done place for homecooked dinner on 13.11.2015. ^^

it was a wonderful evening of fun, laughters & memories.

we decided to have a PCK theme. some friends went to get a S$1yellow helmet for all, and we had the round floor protector pads for molds. haha! ^^

btw, my favourite dish for the evening among all the good food was the fried hokkien prawn mee! (top photo). it was done by the hostest brother, who made a couple other dishes & joined us for dinner.

it was the bestest! i have not tried making that. not sure i can do it. 🙂

cheese board

cheese board

the host & hostess had some cheese board which we enjoyed before & after dinner.

cheese board

cheese board

the blue, an english stilton blue cheese, was excellent! i really enjoyed that. 🙂

chicken wings

chicken wings

chicken wings were good.

good curry chicken

good curry chicken

curry chicken was the thicker, more powdery type. chicken was sweet. curry was tasty.

i quite like this curry though it was different from the nonya curry chicken i make.

roast chicken

roast chicken

roast chicken was good too, moist, tender. 🙂

some veg

some veg

there were broccoli & carrots.

nice long beans

nice chilli long beans

the chilli long beans were done well. 🙂

love the soto ayam

love the soto ayam

& i love the soto ayam! 🙂

love the soto ayam

love the soto ayam

i helped myself with a bit more.

love the soto ayam

love the soto ayam

there was also itek tim, but i did not take photo.

very good pork ribs

very good pork ribs

pork ribs were fork tender, and taste great.

very good pork ribs

very good pork ribs

it inspired me to make my own louisiana styled pork ribs afterwards.

roast pork ribs (or soft bones?) - super

roast pork ribs (or soft bones?) – super

& the roast pork ribs. i had a few pieces. it was fatty but really excellent! maybe it was soft bones rather than ribs.

i want to do this one too. still thinking how to do it. 🙂

very good bread pudding with vanilla ice cream

very good bread pudding with vanilla ice cream

a friend brought a very good bread pudding.

very good bread pudding with vanilla ice cream

very good bread pudding with vanilla ice cream

especially nice served with vanilla ice cream, no need to prepare separately a hot cream custard.

very good bread pudding with vanilla ice cream

very good bread pudding with vanilla ice cream

it was convenient & great party food, no need to cut & you can scoop what you want.

i went home & make one myself, a very good bread pudding also.

very refreshing fruit cokctail jelly dessert

very refreshing fruit cokctail jelly dessert

there was also a very refreshing fruit cocktail jelly dessert. we were full to the brim. still i had 2 helpings.

frozen eclairs

frozen eclairs

& i tried a frozen eclaire, not my favourite though. 🙂

we had a lot of sharing among old friends which now meet frequently in recent years. really good fun & company & delicious food, thanks to the hostess.

c.h.e.f andy

Good Dinner Chat @ Moi Lum 梅林 on 26Nov2015

8 treasures duck 八宝鸭

8 treasures duck 八宝鸭

an RI friend organised november G20 dinner at moi lum 梅林 at maxwell road on 26.11.2015. ^^ we had 11pax.

the last one we had here was almost 3 years ago on 16.1.2013.

moi lum梅林

moi lum梅林

restaurant has several couplets on the wall, a bit of chinese tradition.

restaurant was less than 1/2 full. 🙂

8 treasures duck 八宝鸭

8 treasures duck 八宝鸭

this is their signature dish.

i saw the leg was quite disproportionate, size like a goose leg. later i realized probably the stuffing caused it to look huge.

must say this dish was really excellent!

duck was tender & so very flavourful. this is for me a fine chinese dish. though it was not served as an individual dish, the preparation must be so fine & skillful & the flavour was exquisite. ^^

yam basket

yam basket

the next dish, yam basket, was rather poor though.

yam basket

yam basket

the yam has NO fragrance 芋香.

yam basket

yam basket

this is such a common almost ancient chinese restaurant & now zi char dish. quite surprising.

made me recall what a good yam basket i had at ah orh according to my previous post, though i cannot really remember the taste now.

roast chicken with sticky rice stuffing

roast chicken with sticky rice stuffing

my friend seems to be ordering all the birds here – duck & chicken.

but this chicken was again excellent, probably their signature also.

roast chicken with sticky rice stuffing

roast chicken with sticky rice stuffing

it came with sticky rice & other tasty stuffing, forgot to take photo.

chicken was deboned. the server confirmed that. we were wondering how that was done. didn’t have the answer. 🙂

this was so different from the usual roast chicken, and also the very processed roast chicken with roast skin & minced meat made into a pancake (some restaurants called it 金龙鸡) which i don’t like.

salted egg prawns

salted egg prawns

salted egg prawns were competent, ordinary.

salted egg prawns

salted egg prawns

actually not that great, in my opinion.

hk steamed flower garoupa

hk steamed flower garoupa

hk steamed flower garoupa came with a load of fried garlic & chai poh.

hk steamed flower garoupa

hk steamed flower garoupa

fish was very good, quite expected of a good chinese restaurant. the garlic & especially chai poh gave it some differentiation.

not a wow dish for me, unlike the 8 treasures duck 八宝鸭 & the chicken.

some chives from malaysia

some chives from malaysia

the chives dish i guess was new for us, don’t recall having it previously, but not my favourite at all.

a 3-egg spinach or a good fragrant garlic fried vegetable dish would do better for me.

fruit platter

fruit platter

we had a fruit platter to share.

red beans pancake

red beans pancake

& some red beans pancake also.

dinner came to S$31pax nett for 7dishes include dessert. quite doable. the duck & chicken were beyond my expectations. fish was very good & the other dishes so-so. so overall i supposed quite good but a bit incomplete, not in terms of food quantity (we all had a wonderful meal) but in knowing what good dishes the restaurant serve.

another way to look at it-having 2 outstanding dishes is better than having mostly above average dishes.

we all had good chats & a wonderful time together.

c.h.e.f andy

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

Moi Lum Restaurant Pte Ltd

Outlet:
38 Maxwell Road
Airview Building #01-01/02
Singapore 069116
Tel: 62262283Email: reservation@moilum.com

清汤牛腩 Slow-braised Briskets in Clear Broth (1st Experiment)

slow braised briskets清汤牛腩

slow braised briskets清汤牛腩

my first experiment on 清汤牛腩 using crockpot slow-braise (lazy man) method on 4.10.2015. ^^

this was very much inspired by a friend who brought her excellent slow braised briskets清汤牛腩 for a recent homecooked 17-courses 16pax eat together a short while back on 17.8.2015.

for me that was gold standard. 🙂

slow braised briskets清汤牛腩

slow braised briskets清汤牛腩

one key point was buying the right briskets.

