Great Lunch @ Mackerel Sky Penzance on 12May2015

Posted on May 13, 2015 by chefquak

tasting board-aioli squid, chicken pate, cured herring, cheese platter, croutons, bread

we checked out of glencree house B&B this morning & drove to marazion to tour the st michael’s mount on 12.5.2015. ^^

the castle & gardens were fabulous! 🙂

it was noon time & we were driving to st ives to check into our next B&B. instead of taking a snack/coffee or lunch at st michael’s mount village, we decided to drive back to penzance and have lunch at mackerel sky at new street, penzance.

it was a wonderful lunch.

mussels

we took the lunch special on the blackboard. it was mussels with chips. this was a mains size, quite a large portion, i think it was about £12.50.

mussels were really fresh, tender, succulent, sweet, and the gravy was really good too, very flavourful, better than many soup.^^

chips for mussels

it came with a portion of chips, which were so so.

tasting board-aioli squid, chicken pate, cured herring, cheese platter, croutons, bread

for the other main we took the tasting board, which cost only £9.75.

it was quite excellent. stye squid aioli was great as usual. chicken pate was ok, cured herring was average, not like the very good ones even on the streets in amsterdam! the olives, olive puree, croutons, bread & cheese were all good.

this was a good quality very affordable priced lunch.

c.h.e.f andy

Forgettable Meal @ Thai Moon Penzance on 11May2015

Posted on May 13, 2015 by chefquak

thai appetiser

had plenty of western food, so decided to try out a thai restaurant right by our B&B, thai moon, on 11.5.2015.

thai moon

view of the road from thai moon

the place was ok, looked a bit the traditional thai, not the modern chef managed type.

place was still empty when we got there at 7pm. we were seated by the window. the restaurant is on level 2, a nice look out on the mont bay.

thai moon set menu

we wanted some thai curries. they charged £2.50 for rice each. figures it would come to £27 for 3 dishes + rice, so we decided to take the set menu £37 for 2. the english proprietor (who married a thai wife in 2003 & started the restuarant in 2005) was flexible enough to allow for some changes of curries/dishes on the set menu

thai appetiser

we had 4 appetisers.

prawn fritters

the prawn fritters was competent, like any good breaded prawn fritters in any western or japanese cafes.

minced chicken deep-fried with bread

the minced chicken deep-fried with bread was competent also.

chicken satay

wife didn’t like the chicken satay as it did not have the usual satay bbq flavours, felt more like a fritter. peanut sauce was a bit sweet.

pork ribs

the pork spare ribs were done quite well.

yellow curry prawns

the curries though was a huge disappointment. the yellow curry prawns were nothing like the thanying yellow curry prawns we had eons ago. prawns were fresh & sweet, curries were below par.

red curry beef

likewise the red curry beef, tasted nothing like red curry.

stir-fry vege

the stir-fry was ok like any average stir-fry.

egg fried rice & jasmine rice

egg fried rice

we had egg fried rice & jasmine rice provided with the set. we finished about 1/3 of the rice.

overall the set menu was not any cheaper than ala carte as i figured the appetisers were 1/2 portion. we gave £3 tip so the bill round up to £40 which for us was very expensive for the quality of food.

i cant say it was not authentic thai, but it was very average street thai. It was certainly no thai express, and there would be no comparison with the authentic quality thai food at patara.

and here in cornwall we could get excellent food at gurnard’s head & mackerel sky at the same price or lower.

c.h.e.f andy

Great Lobster Seafood Penne Pasta @ Coach Coffee Bar & Bistro at Lizard Village on 11May2015

Posted on May 12, 2015 by chefquak

lobster seafood pasta – £14

had a fantastic 5hr leisurely hike at lizard peninsula starting from kynance cove to lizard point to housel bay, then lizard village & back to kynance cove on 11.5.2015.^^

cornish pasty from ann’s pasties

while at lizard village, we tried a cornish pasty, a tiny small one for £1.50 from the famous ann’s pasties, which 2 of us shared. 🙂

this seems to be a commonplace snack in many cultures, italy has its calzone & we have our curry puffs. 🙂 it was actually pretty ok, better than we expected. the minced beef & the fillings of potatoes, swede (yellow turnip) & onions were pretty tasty. for me always, the simple curry puffs taste better, mostly because of the curry, so fragrant & nice.^^

lobster seafood pasta – £14

we went to the coach coffee bar & bistro for a cuppa, a flat white. it was ok, quite strong but not as good as what we had at mackerel sky seafood bar the evening before.

we saw the lunch special on the blackboard & decided to order it, as it was a seafood pasta with lobster, mussels, squid etc for £14!^^

lobster seafood pasta – £14

wow, it was good!

the tomatoes flavour were good, penne pasta was al dente, and there were quite a lot of lobster meat, fresh & sweet. the calamari fritters were great & the mussels were delicious, very tender & succulent! 🙂

the dish was not out of this world, but really an excellent take, far better than what we expected & at a very good price for the good serving & the ingredients.

