OK Only Quick 3pax Lunch @ Two Chefs Commonwealth Crescent on 18Nov2015

Posted on November 18, 2015 by chefquak

S$15 black bean sauce song fish head 松鱼头

went with sis & b-i-l to two chefs @ commonwealth crescent for a quick lunch today on 18.11.2015. 🙂

my last post on two chefs was 2 years ago, no change in opinion..haha!

two chefs @ commonwealth crescent.

it was 11.35am. they were open, no customer yet. we were the first. 🙂

S$7 see-hum (cockles)

we ordered a see hum (cockles).

see-hum (cockles)

cockles were tiny! & the serving very small for S$7. inflation la..usd going up? whatever…

S$5.50 san lo hor fun

for me the best dish was this S$5.50 san lo hor fun.

S$5.50 san lo hor fun

really flavourful, the real meaning of wok hae, good serving of sliced snakehead too. ^^

S$15 black bean sauce song fish head 松鱼头

the S$15 black bean sauce 松鱼头 was good.

fish head was fresh. sauce was good. but fish head was so very tiny leh…super tiny…eh…never see before..haha! 🙂

special sauce song fish head (松鱼头)

but really no comparison with 香港街珍记 – Hong Kong Street Chun Kee, just 1 level up at the market next door

the sauce at chun kee has a nice tangy lime taste, & it’s like 2x the size.

& even the zi char stall hong man ji delights 鴻满记小吃 at mei ling market & food centre sells a good S$13 hk steamed song fish head 港蒸松鱼头.

S$15 black bean sauce song fish head 松鱼头

lunch came to S$27.50. not ex but then servings really tiny. so for me only the san lo hor fun consider good (but then it was not always consistent!). the song fish head & cockles were just ok only…

& lastly, the old lady server had a poor service attitude. haughty, unfriendly, told us curtly there was no sliced fish beehoon soup here, the S$5.50 hor fun was very small, & looked very fed-up when we didn’t order a larger portion.

& interestingly, the young fella who took the bill was quite courteous, maybe he’s the boss..

i think no chance i will come here again for the song fish head la when hk street chun kee is one step away.

c.h.e.f andy

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

Two Chefs Eating Place 双厨菜馆 (Commonwelath)

Address: #01-129, 116 Commonwealth Crescent, 140116

OPENING HOURS:

Mon: 17:00 – 23:30

Tue – Sun: 11:30 – 14:30

Tue – Sun: 17:00 – 23:30

Closed on Every Last Mon of the Month

PHONE:+65 64725361

Nice Vietnamese pho & cold beehoon lunch @ Saigon Baguette on 17Nov2015

Posted on November 18, 2015 by chefquak

vietnamese homelies

went to my good friend’s clinic at central for a dental follow-up on 17.11.2015.

mei mei was working afternoon shift starting at 2pm. i got an extra 8″ springform cake tin to pass to her, so we arranged to have lunch at saigon baguette at central. ^^

saigon-baguette

i was first at saigon baguette at 12pm, but by 1230pm most tables were taken up.

saigon-baguette

a small, cosy, pleasant ambience.

S$9.90 pho (pronounced “fur”)

they had a lunch set comprising a main, a side & drink at S$14.90. it included mains like the beef combo pho at S$9.90 & the vietnamese grilled pork at S$10.50. the drinks were like S$2.50 & S$3 etc, so the S$14.90 set was pretty ok.

i ordered a vietnamese drip coffee. they said they do inside & served me a black coffee like at coffeeshop. i asked for sugar on the side. coffee was nicely flavoured not sour so i did not add any & took it black.

