Author Archives: chefquak
RI Friends Monthly Dinner @ Ban Heng Harbourfront Centre on 24Nov2014
#10 roast pork
we had our november RI friends dinner @ ban heng harbourfront centre on 24.11.2014. 🙂
this was the smallest turnout, with 7pax.
i had not been to this ban heng outlet before. the last time G20 had a 23pax dinner at ban heng at orchard central, food was quite average.
this outlet has 2 ala carte buffet menu – one pried at S$28.80++ here, and the other at S$21.80++. from what i can see the main difference is for the S$28.80 menu you get to pick 1 order of abalones, crabs, froglegs, live prawns, scallops.
we took the S$28.80++ menu.
#1 roast duck
#1 roast duck
#1 roast duck was passable. but c/w the beautiful roast duck at both canton paradise star vista & canton paradise J-cube or with the noodles restaurant at centrepoint, this would be a poor & distant cousin.
#2 drunken chicken
#2 drunken chicken
#2 drunken chicken was average, competent.
#3 garlic spinach
#4 sambal kang kong
#4 sambal kang kong
liked the vegetables, #3 garlic spinach & #4 sambal kang kong.
#5 deep-fried soon hock
#5 deep-fried soon hock
#5 deep-fried soon hock was a standard dish. it was done well. 🙂
#6 beef with bitter gourd black bean sauce
#6 beef with bitter gourd black bean sauce was also done well. i personally would prefer fish head & meat with black bean bitter gourd, but this was as good as any good zi char, say kok sen at keong saik street or hong kong street chun kee at commonwealth crescent or ah orh at bukit merah.
#7 steamed prawns
#7 steamed prawns
#7 steamed prawns was good like any good seafood restaurant.
#8 sharks fin soup
#8 sharks fin soup
surprisingly the #8 sharks fin soup though gluey like any served at weddings in yesteryears, had very tasty stock. this was much better than ban heng orchard central.
#9 frog legs with ginger & spring onions
#9 frog legs with ginger & spring onions
#9 frog legs with ginger & spring onions was also a competent dish. not so different from what my family used to have often at ah yat turf city (now grandstand) long in the past.
#10 roast pork
#10 roast pork. all my friends liked this a lot. we had a second order. meat looked great, was tender & tasty & skin was crisp. i would say presentation & taste-wise still a tad below what i had recently at tunglok central.
#11 fried prawns with celery
#11 fried prawns with celery
#11 fried prawns with celery – passable, nothing interesting.
#12 char siew
#12 char siew looked & tasted great. of the 2 dishes, my friends liked the roast pork better.
#13 abalones with mushrooms & spinach
#13 abalones with mushrooms & spinach
#13 abalones with mushrooms & spinach
#13 abalones with mushrooms & spinach. this was quite good dish also. the braising sauce though was nothing like the really good brown sauce served in good cantonese restaurants say ah yat abalones forum restaurant for abalone dishes (also goose web & spiky sea cucumber dishes) or at chao yue xuan.
#14 deep-fried tilapia in thai sauce
#14 deep-fried tilapia in thai sauce was an interesting dish. it had less meat so some friends preferred the soon hock dish to this.
#15 scallops in yam nest
#15 scallops in yam nest. scallops were average & overall this dish was poor, below par, not even comparable with a good yam basket say at ah orh w/o expensive scallops.
#16 chai poh minced pork with steamed bean curd
#16 chai poh minced pork with steamed bean curd, i think this was really poor.
#17 sweet & sour soup
#17 sweet & sour soup. this was a pretty good soup.
#18 pepper crab
#18 pepper crab
#18 pepper crab was quite the usual seafood restaurant standard, for sure better than spices cafe.
pulut hitam
aloe vera & jelly
aloe vera & jelly
self service dessert were quite standard. aloe vera with jelly was quite refreshing & pulut hitam the usual.
overall, food here was better than ban heng orchard central but not as good as (service especially) peach gardens miramar (menu had wider spread though at ban heng harbour front). for S$28.80++ pax it was 2/3 the price of spices cafe w/o the lobster. i guess quite an ok deal.
c.h.e.f andy
Sumptuous Alluring Omakase @ Hachi on 22Nov2014
#4 sashimi moriawase 1pax = botan ebi, sawala (spanish mackerel), chutoro, ika, kinmedai, tai, hamachi
my wife’s good friend couple bought us a wonderful super delicious omakase dinner at hachi on 22.11.2014. 🙂
my wife & i had been to hachi several times. we introduced the restaurant to them & said we would buy them dinner there, but they sprang this superb omakase on us & bought us instead.
in fact we had never take this S$188pax premium omakase here (restaurant said it’s a new menu started 2014). every time we just took the S$118pax (now increased to S$128 pax) omakase, which was also pretty good. well no complaints. ^^ 🙂
#1 japanese persimmon
#1 japanese persimmon
#1 first course was a japanese persimmon came shielded with persimmon leaf. dish was beautiful & exquisite, feeling of koyo (autumn colours). persimmon was very sweet but could not recall the other items. there was goma (sesame) sauce.
#2 ayu fish, tamago, ginkgo nuts, chestnut, crispy sweet potato, seaweed
#2 ayu fish, tamago, ginkgo nuts, chestnut, crispy sweet potato, seaweed
#2 second course was ayu fish, tamago, ginkgo nuts, chestnut, crispy sweet potato, dish of seaweed. such delicate & beautiful plating. 🙂
ayu is a tasty but flaky (falling apart) fish, not my favourite but ayu shioyaki (鮎塩焼) is a very popular dish (see photo of the open grill here). in small bites for this starter, it was quite nice.