slow braised briskets清汤牛腩

slow braised briskets清汤牛腩

i used to buy from giant but the brisket cuts there did not have the thick collagen layer (the 胶)。

slow braised briskets清汤牛腩

slow braised briskets清汤牛腩

my friend taught me to buy from chinatown so when i was there to get fish & prawns etc i bought 1 kg from the 1st of the 2 stalls there. 🙂

daikon 白萝卜

daikon 白萝卜

recipe was simple & strait forward-

  1. scald briskets to remove scum (i used about 700g only for experiment)
  2. add 2/3 of a cut daikon & 5cm cut ginger (i also added 3 sprigs of spring onions & 1 small red onion)
  3. cover with vegetable stock or water
  4. place in cold crockpot on low & set meat thermometer to 90degC.
  5. add salt to taste
slow braised briskets清汤牛腩

slow braised briskets清汤牛腩

theory is 90degC supposedly optimum temperature to convert connective tissues (collagen) to gelatine & give the brisket great favours & umami. ^^

i estimated 6hrs to 90degC but only reached 84degC at 10.5hrs.

part of the reason is the experiment, taking out the brisket, cutting & trying. if w/o interference should reach 90degC faster.

slow braised briskets清汤牛腩

slow braised briskets清汤牛腩

brisket was quite tender & delicious.

the daikon (radish) also tender but firm, and soup is sweet with meat flavours.

slow braised briskets清汤牛腩

slow braised briskets清汤牛腩

i let it reached 90degC then left it in crockpot overnight. it was more tender & tastier the next day.

this the first try, pretty tender & tasty 清汤牛腩. not quite my friend’s gold standard yet. will try a second time, make some adjustments & do an update then.

c.h.e.f andy

 

Great Lunch @ Mikuni on 27Nov2015

mikuni business bento

mikuni business bento

went lunch with a friend to mikuni on 27.11.2015. ^^

mikuni is my favourite japanese restaurant, along with kuriya dining.

if i want kaiseki or omakase, it would be hachi.

& for a cheap & really good chirashi don (or maybe it is large cube cut barachirashi) don then sumiya.

mikuni robatayaki counter

mikuni robatayaki counter

today we wanted to take the teppanyaki or robatayaki set, so we sat at the robatayaki counter.

it’s quite an excellent seating actually, very private corner area.

robatayaki 炉烧 is like a charcoal bbq where skewered meats are barbequed. the chef then serves the food with giant oars to reach over the counter.

kinki

kinki

i was chatting with the chef before my friend arrived.

this ugly fish is kinki, a quite tasty japanese delicacy, a bit expensive.

kinki

kinki

looks a bit like the kinmedai, golden eye snapper.

lobster & king prawn

lobster & king prawn

they was lobsters & king prawns. cannot tell from photo but the lobster was 650g size & the prawns were very large king prawns.

alaskan king crab & oysters

alaskan king crab & oysters

& there was the alaskan king crab & large oysters.

sous vide kurobuta belly

sous vide kurobuta belly

the kurobuta belly were sous vide before bbq.

i am testing one belly now (being pressed with weights) in the fridge (tea brined & 16hrs in the oven at 70degC), and will pan fry skin side tomorrow. let’s see how that goes. 🙂

prawn crackers & salad with goma dressing

prawn crackers & salad with goma dressing

my friend ordered the teppanyaki set.

i had the teppanyaki set previously so i decided to try out the business bento (top photo) this time.

1/2 lobster uni yaki

1/2 lobster uni yaki

server told me lobster uni yaki was 1/2 lobster.

but then this a very tiny lobster, maybe 350g size, so 1/2 very small serving.

sashimi moriawase

sashimi moriawase

sashimi was good standard but not special, just 2 pieces salmon & a hotate.

futomaki

futomaki

futomaki was ok.

tofu, daikon & shimeji

tofu, daikon & shimeji

yam & mushrooms

yam & mushrooms

the small sides were very average, nicely presented.

if you take the menu prices before discount, 1/2 lobster = S$24, so the remaining almost nothing dishes added up to S$44=S$68-S$24, i would say the set is not worth at all, might as well order a lobster to share.

of course if you take the whole lobster business bento set at S$34 (after 50% feed at raffles discounts) in such a restaurant. i guess it’s ok.

but i would take the chirashi don anytime.

chawanmushi for teppanyaki set

chawanmushi for teppanyaki set

my friend’s teppanyaki set included a chawanmushi. 🙂

golden prawns, miso cod, tenderloin, garlic fried rice (teppanyaki set)

golden prawns, miso cod, tenderloin, garlic fried rice (teppanyaki set)

the golden prawns one of the popular dishes here, & miso cod was also good.

the tenderloin was so so here (i tried previously). my friend thought so also. garlic rice was ok.

caramel mousse ice cream

caramel mousse ice cream

the dessert was a mousse ice cream. quite nice really & my friend liked it.

i prefer the previous panna cotta though.

ambience was super & we had good time together. overall the food & place were great for the price. not the best i had at mikuni. but it ‘s good to try different dishes also.

c.h.e.f andy

Great Value Alacarte Semi-buffet (Beyond Expectations) @ Tim Palace SAFRA Toa Payoh on 24Nov2015

roast duck, char siew & roast pork 烧味

roast duck, char siew & roast pork 烧味

went with my sis & b-i-l to tim palace @ SAFRA toa payoh to try out their ala carte semi-buffet on 24.11.2015.

buffet is S$25.80pax. the added attraction is S$5 discounts for SC aka senior citizens! ^^

there’s a S$2pax for water, tea & peanuts (S$2.50pax or more if other drinks). so it was S$22.80pax for 3 of us, S$27nett each.

tim palace

tim palace

tim palace is at level 3 of SAFRA toa payoh clubhouse building.

tim palace

tim palace

it is quite large in capacity, good for functions, tour groups??

roast duck, char siew & roast pork station

roast duck, char siew & roast pork station

i did not have high expectation of the roast meat 烧味 station.

but surprise, surprise, the roast duck was really, really good! very flavourful.

char siu

char siu

so was the char siu!. i think this one of the best char siu i had. as good as the excellent chargrilled pork neck at imperial treasure nanbei or (better in fact than) any other good char siu places.

roast duck - second helping

roast duck - second helping

i actually went for a second helping of roast duck, after taking the other food! 🙂

roast duck, char siew & roast pork 烧味

roast duck, char siew & roast pork 烧味

i was quite tempted to taste the salt baked chicken 盐炬鸡, but really no space left. sigh!

appetizer station

appetizer station

nothing much to say about the cold station. prawns was large, plump, fresh & sweet.

scallops & mussels all the frozen type, nothing worth taking.

appetizer station

appetizer station

the scallop tips (front) were quite nice. the prawn & squid salad were ok. sos so la!

cold flower crabs

cold flower crabs

the flower crabs were soft, mushy “nua nua”, the frozen type, not worth taking also. all these i took very little just to try.

sushi/sashimi station

sushi/sashimi station

salmon sashimi was ok. quite sweet. colour didn’t look that great.

i skipped the sushi.