S$9.90 pho (pronounced “fur”)

the pho (& the garnishes) were good. soup was excellent, a very delicate, light, fragrant sweetness. i thought the serving of ingredients were small for S$9.90 dish. overall quite a light, enjoyable dish. we didn’t want too much carbs also.

rice rolls

we ordered 1 side for each set.

rice rolls

the rice rolls were good, and quite nice with the sauce. skin was thin & smooth, prawn was fresh, competent la.

deep-fried chicken wings

deep-fried chicken wings were a bit dry. just the chicken wings alone, my helper does it much better (& sometimes i do also myself). what was interesting was the caramelised garlic. we usually take with thai sweet chilli sauce at home. the caramelised garlic was no better (in fact i still prefer thai sweet chilli dip) but maybe i will try that a t home – chopped garlic & honey? caramelised. 🙂

vietnamese grilled pork & srping rolls on beehoon2

S$10.50 vietnamese grilled pork & spring rolls on beehoon

the mildly sweet fish sauce condiments that came with the dry beehoon was very good. but actually also not better than my own la…

vietnamese grilled pork & srping rolls on beehoon

S$10.50 vietnamese grilled pork & spring rolls on beehoon

the spring rolls & the grilled pork which was basically i guess home-made pork balls like the beef balls were good especially with the chilli on the table.

my own vietnamese chargrilled pork cold beehoon

but really my own vietnamese chargrilled pork neck cold beehoon + condiments still better la…

S$9.90 pho (pronounced “fur”)

food was good, nothing really special.

comparing the pho, i would prefer the S$9.50 combo pho at mrs pho (it had briskets!).

likewise comparing the vietnamese grilled pork dry cold beehoon also, mrs pho’s was better!

the S$14.90 lunch was quite good value.

the ala carte prices were ok for the food.

anyway, great lunch with mei mei. she bought me some curry puffs too.

c.h.e.f andy

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

Saigon Baguette (The Central Mall)

Address: #01-58/59, The Central, 6 Eu Tong Sen Street, 059817

OPENING HOURS:

Daily: 11:00 – 10:00

WEBSITE: http://saigonbaguettes.com.sg/

Homegourmet Adventure 4-course Dinner on 15Nov2015

Posted on November 16, 2015 by chefquak

pan seared scallops in prawn vegetable veloute

had great fun discovery yesterday experimenting several “first” for a wonderful 4-course dinner on 15.11.2015. ^^

truly a homegourmet adventure. 🙂

all 4 dishes had some new elements-

prawn veloute was an accidental invention.

gazpacho was completely first attempt.

prawn capellini was a new preparation &

slow-braised pork collar was my second try on a new preparation

in a sense, my recent dinner at stellar at 1-altitude spurred my interest, not so much an inspiration (excepting the gazpacho at stellar which was really good!), as i thought the food was expensive & not value-for-money. i thought i could recreate something similar. ^^

pan seared scallops in prawn vegetable veloute

first course was pan seared scallops in prawn vegetable veloute. 🙂

i did not do the pan-searing well this evening. still the scallops were very good, plump & tasty & very good texture, not really the standard of disgruntled chef’s 100gourmet scallops, nor the stellar’s scallops.

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.

disgruntled chef’s 100gourmet pan sauteed scallops

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 (above photo).

#2 white cucumber & red tomato gazpacho

my second dish was entirely new.

gazpacho not my favourite & i hardly take gazpacho by choice but stellar’s gazpacho was just so good!

so i googled online recipes & produced 2 gazpacho just like stellar’s – a red tomato gazpacho & a white cucumber gazpacho.

& the result of my first attempt was a really wonderful gazpacho. so refreshing, smooth, & you could really taste the coolness of the cucumber & also tangy tomatoes.

stellar at 1-altitude’s gazpacho in 2 styles

not quite the standard of stellar’s (above photo) for sure, but almost there.

#3 prawn capellini

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

#3 prawn capellini

still my own prawn capellini was a very tasty pasta.

i guess nothing so unusual, and may not be better than my usual seafood alio olio, but it was a different & drier style, adding butter like for my mentaiko pasta or squid-ink pasta.

stellar’s king crab uni & sakura 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).

#4 slow braised pork collar in red wine sauce

the slow braised pork collar in red wine sauce was my second attempt, it was as good as the first, and a really great recipe i created myself.