#3 steamed tai (seabream) on braised tofu
#3 third course was a steamed tai (seabream) on braised tofu. sea bream was very sweet & tasty. tofu was excellent, very crispy outside & smooth consistency inside.
#4 sashimi moriawase 1pax = botan ebi, sawala (spanish mackerel), chutoro, ika, kinmedai, tai, hamachi
#4 the next course sashimi moriawase for 1pax kinmedai 金目鯛 (japanese golden eye sea bream – see photo here), tai (sea bream), hamachi>> was a real treat. i have not taken sawala before & probably not kinmedai (as sashimi) too.
the kinmedai was really good. 🙂 and of course the chutoro, botan ebi etc etc. ^^
we had really good sashimi moriawase just last week at sumiya on 16.11.2014 which included uni, awabi & akami.
and of course mikuni’s chirashi don sashimi quality was top draw.
but to have this sashimi moriawase as part of an 11-course omakase was truly luxurious, sumptuous. 🙂
the sashimi moriawase for GOTO’s kaiseki was not too bad, but it was expensive & not as good value.
#5 crispy sweet potatoes on steamed sea bream on japaenese rice cake
#5 crispy sweet potatoes on steamed sea bream on japaenese rice cake
#5 fifth course was crispy sweet potatoes on steamed sea bream on japaenese rice cake in a very tasty starchy mountain yam soup. simply yummy. i drank the whole thing.
#6 very large (3in), firm & tasty oyster
#6 very large (3in), firm & tasty oyster
#6 sixth course was a large (3in), firm & tasty oyster. 1 of us found it sandy. it was ok for the rest. it was evidently good enough though as we finished the oysters before i thought of asking the restaurant to replace the oyster. i like this dish very much.
#7 excellent tempura – anago (conger eel), very good hotate, shiso 紫蘇 leaf (also called oba), and red pepper.
#7 excellent tempura – anago (conger eel), very good hotate, shiso 紫蘇 leaf (also called oba), and red pepper
#7 next course was an excellent tempura – anago (conger eel), very good hotate, shiso 紫蘇 leaf (also called oba), and red pepper.
the konbu (昆布) which japanese use for dashi (clear soup stock) is not edible.
#8 ohmi wagyu (近江牛) with caviar, jalapeño chilli, sweet potatoes
#8 ohmi wagyu (近江牛) with caviar, jalapeño chilli, sweet potatoes
#8 eighth course was ohmi wagyu (近江牛) – among the top 3 japanese wagyu – with caviar, jalapeño chilli, sweet potatoes.
taste was simply sublime, out of this world. ^^
#9 hokkaido momotaro tomatoes – a palate cleanser
#9 hokkaido momotaro tomatoes – a palate cleanser
#9 next was hokkaido momotaro tomatoes – a palate cleanser.
#10 my selection of sushi = kinmedai, hotate, uni (each diner can pick 3 types of sushi)
#10 my selection of sushi = kinmedai, hotate, uni (each diner can pick 3 types of sushi)
#10 the server brought us a tray of 10 to 12 sashimi. each diner can pick 3 types of sushi. my selection of sushi = kinmedai, hotate, uni. the hotate was really good, very huge, plump & sweet. the uni & kinmedai too of course. 🙂
wife had uni, negi toro & kinmedai. the 2 friends each had botan ebi, hotate & uni. 🙂
#11 dessert – yuzu ice cream, kiwi fruit, grapes, strawberries, blue berries, cheese cake slice
#11 dessert – yuzu ice cream, kiwi fruit, grapes, strawberries, blue berries, cheese cake slice
#11 i guess dessert was the least tantalising of the omakase – yuzu ice cream, kiwi fruit, grapes, strawberries, blue berries, cheese cake slice. it was a bit more quantity than quality, good standard & substantial, but not like say japanese melon.
c.h.e.f andy
Tofumisu – an Experiment
tofumisu – the healthy version w/o mascarpone
did a tofumisu last evening on 27.11.0214. 🙂
it is a healthy version of tiramisu w/o the main ingredient mascarpone cheese, which is replaced by tofu (bean curd).
i adapted the japanese youtube recipe here.
so decided to experiment. 🙂
tofumisu – the healthy version w/o mascarpone
tofumisu – the healthy version w/o mascarpone
tofumisu – the healthy version w/o mascarpone
tofumisu – the healthy version w/o mascarpone
i added 250g silken tofu to a blender, & added 2 egg yolks, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 3 tbsp sugar, and 50ml almond soya milk, 2 tbsp mirin. i heated up another 50ml of almond soya milk in the microwave & added 1tsp gelatine powder (5g). this blended to a soft custard.
i added 1 tsp sugar to the 2 egg whites & whisked it to soft peaks, emptied the custard from the blender to a mixing bowl & folded in the meringue.
i prepared 60ml of strong expresso (i used fresh ground coffee from my machine), & added 2 tbsp otard (brandy), 1 tsp vanilla essence & 1 tsp sugar.
then i dipped the savoiardi ladyfinger biscuits in the coffee, broke them up to smaller pieces & placed it in the glass containers. i then topped with the custard mix. then in the fridge overnight. 🙂
tofumisu – the healthy version w/o mascarpone
result of experiment – the texture was very good, basically quite similar to tiramisu. flavour wise, tofu taste was dominant, and its not near as nice as tiramisu. maybe adding a bit more of the almond soya milk might help. the price of healthy preparation. ha! 🙂
c.h.e.f andy
Ingredients:
- 250g silken tofu
- 2 eggs (separate egg yokes & whites)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 3tbsp + 2tsp sugar
- 2 tbsp mirin
- 100ml almond soya milk
- 5g gelatine powder
- 60ml strong expresso
- 2tbsp otard (brandy)
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
Directions:
- add 250g silken tofu to a blender, add 2 egg yolks, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 3 tbsp sugar, and 50ml almond soya milk, 2 tbsp mirin. heat another 50ml of almond soya milk in the microwave & add 1tsp gelatine powder (5g).