c.h.e.f andy

Marvellous Mother’s Day Lunch @ The Gurnard’s Head on 10May2015

Posted on May 11, 2015 by chefquak

chicken ballotine

today is mother’s day in singapore,10.5.2015

(it seems that in UK it was 15mar in 2015, must confess i never knew that!). we all sent greeting messages, and my friends were quite active on the group whatsapps. ^^

yesterday morning on our first day arriving in cornwall, we were blessed with glorious sunshine when we visited minack theatre & hiked a bit at porthcurno & porthgwarra, and later from sennen cove to land’s end.

this morning, weather was ok albeit not a bright sunny day, we managed to visit cape cornwall & botallack mines.

the gurnard’s head

after botallack, we decided to press on to the gurnard’s head.

my wife had been reading about the restaurant, and it turned out to be such an excellent mother’s day lunch experience.^^

the restaurant itself has very beautiful exterior & interior, with nice seats & furnishings.

sunday lunch menu

we had 1 of the best lunches in UK 2-course for £18.50. my wife said she would skip friday’s set lunch at Dinner (Heston Blumenthal’s Pellegrino 50 restaurant) as it is no better than this!

rye bread

we had complimentary rye bread. the butter was very tasty.

for appetisers, wife ordered a chicken ballotine & i ordered a ham hock terrine.

chicken ballotine

chicken ballotine was excellent, light & fast with the sauce.^^

ham hock terrine

i was thinking ter kar tan (pig trotters jelly)! the ham hock terrine looked more like a luncheon meat or 镇江肴肉！

this was quite excellent, very flavourful if robust. i was surprised that wife took a whole piece. & the sauce & sides were superb.

we were sharing the dishes, which was great as we each got to taste & enjoy the dishes w/o getting satiated with 1 portion. we were saying this was like a 4-course degustation lunch!

prime ribs with yorkshire pudding

for the mains we ordered the slow braised beef ribs, and the whole megrim sole.

beef was more like a prime rib or beef on a wagon. it was a good prime rib, but not the specialty standard of prime ribs at SCC (singapore cricket club). 🙂

the prime rib itself tasted pretty good. & the red wine sauce & condiments – chinese cabbage, potatoes, turnips & carrots etc were excellent too! i recall form my student days 30+years ago they used to match yorkshire pudding with roast beef, & we used to joke that roast beef was like paper – i.e. tough & tasteless. now with modern cuisine it was not just roast beef but a slow braised beef ribs preparation. 🙂

whole megrim sole

i had the whole megrim sole.

the fish was quite sublime, very tender & tasty!^^

i would say the sole was far better than the prime ribs, and for me much better also when compared with the very good hake & john dory we had last evening at tolacrne inn.

the food was excellent & wife was in very good spirits!^^

c.h.e.f andy

Lovely Mother’s Day Dinner @ Mackerel Sky Seafood Bar at Newlyn, Cornwall on 10May2015

Posted on May 11, 2015 by chefquak

£6.95 white wine mussels

after enjoyable walks at cape cornwall & botallack mines followed by a really scrumptious lunch at the gurnard’s head, we decided to have a light dinner on 10.5.2015.^^

mackerel sky penzance was closed for dinner on sunday, so we decided to try the new mackerel sky seafood bar at newlyn (we saw the place when having dinner at tolcarne inn last evening. 🙂

mackerel sky seafood bar at newlyn

according to their website, the seafood bar was only open on 1.5.2015. 🙂

we found a convenient parking lot (1 hr free) just facing the restaurant across a small stream.

mackerel sky seafood bar at newlyn

it was 8pm & still bright outside. 🙂

there were like 3 tables including ourselves the whole time we were there.

we ordered just 2 small plates & a salad.

£3 salad

salad was great, refreshing, just cherry tomatoes, some diced tomatoes, mesclun, balsamic cream etc. 🙂

£6.50 salt & pepper calamari aioli

£6.50 salt & pepper calamari aioli is a popular dish, and it was good, nice batter, squid not tough, taste great.^^

£6.95 white wine mussels

mussels was great too, very tasty sauce (wine, butter, lots of onions lightly caramelised).

best flat white i had so far

after that we ordered 1 flat white. that was the best i had so far during this trip, i think equal or better than monmouth, & better than the one i had at sennen cove. so we ordered a second cup.^^

mackerel sky seafood bar at newlyn

very light dinner, and cost very little. very nice pleasant ambience.

we enjoyed it very much, for a light bite that is.

c.h.e.f andy

Scrumptious Fish Dinner @ Tolcarne Inn Newlyn Cornwall on 9May2015

Posted on May 10, 2015 by chefquak

delicious pan seared scllops with apple sauce

delicious pan seared scallops with apple sauce

our glencree house B&B proprietor andrew recommended & reserved 2pax table for us at tolcarne inn on 9.5.2015.^^

restaurant had many good reviews on tripadvisor. should be great for pre mother’s day dinner. 🙂

tolcarne inn

restuarant was located in newlyn by the sea.

chef ben tunicliffe started abbey restaurant in penzance & won a michelin star in 2003. he sold out in 2008 & went into joint venture at another restaurant but later started tolcarne inn at newlyn in 2012.