appetizers

appetizers

so, mainly prawn was good, salmon sashimi ok too, squid/prawn salad & scallop tips passable.

braised small abalone with brocoli

braised small abalone with broccoli

i ordered most of the dishes that they allowed only one order.

small abalone with broccoli was good restaurant standard. no complaints. 🙂

sharksfin soup

sharksfin soup

sharksfin soup was better than most cheaper sharksfin soup, not very gluey & stock quite tasty.

sea cucumber with yam

sea cucumber with yam

sea cucumber with yam was decent competent dish.

scallops & celery in xo sauce

scallops & celery in xo sauce

the scallops & celery in xo sauce was pretty good.

crayfish

crayfish

crayfish was poor!

crayfish

crayfish

meat has no taste. this dish (thumbs down)!

char siu pao

char siew pao

we did not order the char siew pao, but somehow it was marked on the order sheet, the marking very different from our order markings, think some previous customers marked on it.

anyway no big deal, so we took it. the char siu pao were good!

steamed seabass with sambal sauce

steamed seabass with sambal sauce

i read that the deep-fried flower garoupa not so good, so we ordered the steamed seabass with sambal sauce.

steamed seabass with sambal sauce

steamed seabass with sambal sauce

seabass not such a great fish. but this preparation quite ok…so again a competent dish. maybe i will try the garoupa next time. don’t mind coming back again. 🙂

honey ribs

honey ribs

the honey ribs were ordinary. as good as any zi char stall i suppose. not my favourite.

honey ribs

honey ribs

cannot really criticise thsi dish, but the char siu was many times better than this.

drunken prawns

drunken prawns

surprisingly also the drunken prawns was very good. must be a very good quality shaoxing wine 绍兴酒.

braised lamb pot

braised lamb pot

the braised lamb pot was competent dish, but no more.

lamb still retain the gamey taste, and not specially flavourful.

braised lamb pot

braised lamb pot

i would say it’s a robust dish like a beef stew, so unless the herbs & preparation is special (like say at majestic), it’s not a dish i am particularly fond of.

dessert station

dessert station

dessert station the usual fare, with fruits, custard puffs & red bean pan cake etc.

sea coconut & longans

sea coconut & longans

i took the sea coconut…quite refreshing.

lotus seed red beans dessert

lotus seed red beans dessert

and a bit of the lotus seed red beans dessert. pretty ok.

the food quality & cooking were pretty ok, not that much different from (i would say better actually) say peach garden miramar’s ala carte buffet, and certainly better than the ala carte buffet at ban heng orchard central.

the outstanding dishes for me here were the roast duck, char siu(tops), drunken prawns, abalone.

the sea cucumber & scallops were pretty good.

c.h.e.f andy

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

Tim Palace

Address : 293 Lorong 6 Toa Payoh #03-01 Safra Club Singapore 319387
Hotline : 6253 5515 (Reservation is needed on Saturday and Sunday)
Fax : 6253 0266
Email : timpalace@gimtim.com.sg

OPENING HOURS:

Mon – Fri: 11:30 – 14:00; 18:00 – 22:00

Sat, Sun & PH: 11:00 – 14:30; 18:00 – 22:00

 

 

Pork Collar Slow-braised in Red Wine Sauce

slow braised pork collar in red wine sauce

slow braised pork collar in red wine sauce

this slow braised pork collar in red wine sauce was my second attempt.

it was as good as the first, and if i may say, a really great recipe i created myself.

thoroughly pan-browned before braising3

thoroughly pan-browned before braising

i browned the marbled collar (like gordon ramsay said “no colour, no taste”).

thoroughly pan-browned before braising

thoroughly pan-browned before braising

for the sauce-

i used 1 cup red wine, 1 tbsp flat sugar, 1 tbsp mirin, 2 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tsp salt.

thoroughly pan-browned before braising

thoroughly pan-browned before braising

then i fried 1 cut carrot, added 1 cut yellow onions, & added vegetable stock & softened the carrots then added the red wine sauce.

slow braised pork collar

slow braised pork collar

slow braised pork collar

slow braised pork collar

then i placed the pork collar in a casserole & added the sauce & vegetables to cover & slow-braised in the oven for 6hrs at 90degC.

slow braised pork collar

slow braised pork collar

pork has a good amount of fat marbling & connective tissues, and slow braise at 90degC helped turn the connective tissues to very flavourful gelatine.

slow braised pork collar in red wine sauce

slow braised pork collar in red wine sauce

the meat texture was very tender, marbled & well infused with the red wine sauce & vegetable sweetness.

slow braised pork collar in red wine sauce

slow braised pork collar in red wine sauce

the pork was very flavourful & so tender yet not sinewy & falling apart like the usual braised meat texture.

i served this as part of my homegourmet adventure 4-course dinner on 15.11.2015. ^^

i think this is really an excellent recipe. ^^

c.h.e.f andy

Ingredients :-

  • 500g pork collar (i used frozen pork collar from sheng shiong S$9.95/kg)
  • sea salt
  • coarse black pepper
  • 1 large carrot
  • 1 small yellow onions

red wine sauce

  • 1 cup red wine
  • 1 tbsp flat sugar
  • 1 tbsp mirin
  • 2 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 1 tsp salt.

Directions :-

  1. pan-browned the pork collar on all side over high fire  (like gordon ramsay said “no colour, no taste”)
  2. fry 1 cut carrot, add 1 cut yellow onions, & add vegetable stock & soften the carrots then add the red wine.
  3. place pork collar in a casserole & add the sauce & vegetables to cover & slow-braise for 6hrs at 90degC.

Good & Value Wine Dinner @ Greenwood Fish Bistro on 19Nov2015

smoked canapes

smoked canapes

a friend arranged a wine dinner at Greenwood Fish Market & Bistro on 19.11.2015. 8 of us attended. ^^

the same friend arranged fun wine dinners at (1) zaffereno & (2) halia previously

greenwood fish bistro

greenwood fish bistro

i’ve been to greenwood fish bistro some years back (before i started blogging) and had the S$39.95 whole lobster promotion twice before (they still have that). it was quite good.

wine dinner menu

wine dinner menu

this evening we had a S$69pax 5-course eqwines dinner w/o dessert & coffee.

as i don’t drink i look only at the food menu whether i want to pay that just for the food.

for those who don’t drink, the restaurant was kind enough to offer juice etc, very good of them since wine was sponsored by the wine merchant but i guess, not the other drinks. 🙂

prosecco

prosecco

i decided to take the wine. prosecco was good. i liked the white after this best. 🙂

red wines

red wines

reds were quite good too. the restaurant gave me a cranberry juice afterwards too, a great gesture.

smoked canapes

smoked canapes

first course were some smoked canapes. these were very good!

smoked canapes

smoked canapes

the smoked salmon & mussels were excellent…how to describe? smokey i guess, very flavourful.