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 think this is really an excellent recipe. ^^

c.h.e.f andy

Good But Expensive Dinner @ Stellar at 1-Altitude on 9Nov2015

Posted on November 16, 2015 by chefquak

king crab uni & sakura ebi capellini

celebrating an occasion & went with wife for dinner at stellar at 1-altitude on 9.11.2015. ^^

marina skyline

there was a roof top bar like at me @ oue & also at zafferano (1-altitude is much higher floor).

marina skyline, the panoramic view were of course fabulous.

stellar at 1-altitude rooftop

nice place to have a drink, but it was a bit hazy this evening.

stellar at 1-altitude

we were there at 6.30pm first seating, it was 1/2 full for the evening.

amuse bouche

we were deciding between the regular S$95++ 3-course menu (full portion) or the 6,7,8-course autumn gastronomic (1/2 portions). wife decided to have the 3-course & i was advised that if i took the S$120++ 6-course menu alone i would have 2 desserts.

so we both took the 3-course. wife had 2 appetizers & i ordered a dessert.

amuse bouche

we were served only 1 amuse bouche. so we missed the mushroom tea which other reviewers raved about.

this amuse bouche was ok but forgettable.

how i missed the incredible mushroom tea amuse bouche we enjoyed at jaan previously.

fin de claire & some pacific oysters

wife ordered the oysters. there were 4 in 1 order.

fin de claire & some pacific oysters

again it was ok but not those very creamy ones. we had better S$3 oysters at tess bar & of course the superb ones at the prime society (only S$2.50ea after palate 50% discounts).

diver scallops. parmesan. bacon. carbonara style

i ordered the diver scallops carbonara style.

diver scallops. parmesan. bacon. carbonara style

the scallops were wonderful, large, plump, tasty, & still have the slightly gummy sashimi bite. i loved the scallops.

disgruntled chef’s 100gourmet pan sauteed scallops

but as an entire dish with the carbonara sauce, it was simply outclassed by the excellent scallops at the disgruntled chef 100gourmet dinner we had recently (above photo).

pan seared scallops in prawn vegetable veloute

i decided to create a dish myself with my usual pan-seared scallops using a prawn vegetable veloute. my scallops were very good but not really comparable, however my veloute was excellent & the overall experience was much better, though just as outclassed by the scallop dish at the disgruntled chef 100gourmet.

gazpacho in 2 styles

wife ordered the gazpacho in 2 styles.

gazpacho in 2 styles

the cold soup was light, refreshing, tasty.

white cucumber & red tomato gazpacho

this was such a wonderful soup, i went home & recreate one myself, and a pretty good one at that. not quite stellar’s top standard, but pretty good la. 🙂

the main courses

we ordered the king crab, uni, sakura ebi pasta & the rack of lamb.

king crab uni & sakura ebi capellini

the pasta was tasty & i liked it.

wife though was not impressed. somehow the uni sauce tasted cheesy (same saltiness?). it was good but not great.

prawn capellini

i went back & recreated a very tasty prawn capellini myself in the same style.

victorian lamb rack

the lamb rack was i guess mediocre, at best above average.

it was done medium according to the server’s recommendations.

array of sauces & dips

there was a nice array of sauces & dips, mustard, bearnaise etc& a butter which was very nice with the lamb.

victorian lamb rack

the sides were good.

but actually for the lamb, though it was ok, it was also quite mediocre. there are countless restaurants here that does this better, and much better!

i would prefer my own pistachio crusted lamb to this.

almond croquant

overall, food was good, ambience was fabulous.

the dinner though was quite underwhelming for the price, quite below our expectations. purely on the matter of food enjoyment, we had much better at cheaper places like foc & tess bar.

wife was saying basically we were paying for the view. i guess we were.

c.h.e.f andy

Yuzu Cheese Cake

Posted on November 14, 2015 by chefquak

yuzu cheese cake

the other day my good friends & mei mei bought a dinner for my wife & i at imperial court restuarant.

nice yuzu cheese cake from cat & the fiddle

they also bought a nice yuzu cheese cake from cat & the fiddle..

yuzu cheese cake

i already make a good tofu cheese cake.

cat & the fiddle’s yuzu cheese cake was very nice with distinct yuzu flavours but not really that much different, so i thought i should be able to make one quite easily.