- add 1 tsp sugar to the 2 egg whites & whisk it to soft peaks, empty the custard form the blender to a mixing bowl & fold in the meringue.
- prepare 60ml strong expresso (i used fresh ground coffee from my machine), & add 2 tbsp otard (brandy), 1 tsp vanilla essence & 1 tsp sugar.
- dip savoiardi ladyfinger biscuits in the coffee, break into smaller pieces & place it in glass containers. top with the custard mix. leave in fridge overnight.
Good but Expensive Dinner @ aPompei on 21Nov2014
florentine steak – S$88
we were thinking of a place to go for 5pax family dinner on a friday w/o too much hassle on traffic & parking. decided to try the new restaurant aPompei at 6th avenue on 21.11.2014. 🙂
restaurant only started a week ago, according to chef mimo, who was from al borgo. we liked the florentine steak at al borgo by chef mim0. my wife recently had that at al borgo & she said it’s no longer good, so we were looking forward to having the good florentine steak here. 🙂
chef mimo was friendly & chatty, and we had always liked his food. so we decided to order his recommendations & let him organise the dinner. 🙂
food was good as we expected. price though was a bit expensive.
bread to start
bread in most italian diners were mostly just baguette with olive oil/balsamic dip, nothing fancy like top restaurants.
antipasti – S$72
antipasti – S$72
the antipasti was a huge serving. it was good, with parma ham, good quality salami (my wife normally does not take salami but she was ok with this one), buffalo mozzarella, another cheese & olives.
we found out only later when we had the bill that the antipasti cost S$72 (since we left it in the hands of chef mimo). this was way too expensive for an antipasti for 2 guys & 3 ladies.
i am just guessing that maybe we were charged 3 portions=S$24×3. if we had ordered ourselves, we would have ordered just 1 portion. it was not about the price of the antipasti but whether we would spent S$72 for a very large portion or used the same money to order 2 more pastas etc.
complimentary focaccia
we had a complimentary focaccia, topped with cherry tomatoes. in fact we thought it was better than the seafood pizza. we saw on the menu it cost S$13.
mussels – S$28
mussels – S$28
the mussels was very good. i felt it was expensive at S$28. i could do very good mussels myself, but i used the cheap mussels from sheng shiong. these mussels here were of course the better variety. 🙂
vongole – S$28
vongole – S$28
the vongole was very good also. the spaghetti were very al dente. somehow it cost more than S$24 on the menu? this is also a dish i do well, and sometimes i can get mango clams from sheng shiong which i think is better than la la (littleneck clams).
seafood pizza
the seafood pizza was good, but we felt the cheaper focaccia (complimentary by chef mimo) was better. 🙂
florentine steak – S$88
& the 600g florentine steak. this was our favourite & it was as good as the one at al borgo of old (though my wife said it was no longer so). al borgo charged S$60 initially but raised to S$75 last year. it was S$88 here. i guess the price was not cheap but ok as long as the standard is kept. 🙂
complimentary dessert
chef mimo offered us 2 complimentary sponge cakes. the texture felt a bit like tiramisu (moist) but chef mimo said it was sponge cake. they were good but these tended to be quite sweet.
the dinner for 5pax (2guys, 3 ladies) cost S$350nett including a S$62 bottle wine. wine was good & priced similar to what you get at a good restaurant. 🙂
i felt the dinner was overly expensive at about S$56nett excluding the wine. if the antipasti was 1 portion at S$24++, price would be S$45pax nett, which was still not cheap but i guess ok for the food.
anyway, we were overall happy with the food, even though price was on the expensive side & it had cost a lot more than if we had ordered from the menu, which is what we would do next time. 🙂
c.h.e.f andy
Great Dinner @ Canton Paradise at J-Cube on 26Nov2014
1/2 roast duck
we had an early dinner at canton paradise @ J-cube on 26.11.2014. 🙂
wife bought a groupon voucher S$28.80 for S$50. we went at 4.3opm to skip the dinner crowd, traffic & parking.
canton paradise @ j-cube
the restaurant was quite empty at that time.
har gao（虾饺）
har gao（虾饺）
we ordered the har gao（虾饺). good as always. 🙂
1/2 roast duck – S$25
and of course our favourite 1/2 roast duck. the roast duck at canton paradise is really good, and this one was no exception, so flavourful and the breast meat so tender. this, like the roast duck at star vista outlet, is truly hong kong standard. the only other place i had roast duck of this standard was at the noodles restaurant.
spicy dumplings (抄手)
spicy dumplings (抄手)
the spicy dumplings (抄手) was very good too.
porridge (minced prok balls, kidney, beef)
porridge (minced pork balls, kidney, beef) – S$9.20
and we always like the porridge (congee), very smooth & sweet. we had the selection of 3 (minced pork balls, kidney, beef). mmmm…really nice.