the smoked trout (the server said cold smoked) was so-so, not so tasty.

cured salmon with avocado

cured salmon with avocado

cured salmon with avocado

cured salmon with avocado

the second course cured salmon with avocado also very nice. it was though nothing special.

barramundi & pea puree

barramundi & pea puree

the 3rd course barramundi was excellent!

not sure if barramundi is farmed in singapore like the smaller local seabass. this one the meat is firmer, not so “hu” liek falling apart.

barramundi & pea puree

barramundi & pea puree

however 2 of my friends complained that the meat was soft. the rest of us were ok…maybe they got the local seabass instead? just kidding. 🙂

duck confit - this a disaster

duck confit – this a disaster

the 4th course was a duck confit?

it was a huge disaster! meat was tough & not edible!

actually the server said it was sous vide then cooked in oven (mayeb the server got it wrong, just don’t sound right!)..

firstly of course duck confit is cooked in duck fat..while the word confit is used loosely to mean slow braise like say pineapple confit or belly pork confit, for duck confit it usually mean strictly duck confit. & i’m not sure you can roast in oven after sous vide.

i would think a cold pan method of rendering out the fat & crisping the skin w/o overcooking the meat makes a lot more sense (above photo)…notice the fat had rendered out..

octopus confit

octopus confit

restaurant was great to do a service recovery.

they replaced the dish with a octopus confit.

it was competent dish, not the best but i guess good enough. 🙂

octopus confit

octopus confit

you could say a fish bistro would do an octopus dish better than a duck dish?

belly pork & grilled pineapples

belly pork & grilled pineapples

but then for the last course they served a really “kick-ass” belly pork.

belly pork & grilled pineapples

belly pork & grilled pineapples

this was one of the best i have taken! ^^

belly pork & grilled pineapples

belly pork & grilled pineapples

not really smoked but just a hint of a flavourful ham, very tender & delicious.

i have a tea brined belly pork in the fridge now. planning to sous vide then pan-charred the skin. see if i can get anywhere close or similar to this excellent piece. 🙂

thanks to our friend, we had many fun evenings trying out different wine dinners & spending great time together.

i am not sure how their service is on normal days but for this evening, i think service was really quite exemplary & they really tried their best (from offering non alcoholic drinks to replacing the 4th course – even though they did not have much choice with the duck being such a quite monumental failure).

c.h.e.f andy

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

Greenwood Fish Market & Bistro
No. 34 & 38 Greenwood Ave S289236
Tel: 6467 4950
Fax: 6467 4965
email: greenwoodbistro@yahoo.com.sg
OPENING HOURS: Mon – Sat: 12:00 – 22:30, Sun & PH: 11:00 – 22:30

 

Macha Lava Cake (Second Experiment)

macha lava cake

macha lava cake

experimented on a macha lava cake today on 25.11.2015. ^^

i used heytheresia’s macha lava cake recipe. 🙂

i tried a second time on 8.12.2015 & the results were much better, so i used the later batch of photos (& recipe). 🙂

i vary it a little = using 3 eggs, 100g white chocolate, 100g butter, NO sugar (instead of 6 tbsp), 2.5 tbsp flour instead of 4

macha lava cake

macha lava cake

i still had problem removing it from the muffin tray, which means the top (bottom when tray was inverted) was not hardened enough.

there were lots of lava, & the taste was what i liked. ^^

it’s exactly the texture i like – not too doughy, very mildly sweet, good macha flavours, and a flowing, a bit less viscous lava, good cake texture too. 🙂

macha lava cake

macha lava cake

it is a substantially different recipe from my usual chocolate lava cake.

here i followed heytheresia’s recipe & put the cake mixture in the freezer for 1 hr & then 11 mins in a preheated 200degC oven.

macha lava cake

macha lava cake

looks i have to use individual cupcake holder instead of a 6-cup muffin tray.

c.h.e.f andy

Ingredients :-

  • 100g white chocolate
  • 100g unsalted butter
  • 1 tbsp flat brown sugar
  • pinch of salt (i used 1/2 tsp)
  • 3 eggs
  • 2.5tbsp all purpose flour sifted
  • 1 tbsp macha powder

Directions :-

  1. melt broken chocolate and butter 1mins 10secs in microwave
  2. add macha powder & whisk
  3. crack 3 eggs & whisk
  4. add sugar, flour, salt & whisk
  5. grease 6 cups muffin tray (or ramekins or cups) & pour in the cake mixture (recipe quantity is good for 6 cups muffin tray
  6. place in freezer for 1 hr
  7. then put in 200degC oven for between 10 & 15 mins (i did 11mins for 6 cups muffin tray)

Excellent BBQ Baby Pork Ribs

bbq baby back ribs

bbq baby back ribs

had some nice pork ribs at a friend’s place recently.

and then last saturday 8 of us went to georges beach club at east coast parkway & rather a surprise for me the pork ribs were very good.

i had a slab of baby back ribs in my freezer so i thought let’s give it a try, which i did on 23.11.2015. 🙂

i googled some online recipes. the st louis styled bbq seems to use very sweet, overpowering sauce.

anyhow i picked a recipe at cookinglouisiana for reference.

bbq baby back ribs

bbq baby back ribs

i created my own recipe – both the marinade (see below) & cooking method.

louisiana ribs

louisiana ribs

the marinade was an adventure i guess, but i tasted it as i go, and managed to get a taste i like. 🙂

bbq baby back ribs 7

bbq baby back ribs

i used 1 slab of baby back ribs.

scalded in boiling water to remove scum. seasoned generously with seasalt & pepper & browned on all sides. then i rub the dry marinade i mixed over the ribs, added 2 tsp olive oil & wrapped fully with aluminium foil.

then i placed the ribs in preheated oven at 90degC for 7hrs (i actually set 10hrs but took out at 7hrs, tested & got the texture i like).  then i open foil & broiled using oven broiler function (preheated to 250degC) for 8mins to get nicely charred surface.

bbq baby back ribs

bbq baby back ribs

i did not know what to exepect, but as it turned out, the pork ribs were quite marvellous, very browned outside & tender inside. ^^

bbq baby back ribs

bbq baby back ribs

the texture was just what i like, very tender but retaining the bite & not falling to pieces.

bbq baby back ribs

bbq baby back ribs

this is kind of a personal preference. i like a well seasoned ribs that is fork tender too, but maybe the lower temperature cooking produced a very tender rib that is firmer than the very soft, sinewy braised meats.

c.h.e.f andy

Ingredients :-

  • 1 slab of baby back ribs

marinade

  • 1tsp cumin
  • no salt (since already salt & pepper when browning)
  • 1tbsp soy sauce (to taste)
  • 1tsp brown sugar
  • 2tsp garlic powder
  • 1tbsp cajun seasoning (optional)
  • 1tsp yuzu jelly (optional)
  • 1tbsp honey
  • 1/2tbsp red pepper
  • 1/2tsp rosemary
  • 1/2tbsp parsley
  • (no thyme)
  • 1tbsp hunts honey mustard (can use dijon mustard & maybe increase honey)

Directions :-

  1. scald in boiling water to remove scum.
  2. seasoned generously with seasalt & pepper & browned on all sides (in high fire stainelss steel pan0.
  3. rub dry marinade over the ribs, add 2 tsp olive oil & wrap fully with aluminium foil.
  4. place ribs in preheated oven at 90degC for 7hrs
  5. open foil & broiled using oven broiler function (preheated to 250degC) for 8mins to get nicely charred surface.