gold citron tea yuzu jam

the main ingredient missing was yuzu, so i went to phoon huat & got a bottle of citron tea yuzu jam (which looks much like orange marmalade but with yuzu flavours), about 580g costing S$7.95

yuzu cheese cake

i varied my tofu cheese cake recipe, dropping the tofu & increasing the yogurt. i added 2.5heap tbsp of the yuzu jam, and reduced sugar from 4.5tbsp to 2 tbsp. it’s a bit of a experimentation, basically to taste as i blend.

the result was a pretty good yuzu cheese cake, tangy, light & refreshing.

c.h.e.f andy

Ingredients:

105g digestive biscuits (7 pieces)
60g melted butter – i used unsalted
250g cream cheese (cut to 2cm pieces)
280g plain yogurt (2x140ml yogurt cups)
100ml whipping cream
30g Sugar
40ml yuzu jam (to taste)
2 tbsp Lemon Juice
3 tsp gelatin powder (15g)
50ml warm water

Directions:

put a wax paper over the bottom then tighten the springform cake pan & ensure bottom is smooth.
put digestive biscuits in ziploc bag & break & roll to powder. melt butter in microwave (40sec) & add to biscuits. mix well then empty into cake pan. spread evenly to form an uniform flat base. put in fridge.
add plain yogurt, cream cheese, whipping cream, yuzu jam, lemon juice & sugar to a blender, pulse & blend
add 3 tsp gelatin powder to 50ml hot water & stir to dissolve completely (i heat another 30sec in microwave to help dissolve). add to blender & blend.
empty into the cake pan & place in fridge for 4hrs. when serving release the springform & remove from the bottom. voila!

Nice Quick Dinner @ BK Forture Seafood Old Holland Road on 14Nov2015

Posted on November 14, 2015 by chefquak

thai style curry fish head – S$25

wife wanted to have dinner at bk forture seafood at old holland road this evening on 14.11.2015.^^

bk forture seafood

i was worried that the place would be crowded on a saturday evening & hard to park. this place is quite popular with foreigners,

the last time we came with our daughter & basically ordered the same food.

we waited quite a while for the food as there were a few tables of foreigners having their weekend family food outing.

this evening though the corner coffeeshop smok’inn frogz kitchen & bar bar black sheep were quite empty. i found parking along the road. we ordered the thai style fish head & a small hor fun 河粉 & waited only 5mins for food to be served. 🙂

hor fun河粉 – S$4

the hor fun 河粉 this evening was very good! 🙂

hor fun 河粉 – S$4

very good wok hae (aroma). the hor fun itself had very good flavours. there were not much ingredients & the prawns were not the freshest but was good overall. there were couple times i ta pao (take out) home but the hor fun was not great. tonight it was good. 🙂

thai style curry fish head – S$25

the thai style curry fish head here is the best!

thai style curry fish head – S$25

fish head was very fresh. the curry was slight tangy & very tasty.

it’s certainly much better than the similar priced nonya fish head at keng eng kee.

thai style curry fish head – S$25

this is a curry fish head i really enjoy. for this evening it was easy & quick & shiok!

c.h.e.f andy

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

BK Forture Seafood

Address: 887 Bukit Timah Road, 279896

OPENING HOURS:

Daily: 11:00 – 14:30

Daily: 17:00 – 23:30

PHONE:+65 64695957

Poor Fish Head Steamboat 鱼头卢 & Crab Beehoon @ New Food Town Seafood on 12Nov2015

Posted on November 12, 2015 by chefquak

S$25 crab beehoon

went with sis & b-i-l to the new zi char stall at 6th avenue kopitown coffeeshop for dinner this evening on 12.11.2015. the stall occupies the 2 stalls which the roast duck noodles was previously, which has now moved to an inside stall.

i came by the other day & took the roast duck noodles at tao xiang kitchen which was expensive & not great.

new food town seafood @ kopitown 6th avenue

we thought of having crab bee hoon & did not want to go far.

S$25 crab beehoon

we ordered a crab beehoon.

it was only S$25 for maybe 400g crab but it was quite poor actually. the photos gave it too much credit.

S$25 crab beehoon

if the crab beehon at ming kee & at kamjiazhuan is 9 & 8, this one would be like 3.

crabless beehoon (with prawns & oysters)

my own crabless beehoon is much more tasty than this.

S$25 fish head steamboat 鱼头卢

& the fish head steamboat was even worse.