the black board

menu was on the blackboard. it’s like 90% fish!^^

delicious pan seared scallops with apple sauce

the pan seared scallops with apple sauce was absolutely magnificient! we saw an nice elderly couple (they were from devon) having that & my wife ordered it. the searing was perfect, texture was firm & scallops were sweet & excellent with the apple sauce. 🙂

pan-fried mackerel with crab cous cous

i took the server’s recommendation of pan-fried mackerel with crab cous cous. somehow they managed to make this as different from the japanese saba (oily robust flavourful which i also like) as can be. this dish was quite refine, almost like poached & pan-fried, without the strong robust flavours but very tasty. the crab cous cous & rockets were excellent sides.

tolcarne inn

the restaurant had a homely bar atmosphere & chatter. the server chatted a bit with us & the couple at the next table. 🙂

pan-fried hake with gnocchi

it was fish after fish, we had fish mains after ably executed fish appetisers, so we high into our quota of fish.

wife liked the pan-fried hake. it was supposedly cod like, but texture wise felt more seabass like. it was superbly executed, very crispy and tasty. the gnocchi & was were also excellent.

pan-fried john dory

& the john dory i had was equally delightful.

i was telling the server that’s not my preferred fish (dory fillet in singapore like so so for me). he replied that perhaps i might change my opinion after this. haha!^^

i liked both the fish main dishes. i think they were quite excellent for a fish dish. of course i still generally prefer meat dishes to fish. 🙂

c.h.e.f andy

Another Wonderful Dinner @ The Greek Larder on 8May2015

Posted on May 9, 2015 by chefquak

aperitif cucumber, apple, ouzo

went back to the greek larder for 2pax dinner with wife this evening on 8.5.2015.^^ guess it was a bit lame as i was here with son & had a scrumptious dinner only yesterday. anyhow, wife arrived this morning & wanted this place, and we were taking the midnight 8-hr sleeper train to penzance this evening so not really interested to venture far just for dinner. transport in london is kind of tedious & tedium. 🙂

oysters £2ea

the photos this evening were a bit brighter & sharper as we were seated at a table by the window with good lighting & at 6pm earlier time than yesterday.

aperitif cucumber, apple, ouzo

the aperitif was very light & interesting flavours that i also ordered 1 for myself after tasting what my wife ordered. ouzo interesting thing, anise flavoured, but needed distillation so not quite something we can replicate at home. Ouzo can be described to have a similar taste to absinthe which is liquorice-like, but smoother.

italian white – £7.95 250ml

the italian white was fruity & nice. 🙂

aegean prawns & calamari fritters

one new dish we ordered this evening was aegean prawns & calamari (squid) fritters. 🙂 very nice as expected (though we could have been more adventurous & ordered more greek specialities) since we knew the salt cod in batter was very good.

octopus with fava -split pea puree

salt cod with soft boiled eggs

the other 2 items were same as what we ordered yesterday, namely the salt cod & the octopus. again we were provided with complimentary bread that was wonderful with the hummus. lacking in new adventures but well compensated by excellent taste, convenience (just short distance down the road from the apartment). 🙂

c.h.e.f andy

Shiok (Satisfying) £20 Lobster Lunch @ Burger & Lobster on 8May2015

Posted on May 8, 2015 by chefquak

lobster roll

wife arrived this morning on 8.5.2015 & took heathrow express to paddington because we wanted to collect & change the sleeper ticket to penzance (cornwall) which could only be done at paddington & few other train stations. i went to paddington to meet her & came back to the apartment.

son was attending lecture & we had some matters to attend to. 🙂

we arranged to meet for lunch at burger & lobster dean street at 12.15pm. wife & i took bus 390 to tottenham court road & walked to burger & lobster on dean street. 🙂

we could only be seated when all 3pax arrived. our son came just few minutes later & we were seated right away.^^

burger & lobster dean street

the place was 1/2 full, but when we were leaving about 1pm+ it was pretty full. 🙂

lobster roll

this the place where you need only a drinks menu. for food its only (1)burger (2)whole lobster steamed or grilled (3)lobster roll.

wife ordered lobster roll which was easy to eat & also had very good brioche. i had at my last visit asked & was told that lobster roll only came with steamed lobster (as it was from a common pool). son & i ordered a grilled whole lobster each. ^^

grilled whole lobster

really enjoyable meal it was, every time!^^

lobster was fresh, sweet, came with excellent garlic butter dip. & i liked the bbq flavours. 🙂 there were chips (fries) & greens.

grilled whole lobster (all eaten)

very shiok lunch!

after lunch we walked over to monmouth cafe at covent gardens for a nice cuppa (flat white). ^^

c.h.e.f andy

Excellent Dinner with Son @ The Greek Larder, London on 7May2015

Posted on May 8, 2015 by chefquak

salt cod, scordalia & soft boiled eggs – £7

had an excellent dinner with son at the greek larder at art house down the road from the apartment.^^

son was waiting for me at the apartment & came down to help with the luggage. everything went quite smoothly except for the unwanted 1.5hrs cab ride through congested london after an equally tiresome 13.5hrs long flight from singapore.

i had food at the asia treasure lounge and also a poached egg breakfast & chicken biryani on board. don’t really need to eat dinner, certainly not to take underground etc just to eat. didn’t make sense also for son to cook.