S$8.80 weekday afternoon promotion
they had this weekday promotion, just S$8.80 for 1 porridge, 1 dim sum & drink, from 2.30pm to 5pm. it’s a really good deal but we could not take that as we had our groupon deal. i probably come back here with some friends. 🙂
the dinner for 2pax came to S$58nett including drink & water, towels etc, so we had to top up S$8, which added to a total of S$37 with the voucher, a very good price for the food we had. 🙂
c.h.e.f andy
Protected: Pui Leong Cycle Group = Cycle Punggol Waterway + Makan on 22Nov2014
Cycle Punggol Waterway + Wanton Mee @ KPT Coffeeshop 401 Hougang Ave 10 on 22Nov2014
wanton mee @ KPT coffeeshop
went cycling with friends (6 of us) at punggol waterway park connector on 22.11.2014. very enjoyable ride & morning. 🙂
we started from sengkang sports centre, then along sungei punggol, past serangoon (coney) island, crossed over to lor halus wetland park, then along sungei serangoon to KPT coffeeshop 401 hougang ave 10, S530401 for makan.
3 of us took the mee rebus there. those who took said it was good. another friend & i had the wanton mee.
wanton
wanton mee @ KPT coffeeshop
wanton mee @ KPT coffeeshop
i thought the wanton mee was very good. noodles were qq, char siew was tasty & soft, sauce was tasty & the wanton had soft skin that held together, and tasty fillings. 🙂
the sauce though was just a little bit sweet, so maybe not everyone would like this.
for me, kok kee wanton mee previously at lavendar food square (not sure where it moved too) was still the best. the other good stall which my daughter likes is red ring. i would say overall red ring wanton mee is still better than this.
we backtracked to Mywaterway promenade that leads back to sungei punggol side. and we spotted a family of otters when we arrived by at the riverside leading back to sengkang sports centre.
nice ride & great food. 🙂
c.h.e.f andy
Wife’s Belated Birthday by My Buddies @ Tunglok Central on 19Nov2014
excellent roast pork (烧肉)
my buddies organised a belated birthday dinner for my wife on 19.11.2014. 🙂
& i am very happy this year they again did a birthday dinner for me at chef chan & this dinner for my wife. such great friends! 🙂
friend’s god sister arranged wine
excellent roast pork (烧肉)
my friend’s god sister again pre-ordered the food. & she arranged the wine & cake too. 🙂
we had the roast pork (烧肉), which was really excellent. skin was very crispy & the texture & taste was marvellous, & not too fatty.
double boiled soup (炖汤) with sea whelk, black garlic & chicken
double boiled soup (炖汤) with sea whelk, black garlic & chicken
double boiled soup (炖汤) with sea whelk, black garlic & chicken
ingredients for the double boiled soup (炖汤)
the double boiled soup (炖汤) with sea whelk, black garlic & chicken was super too. this 1 of few soups that could match & better the very good lie tong (例汤) here. very sweet & tasty. 🙂
spinach tofu (三层楼) with shimeji mushrooms & broccoli
spinach tofu (三层楼) with shimeji mushrooms & broccoli
we had the spinach tofu (三层楼) with shimeji mushrooms & broccoli, which is another signature dish here. it was very good. 🙂
salted egg cod fish fillet
salted egg cod fish fillet
next was a salted egg cod fish fillet. it was very well done. cod was very good. for me & also my wife though, the dish was deep-fried & even though it was done well & not very oily, it could not match the simple steamed cod with mui choy (梅菜)。
wasabi mayo prawns
likewise wasabi mayo prawns was well done & nicely presented. it came with mangoes & salad. presentation was superior to peach garden’s yuzu prawns. taste wise peach garden’s equally good. yuzu taste was great & dish better w/o the mayo.
salted egg custrad longevity bun (流沙寿桃)
complimentary star fruit juice
complimentary salted egg longevity bun (流沙寿桃) & the 生日快乐十全美 verses
there was a miscommunication with the server. we thought there were 7 dishes & waited for the noodles & dessert. but it turned out that friend’s god sister arranged 5 dishes & instructed the restaurant to take our orders for the carb & dessert.
anyway we were really full with the 5 dishes & there was also the birthday cake, so we decided to skip the carb & dessert. just as well! 🙂
tunglok provided a complimentary salted egg longevity bun (流沙寿桃) & after singing the birthday song, the servers recited the the 生日快乐十全美 verses. service was excellent! they also provided complimentary star fruit juice. 🙂
the cake was a nutty chocolate banana from swissbake. i liked the cake though could not taste the nutty part. 🙂
it was a very enjoyable, memorable evening.
c.h.e.f andy
Nissin Kyushu Black Instant Japanese Ramen with Seafood on 23Nov2014
nissin kyushu black instant japanese ramen
cooked an instant japanese ramen for my daughter’s lunch today on 23.11.2014.
nissin kyushu black instant japanese ramen
i bought this nissin kyushu black instant japanese ramen from sheng shiong last week, 5 packets for S$3.50.
nissin kyushu black instant japanese ramen
nissin kyushu black instant japanese ramen
i added squid & prawns & also made the “6minute runny yoke egg”. & i garnished with spring onions & nori (seaweed).
this instant ramen has really nice light very flavourful ramen broth, and the noodle texture is much closer to ramen than the usual instant noodles. i really like it. 🙂
the runny yoke egg took 6mins. noodles 4mins. so the whole thing was done in <15mins.
no need much to have good tasting food. i almost never take ramen outside. too much carbs for me & i am just unwilling to pay like S$14++ to S$18++ for a ramen.
c.h.e.f andy
Cycling at East Coast Park on 19Nov2014
our bikes
went cycling with wife at east coast park on 19.11.2014. 🙂
i bought my dahon mu n360 on 3.4.2014. it is a good bike & i quite enjoy riding it.
it was pouring in the morning the day before. fortunately it did not rain today. we started only at 9am, so it was a bit hot actually.
we took ECP exit 10A & parked at the first carpark nearest still road.
from there we cycled past east coast seafood centre, ski360degrees cable ski park, east coast lagoon food centre.