S$25 fish head steamboat 鱼头卢

not even 1 point out of 10.

it was angkoli fish (red snapper). but there was not much fish for S$25, and not very fresh fish.

& the soup is (thumbs down), miles off the excellent intense broth we had at whampoa keng recently.

S$25 crab beehoon

i want to support the small new zi char actually, but this was not worth eating, even though it was just S$50.60 for 3pax.

wouldn’t go back for sure. 😦

c.h.e.f andy

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

NEW FOOD TOWN SEAFOOD 新食城

ADDRESS

10E Sixth Avenue
#01-01/02
Singapore 276474

OPENING HOURS

Daily (closed Thursday):
08:00am – 04:00pm

CONTACT:

+65 91992646

Wonderful Dinner Treat by Our Good Friends @ Imperial Court on 5Nov2015

Posted on November 12, 2015 by chefquak

#1 (excellent) half suckling pig

my good friends & mei mei arranged a dinner for my wife & i at imperial court restaurant at the grassroots club on 5.11.2015. ^^

6pax suckling pig menu

i have wanted to try the gimtim group of restaurants but have not done yet, so this suited. 🙂

they have a 1/2 suckling pig set for 6. we had 7pax so my friend ordered 2 additional dishes.

#1 (excellent) half suckling pig

the #1 half suckling pig was a large helping. it was much larger than what i had at ah yat & other places like hung kang & summer gardens.

i thought ah yat’s suckling pig was very good but this was equal or better & much bigger portions by comparison.

it was extremely good, very crispy skin & very flavourful, tasty meat. it seemed to be a combination of the 片皮 & 南乳 styles. usually the 片皮 style came with wraps & the 南乳 comes with the meat. my wife & i prefer the 南乳 style.

#2 (quite poor) fish maw soup

the next dish #2 fish maw soup though was quite poor.

no comparison like the fish maw soup at beng thin.

#9 addition sanpei chicken 三杯鸡 dish

＃10 additional beef dish

my friend ordered 2 additional dishes=#9 addition sanpei chicken 三杯鸡 dish & ＃10 additional beef dish.

sanpei chicken 三杯鸡 was so-so, maybe below par. the beef was pretty ok, not the very tenderised chinese style beef which i don’t like.

#3deepfried seabass in thai sauce

the #3 deepfried seabass in thai sauce was very good.

#3 deepfried seabass in thai sauce

the sauce was not the usual thai sweet sauce (best for deep-fried chicken wings) but a bit tangy.

#3 deepfried seabass in thai sauce

a very good fish dish by my reckoning.

#4 abalones with broccoli

the #4 abalones with broccoli dish was the usual good standard, with nice broccoli & mushrooms.

#5 (the best) steamed scallops

i love #5 the steamed scallops. i think they were the best! ^^

#5 (the best) steamed scallops

usually i prefer steamed razor clams to steamed scallops because usually steamed scallops get overdone (i don’t know why?).

these ones were very tender & sweet & tasty. excellent is the word!

#6 nicely done prawns – sauce too sweet

the #6 prawns were nicely done, fresh, tasty & crisp.

#6 nicely done prawns – sauce too sweet

i don’t like the sauce though, just overly sweet.

#7 (very tasty) braised seafood beehoon

the #7 braised seafood beehoon was very tasty.

#7 (very tasty) braised seafood beehoon

& with good ingredients.

crabless beehoon (with prawns & oysters)

reminded me of my own crabless beehoon! 🙂

#8 fruit cocktail dessert with ice shavings

the simple dessert of the day = #8 fruit cocktail dessert with ice shavings was very refreshing.

overall an excellent dinner. i liked the suckling pig & the steamed scallops.

i estimate the dinner to cost about S$350nett, so about S$50nett, 🙂

nice yuzu cheese cake

it was a really fun evening. friend also bought a nice yuzu cheese cake. a truly wonderful time with close friends & great dinner. 🙂

& service was very good. the servers took several photos for us & also went digging up a knife & candles for the cake.