 

Nice Music OK Food @ Georges Beach Club on 21Nov2015

pork & chicken satay

S$12.90 pork & chicken satay

a friend arranged a night out to georges beach club on 21.11.2015. ^^

7 of us went for dinner & drinks. another friend could only make it later for drinks.

georges beach club

georges beach club

many of us came here for the first time. it’s a family place right by east coast park fronting the sea, cosy & pleasant not really chic (not really sports bar type).

la chicago=resident song group

la chicago=resident song group

songs by the resident group la chicago for oldies like us. ^^

ala care menu

ala care menu

menu is the regular bar/diners menu.

pork & chicken satay

S$12.90 pork & chicken satay

we had a dozen pork & chicken satay, & added another dozen later.

satay was good, small but tasty.

georges platter

S$29.90 georges platter

& a georges platter.

georges platter

georges platter

chicken wings were ok, like any.

the bbq ribs were like louisiana ribs, great taste & fork tender. though i felt it was just slightly sweet, the overall taste was great. the recent very good ribs also at a friend’s house & this (which was better) made me want to try out making pork ribs. i had not been very successful in the past, the period before i started blogging & cooking more often.

the sausage was not so popular among my friends, and what showed as lamb rendang on the menu tasted like braised oxtail to me. it was good though also not that popular with my friends.

ebi furai & calamari

S$14.90 ebi furai & S$12.90 calamari

the prawn tempura was more like ebi furai (“fry”), not a tempura batter, but nice actually.

ebi furai & calamari

S$14.90 ebi furai & S$12.90 calamari

calamari was good though not chewy, rubbery. competent bar food i guess.

bbq pork ribs

S$21.90 1/2 rack bbq pork ribs

the bbq ribs were the best food for me this evening so we added an order of 1/2ribs.

bbq pork ribs

S$21.90 1/2 rack bbq pork ribs

looking at the menu now maybe should have ordered the full ribs.

la chicago=resident song group

la chicago=resident song group

the lead singer has a quite powerful voice. we like the oldies. a relaxing & fun evening. few of us though adjourning to a friend’s place to watch nadal vs djokovic match at 10pm so we left quite early.

bill was about S$31pax nett for food & drinks. my friends don’t drink much   but price was quite ok too.

c.h.e.f andy

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

Georges Beach Club

Address : 1010 East Coast Park Singapore 449893, Carpark C3

Tel : +65 6449 0019

Opening Hours : Mon – Fri : 3.0pm – 1 am | Sat, Sun , PH : 9.00m – 1 am

(My First) Bread Pudding

bread pudding

bread pudding

seems to be doing many “my first” these couple days. ^^

reason is we are doing a RI friends eat-together at a friend’s house & maybe the theme is kampung spirit. it requires a bit of logistic planning eg packing food in aluminium serving dishes or tupperware etc, and hence the type of food best suited to be served to say 20pax and ferried by car with minimum transfers/heating up etc before serving.

hence i was testing out 2 other dishes these 2 days for the first time –

  1. chicken rendang; &
  2. babi pongteh

recently we had a gathering at another friend’s house & someone brought a bread pudding. that is a convenient party dish, no need to cut, just scoop out so easy to serve. 🙂

bread pudding

bread pudding

i decided to try out a bread pudding.

i looked at online recipes. i found a good recipe = best bread pudding with vanilla sauce at allrecipes & decided to follow it.

turned out that it is one of the easiest (maybe the easiest) dessert to do. 🙂

bread pudding

bread pudding

i cracked 3 eggs into a mixing bowl, added 3 cups milk, 60ml melted butter, 1 flat tbsp white sugar, 2 flat tbsp brown sugar, 1 tsp vanilla essence, & 1 flat tsp cinnamon; and whisked.

(my sugar totalled only 3 tbsp whereas the allrecipes had 1.5cups white sugar & 2 tbsp brown sugar – that’s like 8x the sugar i added)

bread pudding mixture

bread pudding mixture

i then cut 7 pieces of stale bread diagonally into 4 pieces each, and added & combined with the liquids. added some macadamia nuts & dried cherry tomatoes.

i pulled a cling firm over the mixing bowl & leave it for 1/2hr for the bread to absorb the liquids.

transferred to oven dish

transferred to oven dish

the i greased the bottom & sides of an oven dish (don’t have spray), and emptied the bread pudding mixture into the oven dish. 🙂

transferred to oven dish

transferred to oven dish

i had the oven preheated to 180degC, and placed the oven dish for 50mins. it’s ready when a tooth pick of fork comes out cleanly after inserting into the pudding.

bread pudding

bread pudding

must say the result was quite wonderful.

bread pudding

bread pudding

although after it cooled the pudding sank & shrank, but taste wise it was quite perfect especially when served with vanilla ice cream, which my daughter bought & brought home.

it is really a very convenient party dessert, can serve many people, very easy to make & to transport. 🙂

c.h.e.f andy

Ingredients :-

  • 7 slices stale bread
  • some nuts & raisins (i used what i have available which are macadamia nuts & a dried cherry tomatoes).
  • 3 eggs
  • 3 cups milk
  • 60ml butter
  • 2 tbsp flat brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp flat white sugar
  • 1 tsp flat cinnamon powder
  • 1 tsp vanilla essence

Directions :-

  1. whisk in a mixing bowl 3 eggs, 3 cups milk, 60ml melted butter, 1 flat tbsp white sugar, 2 flat tbsp brown sugar, 1 tsp vanilla essence, & 1 flat tsp cinnamon.
  2. cut 7 pieces of stale bread diagonally into 4 pieces each. add & combine with the liquids.
  3. add some macadamia nuts & dried cherry tomatoes.
  4. pulled a cling firm over the mixing bowl & leave it for 1/2hr for the bread to absorb the liquids.
  5. grease the bottom & sides of an oven dish and transfer the bread pudding mixture into the oven dish.
  6. bake for 50mins in a preheated 180degC oven.
  7. serve with ice cream (i did not prepare the  sauce this time)

(My First) Chicken Rendang

chicken rendang

chicken rendang

first time i am cooking chicken rendang on 22.11.2015. ^^

actually first time i cooking any rendang.

chicken rendang

chicken rendang

like the babi pongteh i did yesterday, i am thinking to do this for a RI eat-together at a friend’s house on 3.12.2015. 🙂

i initially thought of doing my nonya curry chicken.