& up to changi coast walk. we took some rest & water along the way & back, so the pace was rather slow. we cycled 22km in total time of 1hr 32mins.
this was a shorter ride than last time when we went all the way to changi village food centre (35km return) but quite disappointed with the makan there.
our bikes
there were not so many people & bikers at this time, very smooth, peaceful & relaxing ride.
after cycling we proceeded to relish serangoon gardens to use up an expiring groupon. however, relish was closed for a private function so we went to serangoon gardens food centre & took the totally forgettable seng kee (胜记) bakchormee.
c.h.e.f andy
Bought My First Foldable Bike = Dahon mu n360 with nuVinci CVT Hub Gears on 3.4.2014
dahon mu n360 with cvt (continuous variable transmission) hub gear
happy to report that the dahon has served me well so far. 🙂
bought a foldie (foldable bike) for my wife for her birthday present in 2012. she went cycling with friends very occasionally as i was not much into cycling.
we were going to amsterdam in apr2014 with our youngest daughter and wife planned to cycle there (see cycling the waterland route in amsterdam).
so i finally stirred myself into action & bought a dahon mu n360 (aluminium frame, fork & handle, some alloy seat post) on 3.4.2014, 1.5 weeks before our amsterdam trip.
i was very happy with the bike. 🙂
11-speed internal hub gears
& nuVinci cvt (continuous variable transmission) = seamless gear change
dahon has 70% of the entire world market.
mu is the patented curve frame series, and n360 is the latest 2013 bike with 11-speed internal hub & nuVinci cvt (continuous variable transmission) = seamless gear change
really good technology = http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wNcok8KdNE
dahon mu n360 with cvt (continuous variable transmission) hub gear
& the seat post is a bicycle pump! omt! (a friend told me oh my 天! instead of oh my god! for free-thinkers). 🙂
only worry was bike was a parallel import by internet marketer, not by dahon distributor speed matrix, so worry about service & warranty.
these days though the internet is incredible & the guy was able to show me by scratching a holographic label & inputing the code into dahon official website to verify it was authentic & got a welcome message.
i entered the code again when i got home, and the website returned a message that provided the time the code was first entered for verification by the seller, and then by me.
& i received an email on the lifetime warranty on its frame, handle post & rigid fork. amazing! i guess that doesn’t mean much except in the case of manufacturer’s defect. better than nothing anyway. 🙂
well, that made me the proud owner of a middle-of-the-range not too expensive foldable bike, so i can go cycling with my wife. 🙂
c.h.e.f andy
Mediocre Bakchormee @ Seng Kee (胜记) Serangoon Garden Food Centre on 19Nov2014
Seng Kee (胜记) Bakchormee @ Serangoon Garden Food Centre
after cycling at east coast park, we went to serangoon gardens to use a groupon voucher at relish, but relish was closed for private function, so we wandered to serangoon gardens food centre on 19.11.2014. 🙂
i recalled some friends were talking on whatsapp about bakchormee here, the stall where the guy used to clank his wares (no longer since he moved here).
there were 3 bakchomee stalls, but i managed to confirm with my friends that it was seng kee (胜记) bakchormee. actually the many messages & feedback were quite negative, especially regards the S$9 fish maw soup, but since we had not tried before, we decided to go for bakchormee rather than other food. 🙂
Seng Kee (胜记) Bakchormee @ Serangoon Garden Food Centre
soup, Seng Kee (胜记) Bakchormee
Seng Kee (胜记) Bakchormee @ Serangoon Garden Food Centre
there was no queue at 12pm on a wednesday & i was bale to pick up my 2 bowls of S$4 bakchormee immediately (i was not going to take the S$9 fish maw soup after those feedback). after me though there was a queue of about 4 to 5, and the only one of the 3 stalls to have a queue.
that should have been promising, however the results were very disappointing. i would say the bakchormee was totally mediocre, can probably get better from any coffeeshop or hawker centre.
for us, the main failure was the chilli. i went to ask for more chilli. chilli looked potent but it had no taste no kick. my wife’s mee kia (thin noodles) was still qq, my meepok was becoming soggy.
the ingredients were quite good, with teepor (dried flatfish/sole) & her kilo (fish dumplings), mushroom sauce, liver, lean meat etc.
the soup also looked promising, but the taste was again disappointing, whereas the soup at 6th avenue jalan tua kong meepok tar was so tasty.
anyway, the whole experience was just “no shiok”. no comparison with 6th avenue jalan tua kong meepok tar or for that matter sunny fishball noodles also at 6th avenue, jalan tua kong lau lim meepok tar in bedok, tai hwa bakchormee at crawford lane, ming fa upper thomson etc.
ice kachang @ Serangoon Garden Food Centre
i had ice kachang & my wife took the soursop jelly. ice kachang was not to my taste (i like it sweet with more syrup & evaporated milk like at adam road food centre). the soup sop was good but the jelly was not the soft type.