c.h.e.f andy

Imperial Court

Address :	190 Ang Mo Kio Ave 8 #03-01 The Grassroots’ Club Singapore 568046
Hotline :	6553 2777 (Reservation is needed on Saturday and Sunday)
Fax :	6554 2777
Email :	imperial@gimtim.com.sg

Very Nice Coffee @ Coffee Now Here on 2Nov2015

Posted on November 10, 2015 by chefquak

flat white

a RI friend organised a makan & coffee eat-drink together on 2.11.2015. ^^

first we had the recently buzzing ah hoe meepok at blk 710, clementi west street 2 by the japanese 18yr old girl & her father.

after a very satisfying bowl of meepok dry & soup, we proceeded to coffee nowhere (or pronounced coffee now here) at west coast plaza.

it’s the singapore outlet of a cafe that started in johore only 2 years back in dec2013. the name is supposed to evoke like when you are lost (nowhere) & then you are found (now here), i guess discovery of a place you have a connection with?? whatever!

they have 4 different ways of brewing coffee etc, and also sells coffee beans, coffee related products & offer barista training.

cafe mocha

we were just coming here to relax & chill la! 🙂

& the coffee was good! so we make a great find by accident, well actually recommended by this organiser friend who also trying the place first time.

the same guy that brought me to aeiou for a good cuppa. we been hanging out a bit lately.

cafe mocha

it happens to be a monday, and monday happens to be the day with 1 for 1 promotion. we ended up ordering 9 coffees for about S$35, not bad!

(btw i think the normal price is too ex w/o the one for one promo & i would not come here as there are so many good coffee places)

we were reading the promo advertising panel at the entrance to the cafe & the website but our ancient brains did not quite follow. it’s always easier to just ask. although in this case the servers (more than 1) seem just as confused how the promo works, whether we need to first spend S$30.

anyhow we got the promo instantly so not complaining except that we had 9 & ordered 5 coffees + 4 free, and only thought we should have gotten 5 free afterwards (i know what my son will say)…what a good laugh…hahaha!

nice coffee

i am quite surprised the coffee was really good. my flat white was very smooth & coffee had rich aroma. i had a very good flat white at habitat in upper thomson (my family favourite but just first time for me). we were rushing & bought takeaway so i did not take photos. i thought coffee nowhere was about the same.

the other great coffee place i had good coffee –

chye seng huat hardware coffee bar (CSH)
dutch colony @ pasarbella
carpenter & cook
assembly coffee
of course aeiou &
wheeler’s yard

carpenter & cook has great pastries & assembly coffee has a great lemon meringue pie.

c.h.e.f andy

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

Coffee Nowhere

address: West Coast Plaza, 154 West Coast Road #B1-06/07 s127371

tel : 9090 4332

opening hours:

Mon-Sun:10:00 am-10:00 pm

website: http://www.coffeenowhere.com

Kind of Below Expectations @ Ginzawa on 8Nov2015

Posted on November 9, 2015 by chefquak

S$45 chirashi don

celebrating an occasion. had 5pax family dinner at ginzawa at palais renaissance on 8.11.2015. ^^

this the same restaurant as sushi kuu previously. there is no change of ownership so it is just a rebranding. 🙂

i called & they told me that they serve the donburi items like chirashi don, bara chirashi don, wagyu don etc on the set lunch menu for dinner, at the same price but w/o the set, just the donburi + soup.

there was also a S$130 set menu for 2 & omakase priced at S$80, S$120 etc.

we decided not to take the set or omakase, and ordered 2 chirashi don, 2 wagyu don & a A5 saga wagyu sukiyaki.

S$45 chirashi don

the S$45 chirashi don looked impressive as in the photos on the menu (& above photos). there was a botan ebi, a bit of uni, akami? (lean toro), tai, maguro, hamachi, salmon belly, hotate, tamago on a huge portion of sushi rice.

first look was great but in actual fact the sashimi cuts & quantity were very much inferior & pales in comparison to those at mikuni & kuriya dining.

mikuni’s chirashi don

mikuni’s chirashi don, also S$45 after 50% feed at raffles discounts, by comparison has 2 chutoro,heaps more uni, & 2 pieces for every quality sashimi cut.

kuriya dining’s chirashi sushi zen set

& kuriya dining’s S$62 chirashi sushi zen set, a much larger set than mikuni’s is also top quality with more than double what ginzawa served.