a friend is now doing the curry chicken, so i thought either to skip the chicken, OR to do a different style – a dry chicken rendang. 🙂

chicken rendang

chicken rendang

i looked at some online recipes. the one i like best is by nonya cooking.

i mostly followed that with some minor variations.

lemon grass, dessicated coconut, galangal

lemon grass, dessicated coconut, galangal

i went to sheng shiong to get some ingredients like lemon grass, galangal & dessicated coconut.

dessicated coconut

dessicated coconut

i added about 30g dessicated coconut and fried under medium to low fire.

kerisik

kerisik

until golden brown=kerisik.

kerisik

kerisik

set aside the kerisik.

blended chilli, ginger, galangal, lemon grass etc

blended chilli, ginger, galangal, lemon grass etc

i blended 12 dry chilli (soaked in hot water & seeded), 4cm galangal, 3cm ginger, 7 shallots, 3garlic cloves, and 3 stalks lemon grass (white part).

frying the rempah

frying the rempah

then i fried in 3 tbsp oil till the rempah is fragrant.

deboned chicken pieces, about 800g

deboned chicken pieces, about 800g

i had earlier deboned  1.4kg chicken. i kept the 2 drum sticks for future use, and the legs & bones for soup.

fyring the chicken

fyring the chicken

i added the cut chicken breast meat & 2 wings & fried with the rempah to coat the chicken.

chicken rendang

chicken rendang

i did for about 10mins.

chicken rendang

chicken rendang

then i added 200ml coconut milk.

added the kerisik and cooked for another 20mins, adding salt & tasting. & tried the chicken that it was cooked & not overcooked.

then i added some cut kaffir lime leaves.

then reduced to a drier, very fragrant chicken rendang dish.

chicken rendang

chicken rendang

i did the final taste & added 1 tbsp fish sauce.

chicken rendang

chicken rendang

overall, it was really quite an excellent dish.

it was intended for dinner to be eaten with rice. daughter & later wife came back & we finished more than 1/2 without any rice.

looks like we are going out for dimsum dinner instead.

daughter & wife thought the lemon grass could be reduced. otherwise quite perfect.

i did have a superb S$5 chicken rendang rice at kopi roti central with mei mei & my good dentist friend on 19.9.2015.

i think that one still better than mine la…just S$5!

c.h.e.f andy

Ingredients :-

  • 800g cut chicken
  • 30g dessicated coconut
  • 1 heap tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp fish sauce
  • 6 kaffir lime leaves

for rempah paste –

  • 12 red chilli seeded (i used 12 quite old dry chilli so colour not red enuf!)
  • 3cm ginger
  • 4cm galangal
  • 2 stalks lemon grass (white part) – (i used 3 will reduce next time)
  • 7 shallots
  • 3 clove garlic

Directions :-

  1. fry 30g dessicated coconut and fried under medium to low fire to lightly golden brown (kerisik). set aside.
  2. blend 12 red chilli (or dry chilli soaked in hot water & seeded), 4cm galangal, 3cm ginger, 7 shallots, 3garlic cloves, and 2 stalks lemon grass (white part) for rempah paste.
  3. fry in 3 tbsp oil till the rempah is fragrant.
  4. add cut chicken breast meat & 2 wings & fry with the rempah to coat the chicken. fry for 10mins.
  5. add 200ml coconut milk. add the kerisik and cooked for another 20mins (add some water & cover), adding salt & tasting. try chicken, to see that it is cooked & not overcooked.
  6. add some cut kaffir lime leaves. then reduce to a drier, very fragrant chicken rendang dish.

 

(My First) Babi Pongteh

babi pongteh

babi pongteh

did my first babi pongteh today on 21.11.2015. resonably satisfied. ^^

babi pongteh

babi pongteh

sauce was wonderful! tau jeon & gula melaka really did the trick! 🙂

texture was gelatinous (“ga ga” in teochew), still have good bite, not falling apart. 🙂

i used only 400g belly pork. was supposed to braise for 2 to 2.5hrs, but at 1.5hrs, already softened & gelatinous, so i took out the pork, added the taupok & reduced. 🙂

seasoned 0.5 tbsp dark sauce

seasoned 0.5 tbsp dark sauce

for recipe, i referenced (followed quite closely actually) –

  1. annielicious’ babi pongteh recipe;
  2. mummymoo’s babi pongteh recipe.

for my first attempt, i did not add potatoes. & since i used 400g instead of 800g for experimentation, i 1/2 the recipe. anyway i always taste (ie drk sauce, light sauce etc to taste, in this case i did not add salt) but the recipe quantities provided were quite accurate actually. 🙂

seasoned 0.5 tbsp dark sauce

seasoned 0.5 tbsp dark sauce

i blanched 400g belly pork & cut into large pieces (i think if pieces were too small they may dry out & overcook).

i marinated with 1/2 tbsp dark sauce & set aside.

i had 5 chinese dried mushrooms in hot water overnight.

browning shallots then garlic

browning shallots then garlic

i fried 5 chopped shallots till translucent, added 2 tsp chopped garlic & lightly browned.

added tau jeon

added tau jeon

i added a tbsp tau jeon & fried till fragrant, medium fire.

coating & stir-fry

coating & stir-fry

i added the belly pork & stir-fry a bit. then i added 1/2 tbsp dark sauce & 1 tbsp light soy sauce.

coating & stir-fry

coating & stir-fry

& coat the belly pork & stir-fry a while longer.

then added 5 mushrooms & the mushroom water (less the sediments) & deglazed.

slow braising 1.5hrs

slow braising 1.5hrs

transferred to pot, added water to cover, brought to boil & placed on an induction heater at low 100W.

i set timer at 2hrs but tried the pork at 1.5hrs & the texture was what i liked, tender & gelatinous, with bite not falling apart. 🙂

i took out the belly pork & put the sauce back to the wok, added cut taupok trips (4pieces taupok) & reduced, about 10mins. 🙂

babi pongteh

babi pongteh

when serving, garnish with coriander. 🙂

mushrooms were very tasty infused with the sauce, just like the belly pork.

so was the tau pok.

babi pongteh

babi pongteh

i did not add salt throughout as the taste was just good for me. 🙂

for this experiment i did not add potatoes.

i am planning to include this dish for a RI eat-together at a friend’s house on 3.12.2015. ^^

it is more than passable. i will see if i can improve a little.

c.h.e.f andy

Ingredients :-

  • 400g belly pork
  • 5 chopped shallots
  • 2 tsp chopped garlic
  • 1 tbsp oil
  • 1 tbsp dark soy suace
  • 1 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp tau jeon
  • 1 tbsp gula melaka (palm sugar)
  • 5 chinese dried mushrooms
  • coriander for garnishing
  • 2 cups water (include mushroom water)

Directions :-

  1.  blanch 400g belly pork & cut into large pieces (i think if pieces were too small they may dry out & overcook). marinate with 1/2 tbsp dark sauce & set aside.
  2. soak 5 chinese dried mushrooms in hot water overnight.
  3. fry 5 chopped shallots till translucent, add 2 tsp chopped garlic & lightly browned.
  4. add a tbsp tau jeon & fried till fragrant, medium fire.
  5. add belly pork & stir-fry a bit. add 1/2 tbsp dark sauce & 1 tbsp light soy sauce, & coat the belly pork & stir-fry a while longer.
  6. add 5 mushrooms & the mushroom water (less the sediments) & deglazed.
  7. transfer to pot, added water to cover, brought to boil & placed on an induction heater at low 100W. set timer at 1.5hrs.
  8. take out the belly pork & put the sauce back to wok, add cut taupok trips (4pieces taupok) & reduce, about 10mins. garnish with coriander.