anyhow we decided to walk to king’s cross near the apartment. caravan, place we went to first had a 45mins wait at 630pm, and the indian place around the corner, dishoom, 45mins to 1hr wait. we were walking back to apartment then son remembered another place, the greek larder at art house.

the greek larder

no wait, phew!

the greek larder

nice, cool place too!

olives

complimentary olives to start.

rock oysters, vinaigrette – £2

service was super good! young lady server came to our tables maybe 5 times throughout to assist with order, check on us etc.

rock oysters, vinaigrette – £2

the oysters, £2, did not look great, but was actually pretty ok, fresh, no metallic taste, sweet, juicy not so plump.

octopus & fava (split pea puree)-£6

octopus & fava (split pea puree) – £6

octopus & fava, a split pea puree like a hummus was excellent. very tender tasty octopus. the lady brought nice complimentary rye bread & a refill which was excellent with the hummus.

we took 2 oysters & 3 appetisers, no main courses. price was pretty ok! 🙂

soutzouki sausage with smoked aubergine salad – £7

we loved the sausage too, like a chorizo, very tasty flavourful, and the smoked aubergines salad was just fabulous!^^

salt cod, scordalia & soft boiled eggs – £7

& the best, the salt cod. i was having this image of the best??? fish & chips in london at poppies (turned out to be the worst fish & chips i ever had, and it was cod!).

anyhow the lady said it was very good. & it was! superb crispy batter & very tasty cod. i would have this again for sure.

dinner with son was just great & we were both very satisfied & happy we took the walk & had such a wonderful dinner together.

c.h.e.f andy

Good Food @ Asia Treasure T3 Lounge, Long 13.5hrs Flight & Long 1.5hrs ride from Heathrow on 7May2015

Posted on May 8, 2015 by chefquak

mee rebus

leaving for heathrow this evening on 7.5.2015. ^^

travelling by SQ economy as the economy fare is only S$300 more than the taxes & fees i have to pay if i redeem business class. doesn’t make sense? keep my miles for later when no cheap economy. 🙂

economy was full on the seat map at time of booking & afterwards (though it turned out not to be so when i boarded, wonder why???). there were hardly any seats left so i had to pay S$84 for a “preferred” seat. it’s A380 & i managed to get the best seat 48D, with 1 empty space (no seat) in front!

energiser smoothie

went to the asia treasure lounge at T3.

took the usual berries smoothie, called energiser i think. 🙂

fried carrot cake

in the morning they served local food.

the fried carrot cake was excellent very tasty, flavourful, the crispy chilli too. i ordered 1/2 portion.

mee rebus

& the mee rebus was so nice!^^

3 fresh plump sweet prawns, lovely gravy & nice fried tofu cubes, shallots & green chilli. 🙂

xxxxxxx

i am one of those who don’t complain about airline food. had a decent poached egg with chicken sausage breakfast. ok, took sausage & 1/2egg, and a good chicken biryani lunch. took 1/2 the rice.

it was a long flight, 13hrs 30mins, touched down & at the gate at heathrow T2 3.40pm. son booked a cab for me 45mins after arrival, which was very good timing. i had 1 piece of check-in luggage & was out at arrival hall 4.20pm.

the journey to london was tedious, took a full 1.5hrs to the apartment near king’s cross. cab went via hyde park, huge jam, divert through piccadilly & just as jam all the way. wonders? today 7.5.2015 UK election day, thought traffic would be lighter.

c.h.e.f andy

Instant Noodles with Prawns & Oysters

Posted on May 5, 2015 by chefquak

instant noodles with prawn & oysters

wife, children were out, eating alone this evening.

didn’t feel like cooking anything. looked at the freezer & picked out some prawns & frozen oysters – easiest to defrost. the prawns had shells on so easy to separate.

myojo chicken abalone instant noodles

did not feel like having the more expensive instant noodles like (1) mykuali penang white curry noodles or (2) instant mala ramen 香锅麻辣牛肉面 or (3) nissin kyushu black ramen. so just pick the cheap myojo chicken abalone instant noodles. 🙂

instant noodles with prawn & oysters

noodles were quite tasty. prawns were fresh & oysters large & plump.

instant noodles with prawn & oysters

after all the nice big prawn noodles at why eat har, i was kidding my friend whose brother is the co-proprietor of why eat har that i am now having small prawns instant noodles.^^

c.h.e.f andy

Great Value Teppanyaki Lunch @ Mikuni on 4May2015

Posted on May 4, 2015 by chefquak

penna cotta

had a great teppanyaki lunch today with a friend at mikuni on 4.5.2015.^^

we were seated at the robatayaki counter as you could only order the special S$68 teppanyaki set OR S$68 robatayaki set if you are seated at either and Not at the main dining area.

the last time i came with my god-sis and my good friend’s daughter, i had the robatayaki set. today we both picked the teppanyaki set.

it was really good value for the quality of food. 🙂

prawn crackers

we had usual crackers to start.

salad

a nice salad with coma (sesame) sauce.

chawan mushi

very good chawan mush, soft, tasty, pieces of chicken, mushrooms inside.