S$50 wagyu & onions don

the wagyu for the wagyu don was tasty but the sauce was superfluous & only serve to kill the taste.

S$50 wagyu & onions don

& the slices were really thin. it was doable, but nothing great at S$50. i would take the S$88 uni ikura wagyu don at kuriya dining anytime c/w this.

S$50 A5 saga wagyu sukiyaki

the S$50 A5 saga wagyu sukiyaki was very poor (completely thumbs down!). beef was overcooked, very small serving & thin, hardly much to eat.

mikuni’s kagoshima wagyu sukiyaki konabe

just compare this with mikuni’s kagoshima wagyu sukiyaki konabe. that is S$24 after 50% feed at raffles discounts, less than 1/2 the price of ginzawa! & beef are thick slices & sweet & tasty, the beef & the entire dish & experience is miles ahead of ginzawa.

chirashi don

overall, i would say that ginzawa’s chirashi don was one of the better ones, but totally pales by comparison with mikuni & kuriya dining.

the wagyu don was ok but not worth eating at S$50. i must go try sumiya’s S$30 wagyu don lunch set but i suspect it would be much better.

as for the S$50 wagyu sukiyaki, forget about it.

c.h.e.f andy

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

Ginzawa

390 Orchard Road

Palais Renaissance #01-07

Singapore 238871

Reservations:

Tel: +65 6736 0100

SMS: +65 8201 2730

Email: info@ginzawa.com

Open Tuesday – Sunday

Lunch 12:00pm – 3:00pm

Dinner 6:00pm – 10:30pm

(Closed on Mondays)

Quick Dinner after Movie @ Crystal Jade Lamian Xiaolongbao Great World City on 7Nov2015

Posted on November 7, 2015 by chefquak

S$5.50 xiaolongbao小笼包

went with wife to watch the movie “spectre” at gv grand on 7.11.2015.

quite boring really…the opposite of “the intern”, no engagement, no development, no tension/expectations/relationships/chemistry among the cardboard characters..no anything…

like i was telling a friend on facebook, as boring as terminator or a 1970s chinese kungfu movie…fight fight fight fight fight..nothing in between…

after movie, we a bit “sian” to go zion road food centre, anyway not much to eat there also (don’t think much of zion road char kuay teow even though it is PM’s favourite), & didn’t feel like driving elsewhere for makan, so went down one floor to crystal jade lamian xioalongbao for a quick bite…luckily just waited 5mins at around 9pm.

S$9.80 saliva chicken 口水鸡

we ordered xiaolongbao小笼包, saliva chicken 口水鸡 & beef brisket noodles 牛腩面.

somehow this evening the same dishes didn’t seem as shiok as that at hollandv.

S$9.80 beef brisket noodles 牛腩面

beef brisket noodles 牛腩面. the noodles were very good al dente & 爽口& the sauce & flavours were good too.

S$9.80 beef brisket noodles 牛腩面

the briskets were quite tasty, but both the briskets & overall taste of the beef brisket noodles 牛腩面 was NOT as good as that at SICC, i think quite a bit NOT as good, not just marginally.

S$9.80 beef brisket noodles 牛腩面

also both this beef brisket noodles 牛腩面 & SICC’s & in fact all the beef brisket noodles in singapore do not use the 崩沙腩 which i love in hong kong’s 牛腩面, the belly cuts they used in the hong kong beef brisket noodles.

friend’s 清汤牛腩 – my favourite

they have layers of collagen 胶 made them very flavourful & gelatinous when braised.

these were the cut of briskets which my friend bought in chinatown market, which i also did after learning from her.

she brought her fabulous 清汤牛腩 to my place for a for a homecooked 16pax 17-course dinner on 26.8.2015.^^

S$9.80 saliva chicken 口水鸡

the saliva chicken 口水鸡 always quite good at the hollandv outlet that we usually go.

here it was ok too but somehow this evening like not as shiok as expected.

S$9.80 saliva chicken 口水鸡

just not the same 口感 mouth-feel.

S$5.50 xiaolongbao小笼包

always love the xiaolongbao小笼包!