 

The Best Crab Beehoon Soup @ Uncle Leong Jurong East on 17Nov2015

crab beehoon soup

S$63 crab beehoon soup

i bought a S$200 groupon voucher & 5 of us went to uncle leong seafood at 262 Jurong East Street 24, #01-485 Singapore 600262 for crabby dinner on 17.11.2015. ^^

all my friends agreed this was the best crab beehoon soup we had for years!

uncle leong jurong east

uncle leong jurong east

uncle leong jurong east

uncle leong jurong east

2 of us were there slightly earlier at 6.45pm. the crowd came in later & place was quite well patronised, not sure if it was because of the groupon deals.

sri lankan crab

S$63/kg sri lankan crab

we managed to get 2x1kg sri lankan crabs. ^^

at first the lady server said may not have 1kg (only bigger) but she went anyway to check & i went over also, and she got the 2x1kg crabs. 🙂

display shelves

display shelves

they had display shelves. 🙂

our enjoyable crabby dinner

our enjoyable crabby dinner

we decided on 1 crab beehoon soup. i asked about the dry crab beehoon but seemed that it was not a popular order. we picked the golden sand crab + 1 deep-fried mantou 馒头 (or buns).

crabs were S$63/kg, so that took up S$126 of the S$200 voucher. we ordered 4 other dishes – a 3eggs spinach, spicy minced pork tofu (锅仔豆腐), sea cucumber seafood pot and a pumpkin prawns. 🙂

crab beehoon soup

S$63 crab beehoon soup

the crab beehoon soup was pure heaven!!! ^^

so intense, smooth, sweet, and the crab was firm & “solid” (there was actually a clause on the online menu saying they do not guarantee that the crabs are “solid”). 🙂

crab beehoon soup

S$63 crab beehoon soup

for me, heaven was a long time coming.

last time i had crab beehoon soup was december 2014 at mama kong. no comparisons really!

& before that, maybe fast backwards 15 years? at melben toa payoh ave 8. that was heavenly too. in between? don’t know but i don’t remember…

spicy minced pork tofu

S$15 spicy minced pork tofu (锅仔豆腐)

the other dishes we ordered turned out to be good, very good to excellent too.

the spicy minced pork tofu (锅仔豆腐) belonged to the just “good” category. a very competent dish actually, can’t really criticise it, but the spicy chilli not the type i like. it was not so matching food and by comparisons, the other dishes  were much better.

3 eggs spinach

S$15 – 3 eggs spinach

this 3 eggs spinach was quite excellent.

3 eggs spinach

S$15 – 3 eggs spinach

one of the best tasting i had. it is a common dish at zi char & i thought of not ordering it.

3 eggs spinach

3 eggs spinach

but it was done really well. spinach was crunchy not overcooked & you could taste the 3 eggs distinct flavours quite well. 🙂

sea cucumber seafood treasure pot

S$30 sea cucumber seafood treasure pot

& this was a really, really good sea cucumber seafood treasure pot.

sea cucumber seafood treasure pot

S$30 sea cucumber seafood treasure pot

the sea cucumber were not the top quality thick ones, but still quite good quality. the prawns, fish, razor clams, scallops etc were all very fresh & the broth was really delicate, smooth but super tasty, par excellence! 🙂

sea cucumber seafood treasure

sea cucumber seafood treasure

for me, this dish can rank with what top chinese restaurants here can deliver.

pumpkin sauce prawns

S$25 pumpkin sauce prawns

the pumpkin prawns was very competent dish. prawns were fresh, same preparations basically deep-fried. only difference with wasabi, salted egg etc was the sauce.

a friend preferred the salted egg version. for me the pumpkin sauce was good too, but somehow i remembered they tasted better at ah yat turf city (quite sometime back) in pumpkin crabs but i think those had curry leaves flavours.

golden sand crab

S$63 golden sand crab

for me, the golden sand crab was very good too. this was their signature dish.

my friends were ok with it, not so wowed as the crab beehoon soup! 🙂

crab claws2 crab claws

the crab though same 1kg, somehow had smaller claws, still good but overall the crab beehoon soup trumped this.

deepfried mantous

deepfried mantous

deep-fried mantou 馒头 (or buns) to dip in the creamy sauce.

golden sand crab + mantous

S$63 golden sand crab + mantous

some may prefer chilli or pepper crab. i don’t mind this at all or the pumpkin crab, probably like them better than the salted egg version.

dinner came to S$234, so with the groupon voucher discount (S$119.80 for S$200), it was S$154 for 5pax, 6 excellent dishes with 2x1kg crab dishes & a really “right up there” sea cucumber seafood treasure pot. about S$31pax nett.

i must add that the service & attitude (almost entire army of chinese servers) were really good. i gave them a sizable tip when leaving.

we all enjoyed the dinner & company tremendously. after that we adjourned to a friend’s place nearby for a nice cuppa, nespresso. 🙂

i bought another voucher when i got back. ^^

c.h.e.f andy

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

Uncle Leong Seafood (Jurong East)

Address: #01-485, 262 Jurong East Street 24, 600262
OPENING HOURS:Mon – Fri: 12:00 – 22:00 Sat, Sun &: 14:00 – 23:00
PHONE:+65 68972881

Prawn Capellini Alio Olio

prawn capellini

prawn capellini

prawn capellini was done alio olio style. i also did not have uni & ikura (nor mentaiko).

prawn capellini

prawn capellini

still my own prawn capellini was a very tasty pasta.

i guess nothing so unusual, and no better than my regular seafood alio olio, but it was a different & drier style,  adding butter like for my mentaiko pasta or squid-ink pasta.

king crab uni & sakuri ebi capellini

stellar’s king crab uni & sakuri ebi capellini

didn’t have the top ingredients of stellar’s king crab, uni, ikura & sakura ebi pasta (above photo).

but just the taste of the pasta alone, i think mine was just as good though differernt (w/o the unique salty uni & ikura flavours).

