Recipe = Miso Belly Pork (7hrs 90degC)

Posted on December 11, 2015 by chefquak

7hrs 90degC miso belly pork

did a miso belly pork for a homecooked 8pax modern japanese course dinner recently on 5.12.2015. ^^

i intended it for a pork option for the steak don in case some friends may not take beef or take less beef.

7hrs 90degC miso belly pork

i had done some good miso belly pork previously & served them at some home dinners.

those were fashioned after nobu miso cod & marinated for 3 days in a chiller.

7hrs 90degC miso belly pork

for this new recipe, i decided to –

much reduce the marinade & time (so that i can serve on the same day)

lengthen the slow braised cooking time (i initially set for 10hrs but it was good at 7hrs..just the texture i wanted, tender but firm to the cut, not overly braised)

not broil or pan char (so the cooking process is simplified, in fact the simplest of preparation)

the aim is to produce a very tender, tasty chashu (japanese braised pork used for don or ramen)

i mixed together a much reduced amount of marinade – 1 tbsp flat miso, 1 tsp sugar, 1tbsp light soy sauce, 2 tbsp sake, 2 tbsp mirin, 2 tsp minced garlic. scalded the belly pork with boiling water to remove scum, and placed in a small oven-proof dish with cover & have the marinade up to 1/2 of 2/3level.

then i placed in a 90degC preheated oven for 7hrs, turning over at 4hrs.

7hrs 90degC miso belly pork

behold the beautiful miso belly pork – wonderful colour, superb texture & taste. jolly good! ^^

miso belly pork don

i served it with don, using a sushi rice.

miso belly pork don

it was excellent!

miso belly pork don

such a simple 1 step preparation basically. 🙂

#7 kakuni (japanese braised belly pork) don with miso salmon belly

miso salmon belly+miso belly pork don

beef don+miso salmon belly+miso belly pork2

steak don+miso salmon belly+miso belly pork

for the modern japanese course dinner, i served the miso belly pork as an additional option to steak don & miso salmon belly.

c.h.e.f andy

Tak Shiok Fish Head Steamboat @ SICC Bukit Room on 4Dec2015

Posted on December 9, 2015 by chefquak

S$36 1/2 fish head steamboat

not been to bukit room for sky knows how many eons?

got a S$20 birthday voucher to use, need to spend S$50 to redeem, and only 2 of us this evening, can’t do that at 19th hole, so decided to go bukit room on 4.12.2015.

the 1/2 red garoupa head steamboat is a promotional item at S$36, so we ordered that.

S$12 asparagus

also ordered the aspagaragus S$12.

S$12 asparagus

this was pretty good. nicely done with good wok hae, wok aroma.

S$36 1/2 fish head steamboat

the fish head steamboat?

well, how to say? can’t say fish head steamboat was no good, but it’s 1/2 fish head in a steamboat rather than fish head steamboat la! haha! 🙂

pre-fried fish head

more like a decent salted veg tofu soup at an ordinary coffeeshop zi char & added some fishhead…

miles from the real thing like whampoa keng intense broth standard..

S$36 1/2 fish head steamboat

dinner was just over S$50, so after $20 voucher, about S$31 maybe…

after dinner, we tapao cha kuay teow from 19th hole..basically tak shiok… if you know what i mean. so the S$30 is much better spent at the 19th hole. 🙂

this restaurant is really like old fashion zi char stall higher price, surprise to see quite a few tables occupied, so the restaurant does have some regulars i guess.

c.h.e.f andy

Homecooked 8pax Modern Japanese Course Dinner on 5Dec2015

Posted on December 8, 2015 by chefquak

flamed squid in spinach veloute

did a modern japanese course dinner for some friends last saturday on 5.12.2015. ^^

i did the flamed squid dish for a friend who bought me a handheld butane torch when he came for dinner almost 2 years back.

i chanced upon a photograph of this dish in a cookbook at porthminster cafe, st ives, cornwall.

i could not find any recipe on the net so i fashioned my own flamed squid in spinach veloute.

flamed squid in spinach veloute

i made very narrow chequered cuts on the squid. when charred by the torch, it curled nicely & looked wonderful. they were then fried in butter at high heat for a short period, so the squid was just succulent, not rubbery & chewy. i used kitchen scissors to cut a slice to test to make sure.