Seng Kee (胜记) Bakchormee @ Serangoon Gardens Food Centre
Serangoon Gardens Food Centre
my friends told me on whatsapp later that the duck rice & 猪杂汤 is good here. will try them next time. 🙂
c.h.e.f andy
Wonderful Birthday Dinner for Wife @ Sumiya on 16.11.2014
sashimi moriawase – S$58
had a really wonderful 6pax family dinner at sumiya, orchard central on 16.11.2014. it was a belated dinner for wife as she was away in london with son on her birthday. 🙂
just a note –
for lunch, i had one of the best chirashi don set here for just S$18.80++
the discounted items are indicated in sumiya website menu & you need a flyer to get the discounts or just convince the server to give it to you. 🙂
there was a 10% discounts using UOB card
sashimi moriawase – S$58
we had 2 orders of sashimi moriawase. it had awabi (abalone), 2 akami (lean toro), 2 amaebi, 2 hotate, 2 hamachi, 2 salmon, 2 kajiki, & a good helping of uni. quality of the cut was very good, but we did not get otoro or chutoro. 🙂
can’t say it was better than mikuni’s chirashi don which had uni, botan ebi & 2 chutoro at S$45 (after 50% feed at raffles discounts), but it was very good anyway.
amaebi 12 pieces with shell – S$14.80
we ordered the 12 pieces amaebi with shell. amaebi was excellent, plump & sweet. shelling fee is S$5, so we shelled ourselves. 🙂
double prawn tempura maki (S$8.80)+softshell crab maki (S$8.80)
we tried their double prawn tempura maki (4pieces for S$8.80)+softshell crab maki (4 pieces for S$8.80). they were good & price was good too. such maki would range from S$15 to S$20 normally for 6 pieces.
kagoshima wagyu (150g) – S$53
we had 1 order of kagoshima wagyu (150g), this was excellent too. but for price vs quality, the kagoshima wagyu steak at arossa, 180g for S$44 after 50% palate discounts would top this. 🙂
izaki (japanese stripe bass) – S$45
we tried the izaki (japanese stripe bass). it was good, meat was tender but quite plain really, so not a must have for me.
yellowfin tuna cheek – S$28.80
the yellowfin tuna cheek was supposed to be rare in singapore so we tried it. meat was not as fine as izaki (since this is a huge fish) & stronger in flavours. somehow this manner of preparation was to me not as good as the one with sauce, like in hachi’s hamachi kama.
ikura salmon flake rice – S$12.80
ikura unagi rice – S$14.80
we had 2 orders of ikura unagi rice & 1 order of ikura salmon flake rice. both were very flavourful but my daughter was right, the salmon flake with ikura tasted better, very well mixed in the rice. for me, sun with moon wheelock’s kamameshi still tasted better than this 2. 🙂
the dinner including 4 beers (S$4.90 happy hour price order before 7pm) & 2 bamboo sake (S$8.80 each) was S$416, just below S$70pax nett. if i compare this with tatsu which cost S$66pax nett, then tatsu’s dinner was quite miserable, i.e. relatively speaking.
c.h.e.f andy
Hao Man Yi Xiaolongbao (好满意小笼包) @ Bukit Merah View Hawker Centre on 14Nov2014
Hao Man Yee Xiaolongbao (好满意小笼包)
had early lunch with a friend at bukit merah view hawker centre on 14.11.2014.
i was taking my usual (S$6 mutton + tripe) from chai chuan tou chinese mutton soup 柴船头羊肉汤, so was not planning to blog & did not take photos.
it was about 1145am & i had to drive 1 round the parking lot but was lucky enough to chance on a taxi exiting a lot. 🙂
i was just as lucky as the queue was very short, just 3 persons ahead of me. my lucky day! 🙂
Hao Man Yee Xiaolongbao (好满意小笼包)
Hao Man Yee Xiaolongbao (好满意小笼包)
my friend took the chilli beef noodles (红油牛肉面) from another stall 好满意小笼包. he was exclaiming that the beef was so very tender, the best he had taken from a hawker stall!
we decided to order a S$4 xiaolongbao (小笼包). 6 dumplings, <1/2 the price of restaurants & it was good, very much restaurant standard, comparable even with crystal jade lamian xiaolongbao. i did not try the spicy dumpling (红油抄手), but i will go back & try soon. 🙂
c.h.e.f andy
Very Good Chirashi Don Set @ Sumiya on 13Nov2014
S$18.80 chirashi don set
in search of good chirashi don. 🙂
today fundonate friends met to discuss some matters. decided to meet for lunch at sumiya, level 12 orchard central on 13.11.2014.
i thought it might be the previous kuirya penthouse location, & it was. anyway sumiya is owned by the same RE&S group, which owns kuriya dining & also ichiban boshi, kuishinbo etc.
S$18.80 chirashi don set
ponzu salad
chawan mushi
S$18.80 chirashi don set
the photos of the lunch set, in particular, the chirashi don looked exciting. & it was.
it came in a set with chawan mushi (not so good), a ponzu salad, pickles, miso soup & a mochi, quite similar to ginza kuroson. 🙂
the chirashi don was excellent. 3 fish (salmon, maguro & hamachi) cube-cut sashimi & heaps of ikura (salmon roe), tobiko (flying fish roe) & avocado. the sashimi were very fresh & sweet. the cube cut made it looked like bara chirashi. this were quite big cubes though, really good sashimi. vinegared rice was very good too.
2 other friends ordered anago don & fish of the day (maybe amadai?). forgot to take photos.
12 pieces amaebi S$14.80
12 pieces amaebi S$14.80
they had this 12 pieces amaebi for S$14.80, so i had to order it. 🙂
there was a shelling fee of $5 if we wanted it shelled. we of course decided to D-I-Y! 🙂
i never knew amaebi looked kind of anaemic & unappetising with shell on. but they were good, very fresh & sweet when shelled & eaten, like any good amaebi. 🙂
overall i was very impressed & would certainly come back for more.
this S$18.80 chirashi don set was definitely superior to the S$25 barachirashi don set at flying squirrel (no comparison i think), better than the S$17.90 chirashi don lunch set at tonkichi (also no comparison).
i couldn’t decide if this was better than the S$20 chirashi don set at ginza kuroson! i think both were equally good, and though kuroson had better quality cuts, this one at sumiya was really very enjoyable.