we had this for our homegourmet adventure 4-course dinner on 15.11.2015.^^

prawn capellini

prawn capellini

i prepared the usual browned garlic in olive oil with nice aroma. added cut chilli padi, then white wine, 1 tsp sugar & prawn stock & reduced.

for the prawns, i used my dry wok prawns method to produce a very tasty prawn with great texture, then cut them into small pieces & left a few whole prawns.

then i off the fire, added butter & tossed the capellini.

prawn capellini

prawn capellini

it was a simple & easy dish to prepare.

the pasta was al dente & very tasty. i did not have basil to garnish this evening, so i guess it is a shorthand & slightly different style from my usual seafood spaghetti alio olio.

c.h.e.f andy

Red Tomato Gazpacho

white cucumber & red tomato gazpacho

white cucumber & red tomato gazpacho

this a counterpoint to my white cucumber gazpacho. ^^

each gazpacho is delicious on its own, but they combine so beautifully, both aesthetics & also taste. shiok!

gazpacho in 2 styles

stellar at 1-altitude’s gazpacho in 2 styles

we went to stellar at 1-altitude for dinner on 9.11.2015.

other food so-so, but stellar’s gazpacho was just so good!

yes, i got inspired to try out the gazpacho at home. hehe! 🙂

red tomato gazpacho

red tomato gazpacho

& so i googled online recipes. some i used & adapted-

gazpacho is 2 styles

gazpacho is 2 styles

& produced 2 gazpacho just like stellar’s – a red tomato gazpacho & a white cucumber gazpacho.

red tomato gazpacho

red tomato gazpacho

for tomato gazpacho i used 4 large tomatoes, 1 large red pepper, 1/3 peeled japanese cucumber, 1/2 red onions, 1 clove garlic remove heart, 2.5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 1.5 tbsp red wine vinegar, 1 tbsp sugar, 2tsp sea salt, 1 slice bread, 1 cup stock or water

& blend.

& i also did croutons like for the white gazpacho –

put sliced baguette on a on-stick pan on low fire, added sea salt & some shaved parmesan.

so easy to prepare!

& the result of my first attempt was a really delicious tomato gazpacho. not quite the standard of stellar’s for sure, but almost there.

we had this for our homegourmet adventure 4-course dinner on 15.11.2015.^^

so refreshing, smooth, & you could really taste the wonderful sweetness of the red pepper & tangy tomatoes, and the delicious combination of onions & other ingredients.

c.h.e.f andy

Ingredients :-

  • 4 large tomatoes
  • 1 large red pepper
  • 1/3 peeled japanese cucumber
  • 1/2 red onions
  • 1 clove garlic remove heart
  • 2.5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1.5 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 2tsp sea salt
  • 1 slice bread
  • 1 cup stock or water
  • few slices of baguette

Directions : –

  1. place all ingredients (except baguette for croutons) in blender & blend till smooth. taste!
  2. put sliced baguette on a on-stick pan on low fire, added sea salt & some shaved parmesan.

White Cucumber Gazpacho – Soooo Delicious!

white cucumber & red tomato gazpacho

white cucumber & red tomato gazpacho

gazpacho not my favourite & i hardly take gazpacho by choice.

gazpacho in 2 styles

stellar at 1-altitude’s gazpacho in 2 styles

we went to stellar at 1-altitude for dinner on 9.11.2015.

other food so-so, but stellar’s gazpacho was just so good!

white cucmber gazpacho

white cucmber gazpacho

so i googled online recipes. some i used & adapted-

gazpacho is 2 styles

gazpacho is 2 styles

& produced 2 gazpacho just like stellar’s – a red tomato gazpacho & a white cucumber gazpacho.

white cucmber gazpacho

white cucmber gazpacho

for cucumber gazpacho i used 1.5 cucumbers, 1/2small yellow onions, 1 clove garlic (removed heart), 1x140ml plain yogurt, 1 slice bread, 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 1 tbsp red wine vinegar, 2tsp sugar, 1tsp sea salt, 1 cup vegetable stock & blend.

& i also did croutons for the first time!

i just put sliced baguette on a on-stick pan on low fire, added sea salt & some shaved parmesan.

so easy to prepare!

& the result of my first attempt was a really delicious gazpacho. not quite the standard of stellar’s for sure, but almost there.

we had this for our homegourmet adventure 4-course dinner on 15.11.2015.^^

so refreshing, smooth, & you could really taste the wonderful coolness of the cucumber, and the delicious combination of yogurt & onions & other ingredients.

c.h.e.f andy

Ingredients :-

  • 1.5 large cucumber (peeled & cut)
  • 1/2 small yellow onions (cut)
  • 1x140ml plain yogurt
  • 1 clove garlic (remove heart)
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 1 slice bread
  • 1 cup stock or water
  • few slices of baguette

Directions : –

  1. place all ingredients (except baguette for croutons) in blender & blend till smooth. taste!
  2. put sliced baguette on a on-stick pan on low fire, added sea salt & some shaved parmesan.

Pan Seared Scallops in Prawn Vegetable Veloute

pan seared scallops in prawn vegetable veloute

my own pan seared scallops in prawn vegetable veloute

i did a homegourmet adventure 4-course dinner on 15.11.2015. ^^

one of the 4 courses was a pan seared scallops in prawn vegetable veloute. 🙂

had dinner with wife at stellar at 1-altitude on 9.11.2015.

one of the dishes was pan seared scallops with carbonara sauce.

scallops were good, but not comparable with disgruntled chef’s scallop dish which also had a wonderful sauce.

i do a good pan seared scallops myself.

pan seared scallops in prawn vegetable veloute

pan seared scallops in prawn vegetable veloute

i was thinking how to make a sauce, and decided to use the prawn shells from the prawn capellini dish.

i did the usual prawn bisque preparation. fried prawns shells with butter till fragrant, add vegetable stock (i had some in the fridge). then i cut & fried some chinese cabbage, added cut yellow onions, then added some prawn stock & stew the cabbage. then blended the cabbage/onions & prawn stock.

result was a really wonderful veloute. my daughter commented it was not really a prawn or shellfish bisque (i did not add brandy & cream).

but that combination was just superb! intense yet smooth combination of shellfish & vegetable sweetness. i would say one of the best soup i created mostly by accident! ^^

pan seared scallops in prawn vegetable veloute3

in fact i did not do the searing well this evening but the scallops were still very tasty & great texture.

the prawn vegetable veloute though was an accidental discovery. it was just so good! ^^

intense yet very smooth, and very tasty, and just the right body & texture. this really is an excellent recipe & among the best soup i have made.

i would say for myself, though the scallop itself was not comparable to stellar’s, but the overall taste experience including the prawn veg veloute was better than stellar’s, but not comparable with disgruntled chef’s 100gourmet scallop dish.

very happy with the new dish, principally the prawn & vegetable veloute, which was a very rewarding discovery for me. 🙂

c.h.e.f andy