the veloute was made with spinach leaves, green pepper & yellow onions. they were fried to soften then blended with 2 tbsp of olive oil, slight salt & pepper to taste.

a bit elaborate perhaps (especially when the friend i made it for could not attend this evening), but a very enjoyable dish none the less. 🙂

nothing particularly japanese in the dish, mostly western. however japs do love aburi (flamed) dishes, so this could count as one.

chawanmushi

the second course, chawanmushi (japanese of course), was my usual preparation. a friend lent us her chawanmushi cups, always look & taste better with better presentation. 🙂

chawanmushi

egg was smooth, but i thought the taste was not as good as what i made previously. i was nursing a flu & my tastebuds were a bit off so couldn’t tell. my wife thought so too.

prawns & scallops were ok, chicken seemed a bit over.

pan seared scallops in prawn veg bisque

3rd course was pan seared scallops in prawn vegetable bisque.

scallops were very good, even though i did not pan sear them well this evening.

the bisque was very smooth, sweet & balanced with prawns & vegetable stock.

pan seared scallops in prawn veg bisque

the prawn vegetable bisque was a slight variation from my previous recipe.

i used a smaller amount of prawn stock & added carrot, red pepper, red onion & the unused spinach stalk, blended & added 2 tbsp thickened cream before serving.

this was again the western interlude, only the IQF (individual quick frozen) hokkaido scallops were japanese. 🙂

wafu 和风 pasta+wafu 和风 eggplants+teriyaki cod

for the 4th course, i served a wafu 和风 pasta+wafu 和风 eggplants+teriyaki cod. 🙂

teriyaki cod

teriyaki cod is my usual recipe.

teriyaki cod

this evening it was done to perfection, almost. ^^

teriyaki cod

slightly firmer because of marinade, lightly flavoured, bringing out cod’s natural sweetness. quite a beauty to behold. 🙂

wafu 和风eggplants

to add a veg to the pasta dish, i made wafu 和风eggplants.

this evening i think it was ok, but maybe not so tasty, or my tastebuds were off.

wafu 和风eggplants

this a really simple dish to make-

cut 2 medium eggplants in 1/2, make diagonal cuts to help the sauce infuse

fry medium fire both sides, add 1 tbsp tsuyu, mirin, sake, 1/2 cup stock & stew. just make sure it’s not overcooked & still firm

wafu 和风 pasta

for the carbs, i made a wafu 和风 pasta.

japanese make great italian food too. i especially like their mentaiko pasta & uni ikura pasta.

wafu 和风 pasta+wafu 和风 eggplants+teriyaki cod

this wafu 和风 pasta was done with just bacon, yellow onions & shimeji mushrooms. i guess the only thing wafu 和风 about it was the use of mirin & tsuyu instead of white wine. basically it was a alio olio done al dente with a bit of butter added at the end to coat the pasta.

wafu 和风 pasta+wafu 和风 eggplants+teriyaki cod

it did taste kind of oriental, haha! 🙂

beef don+miso salmon belly+miso belly pork2

for the second main, basically a gohan (rice) dish, i had a beef don, but added some miso salmon belly & miso belly pork for friends who don’t take much beef.

beef don+miso salmon belly+miso belly pork2

i had some seared scallops actually but forgot to serve them. 🙂

& i did the beef wrongly, medium well mistakenly thinking that some friends preferred well done steak where actually all of us preferred it medium rare. well at least, the beef was a pretty ok ribeye cut so still passable.

7hrs 90degC miso belly pork

for miso belly pork, i experimented a new recipe, slow braise for 7hrs at 90degC.