S$5.50 xiaolongbao小笼包

you can see the soup inside the xiaolongbao小笼包. it was very tasty & flavourful as always, the skin thin & the fillings very tasty.

we ordered a second tray of xiaolongbao小笼包.

dinner was S$34nett for 2pax after DBS card 10% discounts.

somehow the food this evening just did not feel so shiok, don’t know why.

c.h.e.f andy

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Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao (Great World City) (翡翠拉面小笼包)

Address: #02-43, Great World City, 1 Kim Seng Promenade, 237994

Opening hours: Daily: 11:00 – 22:00

Phone: +65 67385595

S$6.50 Salted Egg Chicken Rice @ Mini Wok Zi Char 迷你锅煮炒 @ Shaw Basement Food Republic on 6Nov2015

Posted on November 6, 2015 by chefquak

S$6.50 salted egg chicken rice best seller (not bad!)

went to watch “The Intern” at shaw lido with a friend today on 6.11.2015. ^^

i really enjoyed the movie. super! 🙂

robert de niro acting was just incredible. so was anne hathaway.

& such natural flow story telling, everyday humour, human story.

we can talk about friendship & loyalty & empathy & calming presence, but it is just that, human beings sharing, being there for each other, and just so being with the times, new economy business, 70 yr old retiree…

mini wok zi char 迷你锅煮炒@shaw basement food republic

after movie, it was 2.30pm – ish.

we decided just to get a bite at the food republic at basement of shaw house. 🙂

i had previously –

tried the brisket king 牛腩大王. it was quite good but expensive. well so are the other stalls. also ex.

& the quite below par toa payoh lor 7 teochew fishball noodles.

was going to settle for either roast chicken rice or roast duck noodles stall, but saw this mini wok zi char 迷你锅煮炒.

S$6.50 salted egg chicken rice best seller (not bad!)

there were many dishes on the photo menu. i would not mind the pepper beef or the pork onion rice.

anyhow we saw this salted egg chicken rice = no.1 seller! must try!

so try we did.

S$6.50 salted egg chicken rice best seller (not bad!)

& it was good leh.

this is a very professional planned instant dish delivery, very quick turnover & consistent good standard.

deep-fried chicken pieces were pro-done, fried egg too.

S$6.50 salted egg chicken rice best seller (not bad!)

the instant “chef” put the chicken pieces into the hot oil, the helper placed the rice, fried egg & some pickles on the aluminium serving wok on a tray for easy handling. then the chef fried the heated deep-fried chicken pieces with the salted egg sauce, probably took 1 min & then placed on top of the rice. voila!

S$6.50 was ok. quite enjoyable! ^^

S$2.80 ice kacang

we chatted for a while, then decided to take a “drink”.

S$2.80 ice kacang

anyhow i had ice kacangsalted egg chicken rice from the drink stall & my friend had iced cheng teng. S$2.80 ea but it was good. my ice kacang, great taste, good ingredients.

very enjoyable movie, meal & chat with friend. 🙂

c.h.e.f andy

Super “gonelohmee” 干捞面 aka Dried Tossed Noodles

Posted on November 6, 2015 by chefquak

“gonelohmee” aka dried tossed noodles

my helper made a super “gonelohmee” aka dried tossed noodles for dinner this evening on 6.11.2015. ^^

wife taught her how to make this, & we have this pretty often.

i have not done this myself before, so this post does not qualify as a recipe post. 🙂

“gonelohmee” ingredients

ingredients are straight forward. so is preparation i think.

the key would be the right mix of chilli sauce. that i do not know yet. but when i want to try it, i will experiment a bit.

totally qq..al dente noodles

noodles were totally al dente…super nice…better than most bakchormee outside i would say..

prawns minced pork mushroom sauce & toppings

& the prawns minced pork mushroom sauce & toppings..these were outstanding, super tasty. 🙂

nice stir-fry nai bai 奶白

stir-fry nai bai 奶白 was just for balance. & a very good one too. simple stir-fry.

great dinner this evening! ^^

c.h.e.f andy

Spicy Bean Sauce Sting Ray with Salted Vegetables

Posted on November 6, 2015 by chefquak