with tatsu, though it was not quite like for like, but as an overall dining experience, i think this set was more enjoyable than the S$40 expensive chirashi don at tatsu.
compared with chikuwatei & momoya, this quantity was smaller, but hey the flavours & freshness were better even. 🙂
c.h.e.f andy
烛光 诗/摄影 郭永秀 candle light – poem/photography by yong siu
shared my brother yong siu’s beautiful poem on Facebook today.
decided to post it also. 🙂
…with my translation –
烛光 诗/摄影 郭永秀
candle light poem/photography by quek yong siu
当光明放弃了一切
when light deserted all
无形的力量倏地消失无踪
its (unseen) formless power abruptly disappeared without trace
世界如一具瘫痪的躯体
the world is like a paralysed shell
在惊愕与慌乱之中
in the midst of consternation & confusion
你是唯一的依傍
you are the only refuge
停电的刹那，你的出现
at the moment of blackout, your appearance
是荒岛上遥远的渴望
is the distant yearning on a desert island
若水平线上哗然升起的
like breaking onto the horizon of a
桅杆，是众人心中一轮
ship’s mast, and within the hearts of all
朝阳，疾升而上
a morning sun, rising
是乌云脱困的 满月
a full moon, breaking out from the dark clouds
当黑暗刺伤所有的
with darkness hurting our
眼睛，你以闪烁颤抖的剑锋
eyes, your flickering light like a vibrating sword
轻柔的彩笔，描绘出
like a gentle colour pencil, sketches out
众人眸中的影象
the images in our eyes
愉快的自焚
the pleasure of self immolation
如勇者牺牲自我的
the self sacrifice of the courageous
壮烈，如智者之洞悉
heroic, like the wise with insight
天机，如生命之火
into heavenly wisdom, like the fire of life
不因最终的熄灭
that will not allow a dying flame
而停止 燃烧
to stop burning
某年某日，某人
some day, someone
在你晃动的手势中低头闭目
bowing her head & closing her eyes upon your spirited flicker
以虔敬的心，喃喃自语
with a reverent heart, whispering a wish
对着一排微笑的眼睛
facing rows of smiling eyes
潮水般的祝福，沸腾的
offering a tidal of blessings, passionate
歌声和掌声
song & applause
感恩，并将你吹熄
& in thanksgiving, blows out the candle
Very Good Pork Shabu Shabu 3pax Dinner @ Azmaya on 10Nov2014
pork shabus shabu set (S$6pax qoo10 coupon + service & GST)
went with sis & b-i-l to azmaya for dinner this evening on 10.11.2014. 🙂
i bought S$6pax pork shabu shabu voucher from qoo10. for 3pax its S$18, and we had to pay GST + service to the merchant i.e. azmaya. i had dinner at azmaya a few times before, and food & service were very good. i also read the customers’ review on qoo10 & they were mostly good.
pork shabus shabu set (S$6pax qoo10 coupon + service & GST)
the single serving of shabu shabu pork had about 10 to 12 slices. i estimated about 100g maybe?
vege for pork shabus shabu set
there was the usual vege to accompany the meat shabu shabu.
chicken stock for pork shabus shabu set
there was a choice of konbu (昆布) seaweed soup or chicken soup. i picked chicken soup. 🙂
pork shabus shabu set (S$6pax qoo10 coupon + service & GST)
the quality of pork here was really good, don’t know if it’s kurobuta but it was very flavourful. 🙂 the leek, mushrooms, japanese flat rice noodles (like tanhoon) etc were all good, & there was also udon (we picked udon but there was also a choice of rice).
the service was very good, very polite, and they would serve you when you asked, even though using a cheap voucher.
i think the pricing does not make any sense, but of course i am not complaining. there are fixed costs & there are perishables, so perhaps it’s better to packed it with customers. i am just pleasantly surprised that the restaurant maintained their service attitude so well, and so professional – you actually get what was advertised & sold to you w/o any fuss.
can’t eat this all the time, but if there is promotion again later will surely come again.
c.h.e.f andy
Expensive & Very Average Chirashi Don @ Tatsu Asia Square 2 on 7Nov2014
aji sashimi – S$35
had a 5pax family dinner for a special occasion at tatsu asia square 2 on 7.11.2014. 🙂
daughter was keen to explore the different chirashi don. decided to try this place even though i was not impressed with the photo of the S$40 chirashi don on the website menu.
since we were there, might as well try some of their recommendations.
aji sashimi – S$35
years ago (almost 20years coming to think of it), my wife & i used to enjoy mezzanine japanese food at the sushi counter with 50% hyatt card. the aji sashimi usually cost about S$45 for the whole fish before discount. & before that, even earlier we had great aji sashimi at unkai at nassim hill, can’t remember the hotel now but i think it was at the current site of ‘the nassim’ (condo).
i don’t know the current price of aji sashimi at sushi restaurants as seldom take now, but S$35 seemed reasonable (though at first the server say S$25 to S28 depending on size, but later became S$35).
the aji did not disappoint. it was very sweet. the presentation though was somewhat disappointing. i told the server they should serve the sashimi as a whole fish like most sushi bar & also in japan, but i get it that they might be offering what they thought was good service by serving up the flesh & having the bones deep-fried. usually sushi bars would serve the sliced sashimi with the fishbones whole, then when you finish the sashimi they would take it away to deep-fry. unkai even did it better by “pengkang” i.e. bbq which was not as convenient as deep-fried but tasted a lot better. 🙂
deep fried aji head & bones
deep fried aji head & bones
we ate up the deep-fried fish head & bones.
gyu tataki – S$15
gyu tataki – S$15
gyu tataki was a recommended dish, it was good & a dish i would order if i come again (not likely though!).