7hrs 90degC miso belly pork

& it was really tender, the skin, fat & all. good miso flavour on the lighter side. later i did another one with a bit more miso. 🙂

miso salmon belly

the miso salmon belly was very good too.

main problem was getting the meaty belly parts.

miso salmon belly

the usual packets i got from giant & sheng shiong came with a lot of bones, so had to pick out the meat belly parts.

i like this quite a lot especially going with the sushi rice don. 🙂

a friend brought tiramisu

a friend made tiramisu. she had 5 sets dusted with pistachio & another 5 with chocolate flakes.

a piece of trivial. my tiramisu was inspired by a friend, the same one i created the flamed squid dish who could not attend this evening. he brought an awesome tiramisu when we had smoked meats dinner at another friend’s house some years ago (too long leh…why huh? just kidding la..)

banoffee (banana toffee) cake

& she just had her birthday recently. so i made a banoffee (banana toffee) cake instead. birthday girl didn’t like my banoffee though. another friend brought some home & seemed that her children liked it.

fruits

the other friends brought a lot of fruits.

cake & fruits

we had some to go with the cake.

it looks like many dishes but with planning they were actually quite easy to execute. cod & salmon belly were marinate & only needed 12mins & 15mins respectively in the oven (together at 250degC). spinach veloute & prawn veg bisque were done before hand in the morning. miso belly pork was done 7hrs in the oven at 90degC. eggplants were done beforehand in the afternoon. now i am able to make all kinds of pastas before hand (afternoon also) & serve them still al dente just reheating. & flamed squid also done about 1+hr before dinner.

so only chawanmushi were steamed & scallops were pan seared just before guests arrived, and steak only when serving. & the guests helped to serve the dishes. 🙂

it was great fun for me preparing this dinner. only a bit tired especially sitting under the air-con for few hours because still recovering from flu..many things can be improved of course like the beef, the scallops, the chawanmushi & the eggplants.

still overall it was a very fun dinner for me & i believe our friends enjoyed the evening & food too.

c.h.e.f andy

Best Crab Beehoon Soup at Uncle Leong Jurong (Encore) on 7Dec2015

Posted on December 8, 2015 by chefquak

crab beehoon soup

went back with family for 5pax dinner at uncle leong seafood at jurong last evening on 7.12.2015. ^^

i was here recently with some friends on 17.11.2015!

“full” or “solid” crab

well, it was just as heavenly this evening. whole family loved all the food.

crab was solid (there was a smallprint on the web menu that they do not guarantee the crab is “solid”), flesh was firm.

& very sweet, even though it was boiled in the beehoon soup.

well, & the beehoon was just heavenly, no word to describe!

the soup ran out quickly so my second helping was mostly beehoon, but it was so infused with the crab flavours…..

uncle leong jurong seafood

it’s a bit quieter this evening on a monday maybe jut 50% full.

sea cucumber mised seafood pot

the sea cucumber seafood pot was STILL excellent. very fresh seafood (razor clams, scallops, prawns, fish), very light broth, no fishy taste, very sweet.

i think i can make this dish.

pumpkin prawns

pumpkin prawns was good i guess c/w many places. as good as any just not as wow c/w the other very shiok dishes.

3 egg spinach

the 3 egg spinach is the best i had in any restaurant or zi char place.

this evening, on second try, wife & daughter also think it was very good (their first try), a bit less thrilled for me whereas for the crab beehoon soup & seafood pot, still same shiok feeling.

salted egg crab

wife & daughter loved the salted egg crab too.

daughters also loved the deep-fried mantou 馒头.

crab beehoon soup

it was good, just not in the same league as the crab beehoon soup. wonder if i can do this.

dinner came to S$235 for 2x1kg crabs at S$63/kg, plus 3 other dishes, drinks & whatnots. i think it was ok w/o discounts. with the groupon discounts S$120 for S$200, the dinner came to S$155. quite super!

service was just as good as the last time. i did not give tip this time though. it’s a in the mood thing, no need to do every time. 🙂

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

Good Dinner Chat @ Moi Lum 梅林 on 26Nov2015

Posted on December 1, 2015 by chefquak

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

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

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

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

yam basket

the yam has NO fragrance 芋香.

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

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

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 were competent, ordinary.

salted egg prawns

actually not that great, in my opinion.

hk steamed flower garoupa

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

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

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

we had a fruit platter to share.

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

Great Lunch @ Mikuni on 27Nov2015

Posted on November 27, 2015 by chefquak

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

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

i was chatting with the chef before my friend arrived.

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

kinki

looks a bit like the kinmedai, golden eye snapper.

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

& there was the alaskan king crab & large oysters.