golden prawns

golden prawns was quite a popular ala carte item here, prawns were fresh, succulent, had nice tobiko. i tried not to have too much mayonnaise. 🙂

cod

cod & golden prawns

cod was good as cod goes. 🙂

teppanyaki beef steak

& the teppan beef was pretty good too, very well charred. i love the crispy garlic & of course the tau gays.

garlic fried rice

garlic fried rice was standard. i took 1/2.

penna cotta

the penna cotta was really quite excellent.

lunch was very good value at S$34pax after 50% FAR (feed at raffles) discount.

c.h.e.f andy

Nice Afternoon Cuppa @ aeiou on 28Apr2015

Posted on May 1, 2015 by chefquak

flat white

after a satisfying big prawn noodles at why eat har, a friend suggested going to a retro place for a cuppa on 28.4.2015.

i guess the 2 of us were diehard kopi guys, so we drove in 1 car to king george’s avenue to this place called aeiou.

aeiou

aeiou didn’t sound very creative? don’t know. it could be that they are a group that is also into children education, edutainment etc.

aeiou

inside was quite interesting, retro as my friend said.

aeiou

& there was a vertical landscape wall, though it didn’t look particularly attractive.

flat white

flat white was good, smooth & fragrant-

probably about the same as carpenters & cook

also about same as assembly coffee w/o the standard of latte art (not a great differentiator for me)

my personal preference where coffee is concerned –

chye seng huat is better

dutch colony also better.

torn tyre mirror

a torn tyre mirror? pretty cool idea.

love…smile…hug

always remember to love…smile..hug…

oriental antique house

i supposed cool chic cafe place can be a good way to bring traffic to the antique house. don’t know. 🙂

we did not try the cakes, so my friend suggested we may go again with some friends for the yuzu cheese cake, salted caramel cake & lemon tart. 🙂

c.h.e.f andy

Yummy Big Prawn Noodles @ Why Eat Har on 28Apr2015

Posted on May 1, 2015 by chefquak

S$5 prawn noodles

had another round of yummy big prawn nooldes at why eat har, a big prawn noodles stall opened recently by my good friend’s brother.

the last time i tried was with a big group of friends on 6.3.2015. this time we had 10 chap pies.^^

why eat har @ thye hwa heng canteen

thye hwa heng canteen is located at blk 29 eunos avenue 6 near to signpost building. many car workshops here.

S$5 prawn noodles

the S$5 prawn noodles looked marvellously yummy! 🙂

the 2 prawns (4 pieces of 1/2-sliced prawns) were quite a bit larger than the S$5 bowl at ah hui at balestier food centre.

S$5 prawn noodles

not so evident from the photo that the S$6 big prawns were much larger than these S$5 ones.

S$6 big prawn noodles + $2 pork ribs

6 of us ordered the S$6 big prawn noodles. not sure if this was the usual pricing as the board said S$8, but prawns do vary in size & price on the day & i know the stalls adjust the prices accordingly sometimes. e.g. when we were at wah kee at pekkio food centre, cambridge road recently, the prawns were larger than what they served for S$10 so we had to order S$15 big prawn noodles.

S$6 big prawn noodles + $2 pork ribs

most of us added the S$2 pork ribs so total+S$8. i think one friend had the S$6 w/o pork ribs.

S$6 big prawn noodles + $2 pork ribs

noodles were lesser than the last round (which was like the 2nd day after stall opened & we feedback that noodles were a bit much).

chilli sauce was more intense, could be because of lesser noodles, but did feel a bit tastier.

prawns were good as last time. the proprietor chong long, my friend’s brother, said the fishmonger told him these prawns were sweeter than anka prawns & a friend agreed it was sweeter. i must say i did not feel much difference. i though the prawns this time were just slightly overdone & not as bouncy as last round, but equally fresh & sweet. 🙂

the pork ribs were very good standard, very tender, consistent but not falling apart & great taste. as a pork rib dish i thought it was very good, very well done. personally though i not specially into the tender pork ribs noodles bit. for pork ribs i prefer bakuteh style with slightly more bite rather than the soft bones teture & feel.

fruits

a friend bought some fruits from the next stall.

very yummy & enjoyable prawn noodles. will come back again later.^^

c.h.e.f andy

Good Wagyu Steak Dinner @ The Prime Society on 28Apr2015

Posted on April 30, 2015 by chefquak

jack’s creek wagyu mbs5:6 ribeye 200g

had a good wagyu steak dinner with wife at the prime society on 28.4.2015. ^^

it was raining. didn’t feel like cooking, didn’t want to go far so the prime society at dempsey seemed a good choice, only a few steps in the rain with a large golf umbrella. 🙂

the prime society

place was not crowded, less than 50% full at 6.30pm and afterwards.

roll

we had a roll & butter.

service was very good. competent, friendly & polite.

oysters

oysters & lemon

my wife was here previously & had the wagyu & oysters. for me, first time. we ordered about the same things.

oysters were S$5eaach, so with palate 50% for 2pax, it was S$2.50/oyster, quite doable.

they were good too, juicy, plump, tasty, no metallic taste. i can have this again!

jack’s creek wagyu topside, sirloin, ribeye

jack’s creek wagyu sirloin, ribeye

we ordered our wagyu steaks – 2 ribeye both medium as recommended by server.

i asked to take photos of the wagyu. they decided they did not want me taking the chef preparation area, either that or it was some communication thing, so they brought the 3 different cuts to the table. it was fine by me, as i already said to the lady that it was ok if photo was inconvenient for them.

this lady said the same thing that sirloin had the fat on the outside & ribeye had more marbling at fat at the middle so more flavourful. she added that the topside was also an excellent cut. she said topside had to be cooked rare or medium rare & would be tough if medium. i had the impression that topside was usually not as good as sirloin or striploin & ribeye was best among the 3. anyway, i am quite keen to go back & try the topside!^^

jack’s creek wagyu mbs5/6 200g

the 200g cut was a good size. it was very well chargrilled & medium was quite fine for me though i probably would not have minded medium rare too.

for me, it was better definitely than angus, not better than my own wagyu ribeye from mmmm, and of course one can never make comparison with the much superior –

excellent kagoshima japanese wagyu & miyazaki japanese wagyu at arossa (now closed)

A4 japanese ohmi japanese wagyu from me@oue.

3 sauces = red wine, pepper & béarnaise

the 3 sauces were very good for the wagyu steak. like the red wine sauce best with a dab of béarnaise. did not take much of pepper sauce.

excluding wine, it was S$98 for 2pax after 50% palate discounts. not as good deal as arossa previously, but arossa could not survive at tat price & location, no point right?

it was really enjoyable dinner. & i plan to be back to try the wagyu topside.

c.h.e.f andy

Some Interesting Fares @ io Italian Osteria on 15Apr2015

Posted on April 28, 2015 by chefquak

panini sandwich – S$9

daughter arranged a 6pax family dinner at io italian osteria at hillv2 on 15.4.2015.^^

she is now our f&b compass, bringing us to different happening dining places & chic cafes.

io italian osteria

nice place too.^^

panini sandwich – S$9

we had a bruschetta, like a panini sandwich with ham & tomatoes. it was good!^^

seafood bouillabaisse with toast – S$14

the italian version of seafood bouillabaisse was very good standard – flavourful soup, good ingredients for S$14.

beef carpaccio – S$16

beef carpaccio was ok. beef was sweet, good cheese & rockets. i guess a boring dish. 🙂

calamari – S$14

calamari (our “sotong”) was not so good, squid was a bit tough. nothing like the calamari fritto i had recently at la braceria, but that cost a ridiculous 2.5x price!

rice suppli stuffed mozzarella cheese – S$9

the crispy rice stuffed with mozzarella was quite ok too…errr…like lots of carbs..

cheese ravioli

ravioli was good standard but expensive. i think it was like S$28.

porchetta with fennel – S$9

porchetta with fennel was great dish for S$9.

porchetta with fennel – S$9

too big for 1 pax, just nice to share among 3 or 4pax. we had 6pax.

lamb rack

lamb rack was to me below par, and expensive. not that it was expensive here, but these things are expensive in restaurants. 3 large pieces, but really i do a much better lamb!

keylime cake

youngest daughter wanted to have key lime pie, it was not too bad but not my kind of dessert.

i will certainly come back for the seafood bouillabaisse, bruschetta, porchetta, and don’t mind the crispy rice too.^^

c.h.e.f andy

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

IO Osteria

Address:

4 Hillview Rise, #02-01, Hillv2 Singapore 667979

Contact:

67107150

Opening Hours:

Monday to Sunday 10am – 10pm daily

Nice Birthday Lunch for a Good Friend on 27Apr2015

Posted on April 28, 2015 by chefquak

grilled cod

bought early birthday lunch for a close friend today at mikuni on 27.4.2015. ^^

they do not serve the grand tour tasting menu for lunch. for simplicity & ease i ordered the premium bento “miyabi” from the lunch set menu.

prawn crackers

salad

we had the usual prawn crackers to start, and for the bento, a salad, simple & quite nice.

premium bento miyabi

sashimi – toro, salmon, hotate

the sashimi that came with the set was quite good standard – with toro, hotate & salmon.

tempura moriawase

the tempura here was quite ok standard, but not my favourite.

kagosima wagyu robatayaki

the kagoshima wagyu robatayaki was good, nicely marbled & tasty.

grilled cod

& there was a very good quality grilled cod.

simmered veg

the simmered veg side dish was ok to complement the lunch course & meat dishes.

unagi don

& there was an unagi don & a clear soup.

dessert

dessert was nice.

this friend is quite busy guy & i don’t get to spend much time with him except during chinese new year. so it was a very good lunch talking about family, children, his work etc.

the food at mikuni is always pretty ok. however the premium bento “miyabi” at S$120pax (even with 50% discount to S$60pax) was to me below par. e.g.-

the robatayaki set at S$68 here at mikuni (vs S$120) offers the same kagoshima wagyu skewer & the teppanyaki set at S$68 also offer cod, beef & golden prawns

the chirashi don at S$90 is very much superior.

likewise the S$62 chirashi don set at kuriya.

not everything is directly comparable of course…we were more interested to catch up & did not pay much attention to the menu, but they must have changed the menu as we did not get the golden prawns & bara chirashi. maybe i will write to mikuni to ask about it.

c.h.e.f andy

Excellent Modern Vegetarian for 13pax RI G20 Dinner @ Sufood on 30Mar2015

Posted on April 23, 2015 by chefquak

sufood mosiac

we had an interesting italian-inspired modern vegetarian dinner for 13pax RI G20 get-together at Sufood on 30.3.2015. a very good choice by the organiser. ^^

founded in 2010, sufood is the first meat-free concept restaurant under WOWPRIME GROUP, the largest F&B operator in taiwan. this raffles city restaurant opened in May2014 is its first in singapore.

one of the friends used the phone apps to make a mosaic food picture (top photo). very nice!

bread with a mustard dip & berries dip

we had the italian bread sticks with mustard & berries dip. both were ok. i liked the mustard better. 🙂

our usual wine supplier brought nice wines

japanese yam with berry sauce, cucumber & cherry tomato plum jelly

we kicked off with the chef’s sufood starter – a quite wonderful trio japanese yam with berry sauce, cucumber & cherry tomato plum jelly.

cucumber & cherry tomato plum jelly

japanese yam with berry sauce, cucumber

a refreshing start.^^

fruit salad

the healthy ones went for the fruit salad.

mushroom salad

a few of us, myself included, took the mushroom salad, a popular dish. it was good. 🙂

summer salad

another took the summer salad.

classic garden salad

& the classic garden salad with a choice of sesame sauce or caesar dressing.

pumpkin soup

for the soup, cream of pumpkin was a popular choice.

pea soup with mushrooms

i had the pea soup with oyster mushroom cubes at the bottom. maybe this was the healthy version so it was not an intense cream of pea soup, texture combination was great, with the crunchy mushrooms. it was the same also with the pumpkin soup, not intense & flavourful.

a friend & i both thought we could do a better tasting soup than these 2. 🙂

cabbage & sweet potato stew

some had the root soup, and the most healthy among us went for the cabbage & sweet potato stew. 🙂

calzone

the calzone came highly recommended. calzone looked like a huge curry puff. the dough was more akin to pizza dough.

i must say after trying a few, i was in total agreement that calzone was the best dish/main course.

pita pockets

i picked the pita pocket though. many of the main courses came with plastic gloves, if you wanted to share your food.^^

pita pockets

the mock meatballs were pretty ok but it was not as tasty & satisfying as the calzone.

porcini pasta

don’t really know how the porcini pasta tasted like, but generally the food quality was competent, pretty ok for vegetarian dishes though not spectacular.

squidink pasta

i would rate the squid ink as the second best after the calzone. the mushrooms were shaped to look like squid rings.

squidink pasta

but of course we are not really comparing these vegetarian dishes say with the creamy squid ink pasta at valentino or la braceria.

certainly my own squid ink dish is much more intense & flavourful. 🙂

star pizza

i tried the star pizza. didn’t think much of it.

banana cheesecake with yuzu camomile

did not try the banana cheesecake. guess it should be quite ok.

banana cheesecake with yuzu camomile

black sesame penna cotta

i had the black sesame penn a cotta. smooth, quite good.

black sesame penna cotta with drink

i had the penn a cotta with a healthy ashitaba drink. not sure what to make of it. at least it not bitter like wheatgrass. it wasn’t too sweet so it was ok.

black sesame penna cotta with yuzu camomile

osmanthus jelly with drink

osmanthus jelly with yuzu camomile

some friends had osmanthus jelly. didn’t try it but that should be very safe, couldn’t go wrong.^^

the company & dinner were very enjoyable. these gatherings came about quite naturally, a desire to spend time with friends & share views & experiences.^^

& wine was marvellous of course. 🙂

the food was good especially for the new experience, and it was good quality at a good price – 8 “courses” for S$29.80++.

doesn’t blow me away for sure, but equally it is a place i am happy to come back a few times.^^

c.h.e.f andy

Average Food @ Tianbao Restaurant on 18Apr2015

Posted on April 20, 2015 by chefquak

tan tan noodles – S$10.80

bought a groupon voucher S$48.80 for S$100 at tianbao restaurant (serving sichuan dimsum) at ngee ann city.

daughter was arranging 4pax dinner on sunday so we decided to use the voucher & made a reservation at tianbao restaurant on 18.4.2015. in the end daughter was held up by her work & we had 3pax dinner.

tianbao restaurant @ ngee ann city level 5

place had 2 seatings 5.30pm & 7.30pm. traffic was ok but restaurant was not full when we were there.

xiaolongbao小笼包 – S$9.80

we ordered xiaolongbao, quite ex S$9.80 for 6 if not for the 50% discounts. by comparison, crystal jade lamian xiaolongbao price was about $5 for 4??

and it was S$3 for 5 at joyful palace, albeit that being at clementi food loft, a coffeeshop location.

& both crystal jade & joyful palace’s xiaolongbao were better! these ones had very little soup & the soup & pork were not very tasty.

steamed pork ribs – flour on top? – S$9.80

this steamed pork ribs was the worst dish! it had some “sichuan flour” on top?? really poor dish c/w any steamed pork ribs in any dimsum restaurants. something never to order!

tan tan noodles- S$10.80

the tan tan noodles were pretty good. it was not heavy in peanut sauce, there were some at the bottom. there was a bit of meat & overall taste & texture were quite good. this one of the better dishes. 🙂

stewed eggplant – S$12.80

the stewed eggplant had good consistency. eggplant was nice, though wife found it a bit sweet, but that was the style of preparation.

steamed egg topped with minced pork sauce – S$8.60

the steamed egg dish was like a sichuan styled chawanmushi, not quite as nice. egg custard was smooth & tasty enough. i didn’t mind the minced pork sauce too. pretty ok dish.

chives dumpling – S$8.80

the chives dumpling was odd. chives were dry & not sweet, skin was rough. the look did not have the fineness of hong kong dimsum & taste & texture were quite off.

seafood taste dumpligs 海味抄手 – S$9.80

the seafood taste dumpligs 海味抄手 turned out to be the best dish, alongside the tan tan noodles.

we only know of the usual spicy dumplings or 红油抄手. never heard of 红油抄手. anyway the soup was tasty & the dumplings were like the usual 抄手 but not spicy.^^

osmanthus jelly – S$4.80

the osmanthus belly was an ok dish. a bit sweet.

some mochi dumpling with peanuts – S$5

the mochi sort of dumplings with peanut was quite poor for me. looked nice enough, but taste wise the 汤圆i bought from giant ( 2 packets x10pieces for S$2.95.) was distinctly better.

total price was S$98.10. we used one S$100 voucher which cost S$48.80, so it was about S$16pax nett. only with the discounts, cannot complain about the price.

but not much shiok factor, say c/w our recent S$33nett 2pax dinner at shin yeh with palate 50% discounts.

c.h.e.f andy

Pleasant Dinner Tete a Tete @ La Braceria on 18Apr2015

Posted on April 19, 2015 by chefquak

wagyu & porcini fettucine

a friend bought dinner this evening at la braceria on 17.4.2015.^^

he had wanted me to try shelter in the woods but that was fully booked for the evening. 🙂

years ago, la braceria was located at ming teck park area, close to my place. after that the chef has moved to different places a few times.

this friend last joined my home dinners more than 1/2 year ago. this time, he wanted just to buy dinner & have a tete a tete. 🙂

we ordered 1 antipasti & 2 pastas to share, and my friend wanted to share a choc lava cake.

fritto calamari

the calamari was good! batter was not crispy & yet it was very nice overall, and with a touch of mayonnaise. ^^

wagyu & porcini fettucine

the wagyu & porcini fettucine was “must try for meat lovers”, according to the menu.

& YES!! must try!

pasta was very good indeed. very tasty & savoury.

seafood squidink linguine

we also had the seafood squidink linguine. there was quite a bit of scallops & squid. again very tasty. this i can make myself though, and my version of seafood squid ink linguine is almost as good.^^

flamed lava cake

i am impressed with the flamed lava cake. the flavour was very good. texture was better than my lava cake, a lot more lava, anyway i will adjust my lava cake a bit & see if i can produce more lava. the lava texture is an important contributor to the overall experience.

while it was a very enjoyable dinner with friend who picked up the tab, the dinner cost S$102, about same as what i paid the other night for 2pax at il Lido.

there was no comparison for the ambience & class of il Lido, and we had black cod with unit & scampi pasta with uni & a grilled octopus. on top of that we had 2 great amuse bouche of fine dining standard. so la braceria pales by comparison & is really not competitive on price.

c.h.e.f andy

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Category Archives: Buon Appetito!

Great Lunch @ Mackerel Sky Penzance on 12May2015

Forgettable Meal @ Thai Moon Penzance on 11May2015

Great Lobster Seafood Penne Pasta @ Coach Coffee Bar & Bistro at Lizard Village on 11May2015

Marvellous Mother’s Day Lunch @ The Gurnard’s Head on 10May2015

Lovely Mother’s Day Dinner @ Mackerel Sky Seafood Bar at Newlyn, Cornwall on 10May2015

Scrumptious Fish Dinner @ Tolcarne Inn Newlyn Cornwall on 9May2015

Another Wonderful Dinner @ The Greek Larder on 8May2015

Shiok (Satisfying) £20 Lobster Lunch @ Burger & Lobster on 8May2015

Excellent Dinner with Son @ The Greek Larder, London on 7May2015

Good Food @ Asia Treasure T3 Lounge, Long 13.5hrs Flight & Long 1.5hrs ride from Heathrow on 7May2015

Instant Noodles with Prawns & Oysters

Great Value Teppanyaki Lunch @ Mikuni on 4May2015

Nice Afternoon Cuppa @ aeiou on 28Apr2015

Yummy Big Prawn Noodles @ Why Eat Har on 28Apr2015

Good Wagyu Steak Dinner @ The Prime Society on 28Apr2015

Some Interesting Fares @ io Italian Osteria on 15Apr2015

Nice Birthday Lunch for a Good Friend on 27Apr2015

Excellent Modern Vegetarian for 13pax RI G20 Dinner @ Sufood on 30Mar2015

Average Food @ Tianbao Restaurant on 18Apr2015

Pleasant Dinner Tete a Tete @ La Braceria on 18Apr2015

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