kaisen chirashi don – S$40
kaisen chirashi don – S$40
the menu showed kaizen (海鲜) chirashi don as S$40 & aburi (torched or flamed) don as S$50. i asked the server & she confirmed that both had exact same ingredients. i guess one needed to pay for the labour & torch. we decided to order 3 chirashi don.
i would say this was a huge disappointment (which was not unexpected i having seen the website photo). it was a good chirashi of course. the fish were fresh & sweet. they were very thin slices though & w/o any quality sashimi cuts.
compare this with the chirashi don at mikuni which has 2 pieces otoro, botan ebi, uni at S$45 (after 50% feed at raffles discounts). actually there was just nothing to compare! or the S$20 chirashi don set at ginza kuroson. granted kuroson’s is only for lunch & the sashimi cuts were just as thin. or with the sashimi & unagi don set at sun with moon.
i have not yet tried the chirashi don at flying squirrel & sushi kou, but they are around S$25 & it looks to me the quality would be better than here at tatsu.
salmon skin temaki
the salmon skin temaki was also a recommended dish. it was simple but nice & tasty.
crayfish teppanyaki – S$28
crayfish teppanyaki – S$28
seafood fried rice – S$13
our helper does not take raw fish. so we ordered a seafood fried rice plus a crayfish teppanyaki. these were good restaurant standard. though the japanese preparation with lots of mayo not my favourite.
tenderloin teppanyaki – S$28
aburi salmon maki
my other daughter ordered a beef tenderloin and a aburi salmon maki. tenderloin was 200g size & quite tasty. & the maki was again good standard.
banoffee cake
we got back home for the banoffee cake which i made for the occasion.
the cake was quite perfect this time, not so sweet with a bit more bananas, very well balanced cake.
c.h.e.f andy
10-course Homecooked 11pax Western Buffet for RI Buddies on 6Nov2014
did another of my homecooked meals for my friends for lunch on 6.11.2014.
usually for western dishes, i did sit-down dinners serving course by course. but there’s advantage in having pre-cooked food & serving as buffet. though i enjoyed every minute of cooking (& often experimentation) for family & friends, the purpose is not just about food & cooking but to be part of the conversation & shared memories. 🙂
for this lunch, i did 10 dishes. 🙂
the best dish, most popular by far & winning hands down, was the #1 oven grilled miso salmon belly – marinated & kept in chiller for 3 days & in the oven for 15mins at 25odegC. taste was excellent, perfect combination of flavours.
#2 miso belly pork
#2 miso belly pork
#2 miso belly pork
the #2 miso belly pork was an experiment. i used the same marinade for the miso salmon belly. i did slow braising using cold crackpot to 79degC, so the pork belly was very tender before marinate. however my marinade was just too little & did not infuse the flavours well. also i used the same 15mins oven grill to do the sliced pork (to save electricity). i think i need to use a hot pan on high heat then the searing could be done very quickly w/o overcooking the already cooked meat.
#3 the beer can chicken was another experiment! i brined a small 1kg whole chicken in usual sugar & salt (but boiled with a packet of chinese tea this time). i put sliced garlic under the skin & use a bbq meat dry rub. then i did the usual beer can chicken oven grill at 250degC for 25mins & 175degC for 15mins.
wa..this chicken was really tasty, moist & tender – my best roast chicken ever. 🙂 but no hint of any tea flavours though!
#4 pumpkin tofu salad
#4 rockets for tossing #4 pumpkin tofu salad
my helper prepared the pumpkin tofu salad. it’s a dish put together by my wife after dining at some place that served that. i could do this but my helper did this regularly for my wife’s packet lunch, so i got her to do it.
i did the extra virgin olive oil, balsamic, sea salt & honey (did not have agave nectar) mix, and did the tossing when about to start the meal. 🙂
#5 striploin – slow crockpot braising to 52degC placed in fridge overnight then pan grilled
#5 striploin – slow crockpot braising to 52degC placed in fridge overnight then pan grilled
#5 striploin was another experiment – slow crockpot braising to 52degC (rare) placed in fridge overnight then pan grilled. i did this before for my daughter’s packed lunch. she said it was very flavourful.
today though it was overshadowed by the #7 tagliata di manzo, which had a better usa harry’s grain-fed angus striploin cut & was done on the spot just before start of the meal. 🙂
#6 kurobuta was prepared in the same way – slow crockpot braising to 79degC (well done) placed in fridge overnight then pan grilled.
the meat itself was very flavourful so the dish was well received. this was an experimental variation of my usual pan-grilled kurobuta.
i wasn’t confident of the result of the slow crockpot striploin so had a back-up usa harry’s grain-fed angus striploin which i decided to cook anyway.
#7 tagliata di manzo is commonly served in italian restaurants. e.g. as 1 friend mentioned during lunch, capri, but also in say alborgo, valentino etc.
i did this #8 “monterosso miky” seafood risotto with a vegetable base & prawn stock, so it’s a tasty dish. the prawns & squid were fried in butter separately, and the live mussels were cooked separately in butter, chilli padi, sliced ginger & orange peel. mussels were very tender & tasty too.
the #9 squid-ink seafood linguine was good too. one friend liked it especially for the mango clams. 🙂
the #10 pumpkin cheese cake was my second try. a really lovely cake. the first i made for family dinner on 24.10.2014 was very good. and it’s great that this one was just as good.
a very nicely balanced cake. it was though a bulkier cake than the other lighter cakes i made, and while i liked it a lot, it was a cake that i would probably not take 2 helpings at one go.
c.h.e.f andy
c.h.e.f 