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

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

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

futomaki

futomaki was ok.

tofu, daikon & shimeji

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

my friend’s teppanyaki set included a chawanmushi. 🙂

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

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

Posted on November 27, 2015 by chefquak

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 is at level 3 of SAFRA toa payoh clubhouse building.

tim palace

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

i skipped the sushi.

appetizers

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

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

sea cucumber with yam

sea cucumber with yam was decent competent dish.

scallops & celery in xo sauce

the scallops & celery in xo sauce was pretty good.

crayfish

crayfish was poor!

crayfish

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

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

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

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

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

honey ribs

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

drunken prawns

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

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

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

sea coconut & longans

i took the sea coconut…quite refreshing.

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

Posted on November 26, 2015 by chefquak

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 braising

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 :-

pan-browned the pork collar on all side over high fire (like gordon ramsay said “no colour, no taste”)
fry 1 cut carrot, add 1 cut yellow onions, & add vegetable stock & soften the carrots then add the red wine.
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

Posted on November 25, 2015 by chefquak

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

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

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

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

red wines

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

smoked canapes

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

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

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

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

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

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.

my own 5hr sous vide crispy skin canard a l’orange

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

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

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

belly pork & grilled pineapples

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

belly pork & grilled pineapples

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

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.sgOPENING HOURS: Mon – Sat: 12:00 – 22:30, Sun & PH: 11:00 – 22:30

Excellent BBQ Baby Pork Ribs

Posted on November 24, 2015 by chefquak

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 :-

scald in boiling water to remove scum.
seasoned generously with seasalt & pepper & browned on all sides (in high fire stainelss steel pan0.
rub dry marinade over the ribs, add 2 tsp olive oil & wrap fully with aluminium foil.
place ribs in preheated oven at 90degC for 7hrs
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

Posted on November 23, 2015 by chefquak

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

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

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

ala care menu

menu is the regular bar/diners menu.

S$12.90 pork & chicken satay

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

satay was good, small but tasty.

S$29.90 georges platter

& a 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.

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.

S$14.90 ebi furai & S$12.90 calamari

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

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.

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

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

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

Posted on November 20, 2015 by chefquak

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

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.

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

they had display shelves. 🙂

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. 🙂

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”). 🙂

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…

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.

S$15 – 3 eggs spinach

this 3 eggs spinach was quite excellent.

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

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

S$30 sea cucumber seafood treasure pot

& this was a really, really good 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

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

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.

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! 🙂

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

deepfried mantous

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

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

Pan Seared Scallops in Prawn Vegetable Veloute

Posted on November 18, 2015 by chefquak

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. 🙂

stellar’s diver scallops. parmesan. bacon. carbonara style

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

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

disgruntled chef’s 100gourmet pan sauteed scallops

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

my own pan-seared Hokkaido scallops

i do a good pan seared scallops myself.

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! ^^

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

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/

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

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

	chefquak on HK Steamed Song Fish Head 港蒸松鱼…
	Penelope on HK Steamed Song Fish Head 港蒸松鱼…
	Rosemary on 50% Discounts for 2pax Excelle…
	Braised Pig Intestin… on Teochew Light Braised Large…
	edmundc38 on 赠我 Gift to Me
	David Ong on 咖喱鸡面 Curry Chicken Noodles
	10 Must-Try Michelin… on Oyster Omelette (蚝烙) Starchy O…
	chefquak on SCG Bought Hill Street CKT and…
	Elli on SCG Bought Hill Street CKT and…
	chefquak on 思永恒 Contemplate Eternity

c.h.e.f

cook.hangout.eat.fun

Category Archives: Buon Appetito!

Recipe = Miso Belly Pork (7hrs 90degC)

Tak Shiok Fish Head Steamboat @ SICC Bukit Room on 4Dec2015

Homecooked 8pax Modern Japanese Course Dinner on 5Dec2015

Best Crab Beehoon Soup at Uncle Leong Jurong (Encore) on 7Dec2015

Good Dinner Chat @ Moi Lum 梅林 on 26Nov2015

Great Lunch @ Mikuni on 27Nov2015

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

Pork Collar Slow-braised in Red Wine Sauce

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

Excellent BBQ Baby Pork Ribs

Nice Music OK Food @ Georges Beach Club on 21Nov2015

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

Pan Seared Scallops in Prawn Vegetable Veloute

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

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

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

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

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

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

Very Nice Coffee @ Coffee Now Here on 2Nov2015

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: