Good Hong Kong Food @ Canton Paradise Star Vista on 21Sep2014

Posted on September 22, 2014 by chefquak

1/2 roast duck

had an early 5pax family dinner @ canton paradise on 21.9.2014. last time we came was also early dinner on 22.2.2014.

it is first come first serve so we went at 5.45pm to avoid long queue. 🙂

it’s hk food. the hk roast duck looked particularly inviting & we decided to order 1/2duck at S$25. it was very good, genuinely hk standard. can’t say it was better than the roast duck at noodles restaurant @ centrepoint, but i would order this again anytime. 🙂

we ordered another roast 2-combo (烧腊双拼) of roast pork & char siew (did not take photos). it was competent but the char siew was not comparable with the excellent charcoal broiled pork neck & also the char siew at imperial treasure teochew ngee an city.

crispy char siew pao

tastebuds had not changed since our feb2014 visit. my daughter still likes this crispy char siew pao best & i still preferred the crispy char siew pao @ timhowan toa payoh. for me though, both were not of the standard of timhowan @ shamshuipo hk.

canton paradise @ star vista

har gao

har gao was good, the skin tore when i picked up one, but the prawns filling was excellent-fresh, bouncy, sweet. 🙂

charsiew fun cheong

charsiew fun cheong on this occasion was very poor, totally sub-par..the charsiew was not tasty enough & the cheong fun (肠粉) was thick & not smooth. this was the worse dish for me! 😦

we also had a xianglongbao. on this occasion the skin was a bit thick & the soup inside was not as sweet, so a poor second to crystal jade la mian xiaolongbao! 😦

porridge 3-combo=beef, pork live, kidney

porridge 3-combo=beef, pork liver, kidney

plain hk noodles

i did not try the noodles but it looked good & no different from hk standard & the children liked it too.

we ordered the porridge 3-combo=beef, pork liver, kidney. the porridge was excellent – velvety smooth & tasted great. the beef, pork liver, kidney were all great! i could come here just for porridge & roast duck. 🙂

salted egg bun

salted egg buns (流沙包)

daughter thought salted egg buns (流沙包) here was best. it was very good! for me, the 咸蛋流沙包 at imperial treasure teochew at ngee ann city was just as good. 🙂

c.h.e.f andy

Cheap & Authentic Italian @ la Botte Stresa on 29Aug2014

Posted on September 21, 2014 by chefquak

€9 funghi pasta

we went to villa taranto & mottarone cable car on the second day, and decided to go to la botte (which was like 50m from hotel elena) for dinner. we got our hotel to book 2pax table for us on 29.8.2014 7pm.

we were there at 6.55pm. there was a queue about 10pax including us. the others did not have reservations. the restaurant was filled up quickly.

€9 mixed cold meats (goose, wild boar, deer, beef)

la botte stresa

€9 cold meat platter (goose, wild boar, deer, beef)

€9 beef carpaccio with truffle melted cheese

we ordered the €9 cold meat platter (goose, wild boar, deer, beef) & the €9 beef carpaccio with truffle melted cheese.

the cold meat platter was a monstrous serving. the meats were good but it’s something i would like just 2 or 3 slices so it was not a good idea for 2pax unless you did not want to try other starters. also it killed the tastebuds for other more subtle dishes like the fungi pasta. it was very generous for €9 & would be great for like 4pax.

the beef carpaccio did not look great but the taste was excellent with the truffle scented melted cheese. it was better than the usual more classy looking ones with rockets & extra virgin olive oil & balsamic. 🙂

€15 tagliata di manzo

the €9 creamy fungi pasta was good, but i felt the cold meat platter aftertaste killed off my appreciation of this more subtle dish.

the tagliata di manzi was kind of ordinary but good for €15, and so much arugula. we had to cancel 1 order of lamb ravioli as we had too much food already & would not really enjoyed it.

my son was also eyeing the guy next to us who was having nice grilled lamb chops. certainly there were several items on the menu we would be happy to come again to try. for me personally it was important to bypass the cold meat next time & enjoy some of the other great dishes here.

the service was indifferent to impatient, not outright rude but they didn’t really need us…it’s no different from any nazi chefs in Singapore where people go just to have the food, in fact probably slightly better. 🙂 the table wine was undrinkable, better to pay for better wine or just pay for bottled water.

the dinner cost about €50 including a 500ml carafe of table wine.

c.h.e.f andy

Great Dinner @ il Vicoletto Stresa on 28Aug2014

Posted on September 21, 2014 by chefquak

seafood tagliatelle

leaving london for milan, my son booked a 5am cab to london gatwick south terminal. it took 1hr 10mins even w/o traffic, so we had to rush a bit to catch our flight departing at 6.55am. we scanned the boarding pass on our phones which got us through the entry gates smoothly but the security was quite thorough. flight time was 2 hrs and milan was 1 hr ahead so we arrived at malpensa terminal 2 at 10am. we were booked on the alibus departure to stresa at 1130am & arrived 1230pm at chiesa at piazza marconi stresa, which was a very short walk to our hotel elena, very conveniently located at a square with restaurants & shops.

ristaronte il vicoletto stresa

we asked the hotel to recommend some eating places, and decided to take their recommendations to try out il vicoletto on 28.8.2014. we were early at 7pm & was able to get a seat. it was full & turning away customers 1/2hr later.

bread basket

we had a bread basket which was quite ok.

very good extra virgin olive oil & balsamic

the balsamic & extra vurgin olive oil superb. wine was good too. 🙂

octopus salad

we ordered an octopus salad to share. the overall dish was quite ok except that the octopus cannot c/w the very nice grilled octopus at alle darsene in bellagio at lake como.

seafood tagliatelle

we ordered a seafood tagliatelle to share. it was excellent, nice creamy pasta with fresh mussels & prawns.

braised lamb shoulder

very tasty braised lamb shoulder though not as good as the braised lamb shoulder at honey & co.

stewed monkfish

pretty looking stewed monkfish – nice sauce, fish was bouncy but texture a bit tough, a bit like the texture of swordfish steak.

overall it was a good & enjoyable dinner. we were seated outside (our own choice as we were early & could have seated inside) & getting quite a bit of mosquito bites that went through the jeans & socks so we had to quit the place soon after finishing our food & wine.

vicoletto is a good standard restaurant & not too expensive (our dinner about €71) & sure looked like one of the better places to have dinner. 🙂

c.h.e.f andy

Good Chinese Herbal Mutton Soup (羊肉汤) @ Yu Ji Whampoa Market on 19Sep2014 Whampoa Market on 19Sep2014

Posted on September 19, 2014 by chefquak

yu ji (宇记) chinese herbal mutton soup (羊肉汤)

i came to whampoa drive food centre with my sis recently & i had the hoover fish soup & 幸福潮州小食 pig trotters.

i saw then there were 2 stalls with mutton soup so decided to try out yu ji (宇记) chinese herbal mutton soup (羊肉汤) on 19.9.2014.

yu ji (宇记) chinese herbal mutton soup (羊肉汤)

i ordered the 4 in 1 mixed soup which had mutton balls, mutton ribs, tripes & tendons, small portion for S$7.

the soup was good. the portions were ok overall. mutton balls not good. there were hardly any tripe, very tiny pieces & not many. the mutton ribs were ok. there was 2 pieces of mutton leg so quite a bit of tendons.

comparing with the very shiok S$6 mutton soup at Chai Chuan Tou 柴船头羊肉汤 at blk115 bukit merah view, i have to say that 柴船头羊肉汤 is still better. it had a lot more mutton ribs & they were more tender & tastier, and there were a lot of nice tripe pieces. but it was a 2 in 1 which had only mutton ribs & tripes, so quantity wise maybe quite comparable & tendons are more expensive & yu ji’s tendons were very nice & generous portions. 🙂

anyway this is definitely a stall i would come if i come to whampoa market.

c.h.e.f andy

Really Good Coffee @ Chye Seng Huat Hardware Coffee Bar on 17Sep2014

Posted on September 19, 2014 by chefquak

flat white @ chye seng huat coffee bar

after taking kok kee wanton mee @ lavendar food square on 17.9.2014, we decided to walk over to chye seng huat hardware at tyrwhitt road for our cuppa. 🙂

flat white @ chye seng huat coffee bar

the cafe CSHH coffee bar was located on the ground floor of a building with the name chye seng huat hardware and a cool shophouse facade.

the interior was a nice chill-out ambience. at 430pm there were quite many customers but not full & we sat at a corner wall with a ledge & tall stools & a wall mirror so you could see the whole cafe when sat facing the mirror.

flat white @ chye seng huat coffee bar

we had a flat white at S$5.50 each.

the coffee flavour was good & the frothed milk was velvety smooth & combined well with the coffee.

i had 2 really great cuppas during my recent stay in london – one was at monmouth cafe in covent gardens on 22.8.2014, and the other when we stopped for a cuppa at melrose & morgan during our walk along regent’s canal to primrose hill on 24.8.2014.

a nice coffee makes all the difference. i have a jura machine at home. i used to get the rather expensive lavazza coffee at culina but later found caffe aurora at qbfoods that cost 40% the price, and for me they were very good (or good enough). i had nice nespresso at my friend’s house after our weekly jog, and also at my son’s apartment in london. all of them were better than the coffee one gets at starbucks, so if i want to get a coffee outside that is NOT a S$1.20 kopi-c, it has to be a good cuppa to make any sense in spending that money! 🙂

for me, CSHH cafe bar’s flat white falls into that good cuppa category. 🙂

c.h.e.f andy

Enjoyed this Wanton Noodles @ Kok Kee (国记) on 17Sep2014

Posted on September 19, 2014 by chefquak

wanton noodles @ kok kee

went with wife to mighty velo to service her bike & buy some stuff.

methink mighty velo prices in outerspace! a bicycle helmet cost S$280 & the cheapest one that looked like the inner lining of an SAF helmet cost S$125. this shop not for me!

we had to wait 1hr for the service. wanted to have kok kee wanton noodles again before lavendar food square make way for 16-storey freehold development called ARC 380. according to a straits times report on 7.9.2014,

“Lavender Food Square’s last day of operations is on Sept 30, a week longer than the original Sept 23 date. The extension was made because of customer demand” – See more at: http://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/food-wine/story/some-stalls-lavender-food-square-move-elsewhere-others-remain-undecided-20#sthash.OhqURHeN.dpuf

the other stalls to try are the whitley road fishball noodles, kin turtle soup etc…

wanton noodles @ kok kee

we managed to park at the tiny carpark. there was no queue at kok kee at 4.15pm.

the last time i was here was 22.3.2014. we ordered S$4 wanton mee each. this must be the only wet version in singapore i had tried. the noodles were al dente & not soggy yet not stringy.

S$4 kind of expensive for that tiny amount of noodles. but good tasting was what counted, & this was like the best wanton noodles i had, better than red ring & first centre.

wanton noodles @ kok kee

this the second time i tried & my views had not changed. may go back before 30sep to try the whitley road fishball noodles etc.

after wanton mee, we decided to take a short walk over to chye seng huat hardware at tyrwhitt road for a nice cup of coffee.

c.h.e.f andy

Mille Crepe & Lady M Cakes on 8Sep2014

Posted on September 15, 2014 by chefquak

lady M’s cheese cake

on the day the 6 of us had lunch at nuvo on 8.9.2014, we planned also to try out the mille crepe at lady M confections, which came under the same caerus holding group. caerus was set up in 2008 as a wine distribution company in India, Maldives and Malaysia & moved into the crowded f&b business a year later.

we adjourned from nuvo to lady M which was conveniently located next to the escalator at the dining edition with direct access to the car park. 🙂

lady M’s mille crepe

we ordered the mille crepe & a gateau nuage plus some drinks.

a few of us had lady M couple times before. the last i had though was already some time off, when a friend brought a mille crepe to a dinner at alborgo on 22.11.2013. the cream was light & not too sweet. it was for sure a nice cake but actually overall there was a lot of cream in it. i actually prefers the ritz apple strudel as i liked a fluffier texture to go with that much cream (even if light) & the apple to jazz it up.

gateau nuage translates to “cloud cake”. it was nice too, a light cheese cake with a cinnamon graham cracker crust with a thin layer of sweetened sour cream to give it a silky finish.

i generally don’t mind cheese cakes. this one was good, but did not hold any special attraction (say) like the cheese cake i had at honey & co, londonrecently on 22.8.2014. my own tofu cheesecake does not look the class but is lighter w/o the crepe pastry & also jazzed up with lemon & yogurt. 🙂

the prices were not cheap. it was though the going price of cakes & coffees for such ambience & location. not a place i would usually go.

c.h.e.f andy

Food that Pleases @ Tunglok Signature Orchard Parade Hotel on 13Sep2014

Posted on September 14, 2014 by chefquak

lobster ramen – the best!

time flies. almost a year had passed, the last time i took the fabulous 6-course lobster dinner set at tunglok signature orchard parade hotel was on 19.10.2013.

so i was looking forward to relish the wonderful moments on 13.9.2014. we took the exact same S$98 lobster & seafood set. as i noted previously, it was of exceptional quality, both in terms of quality of ingredients & quality of cooking. 🙂

as before & always, every dish pleases. if i have to pick my least favourite, it would be the kurobuta & it was good too. 🙂

foie gras & smoked duck wrap

foie gras & smoked duck wrap

the foie gras & smoked duck wrap was good, tasty, refreshing. i thought the “pan-fried foie gras” tasted similar to the usual unglamorous poached duck liver though.

crab roe sharksfin soup

the crab roe sharkskin was super & chokeful of ingredients.

steamed soon hock fillet

the steamed soon hock fillet was very well done, very sweet, tasty, smooth, with the garnishes & sauce as well. i am thinking to replicate this for my home dinners.

pan-fried kurobuta

the pan-fried spanish kurobuta was quite delicious too. if there were not other also great dishes, i would consider this pretty good.

lobster ramen – the best!

the lobster ramen was the best. this time the serving came with shelled 1/2 lobster (before it was a 1/2 lobster in shell). lobster meat was fresh, bouncy, sweet. the sauce was excellent. i was impressed with this dish & thinking how to replicate it at home.

(P.S. i subsequently created my own prawn ramen in golden braising sauce – 黄焖草虾面, not quite the same obviously but anyhow pretty good on its own).

雪种情怀

& i love the dessert 雪种情怀 – 1 vanilla & 1 coconut ice cream on the usual grapefruit mango puree (杨支甘露).

with palate 50% discounts for 2pax, dinner was S$49pax + S$2pax for the tea. wonderful deal! 🙂

c.h.e.f andy

Chwee Kueh & Char Siew from Chinatown on 14Sep2014

Posted on September 14, 2014 by chefquak

char siew

wife went marketing at chinatown complex market today on 14.9.2014.

she also bought chwee kueh from our favourite stall bedok chwee kueh (#02-43) & char siew from the stall next to it, mayflower roasted meat specialist. 🙂

chwee kueh

char siew

chwee kueh with chye por

love the chwee kueh here. soft & firm texture & especially the chye por & chilli condiments. my habit is to cut the chwee kueh in 2 (a bitesize mouthful) using a teaspoon, spoon the chye pro & chilli on top & spoon the whole thing in to combine the flavours & texture. 🙂

the char siew was a convenient buy, probably not the best stall there, and often touch & go. today it was fresh, tasty with flavourful fatty bits. other times meat could be a bit dry. it was not comparable with imperial treasure teochew char siew OR charcoal broiled pork collar, and about the standard of a decent neighbourful coffeeshop roast meat stall.

c.h.e.f andy

So-So Dinner @ Sopra Cucina on 10Sep2014

Posted on September 11, 2014 by chefquak

suckling pig – S$48

decided to have dinner at sopra cucina at pan pacific orchard after watching a movie “magic in the moonlight” at shaw lido on 10.9.2014.

sopra cucina & bar had great ambience. the inside was like a large private drawing room with chesterfield deep-buttoned leather seats. it had a charming facade & there was an open patio bar area & live music. some hungrygowhere reviewers commented on the loud & bad singing. on this evening seated inside the restaurant, the music was ok & the singing was fine & probably welcomed by the bar customers. 🙂

the restaurant had few customers on this evening.

bread basket

the bread basket was poor (or like a pizzeria or fast-food serving) & not really consistent with the furnishings & ambience of the restaurant.

octopus salad – S$18

we ordered the octopus salad. it was not chef’s recommendations but apparently quite popular with customers. it was quite a large helping. the steamed octopus were ok not tough, like the ones at vicoletti at stresa, but not the standard of the grilled octopus at alle darsene at bellagio. still it was pretty good for an antipasti. 🙂

pregola frutti di mare – S$28

sopra cucina served sardinia (second largest island in the mediterranean after sicily & before cyprus) cuisine. we ordered the pregola frutti di mare. the prawns were fresh. the scallops & squid were so-so. the tomato flavours were ok but felt more like an average sauce than that from nice fresh tomatoes. the pregolas looked like “barley risotto” but pasta in texture. i would rather have a spaghetti or linguine or fettucine anytime. it’s a personal preference i guess. somehow the dish did not give me the same satisfaction & enjoyment of a good pasta.

suckling pig – S$48

the roast suckling pig was quite flavourful & the skin was crispy. of course i would rather have the chinese roast suckling pig anytime. i supposed it’s as good as the suckling pig at capri, but for me the suckling pig with stuffing at one ninety mezze lunch was far better.

with 50% palate discounts for 2pax, the bill came to S$74nett including a glass of wine, or S$47++=S$55nett just for the 3 dishes. so price was ok but the satisfaction was not there, unlike say the scrumptious dinner at arossa on 3.9.2014.

i saw that there were several sadinian dishes like gnocchi, ravioli, the lamb & the fish which all looked pretty good on photos. still undecided whether i want to give it another try later.

c.h.e.f andy

Affordable “Nouveau?” Lunch Sets @ Nuvo on 8Sep2014

Posted on September 10, 2014 by chefquak

spiced carrot soup

a friend recommended nuvo. the ongoing S$15pax set lunches looked ok (even though it had a lot of supplements for dish selections) so 6 of us went for lunch on 8.9.2014. chef mark richards hailed from keystone (which i went several times when it was accepting palate privileges – 50% discount for 2pax ala carte. i viewed keystone as the standard of saint pierre & slightly less expensive), and excelled in sous vide techniques. 🙂

the restaurant was located at the food edition at marina square at the corner facing citylink mall & suntec convention centre. it was nice, bright & airy & had a attached bar that was directly overlooking raffles link & raffles boulevard. we all commented this a place to be to watch the F1 (though i always prefer the couch at home..haha..not to mention it cost S$500 to come here & watch the cars turn round a corner!).

we were debating the name. i googled afterwards but there was no special meaning associated with the word so likely nuvo was just short for nouveau. 🙂

i was late, arriving at 12.15pm. the restaurant soon filled up & i would say perhaps >60% occupied during lunch hour on a monday.

a practice that did not find favour with me was NOT serving tap water. we ordered 1 still & 1 sparkling for 6pax. they cost S$4.50each for a 500ml bottle. for me, i looked at the overall price vs the food & experience so paying S$9 for bottled water for 6pax (which also meant we have to drink less water) was not a big issue.

olive focaccia

olive focaccia with herb butter

the olive focaccia bread with herb butter was pretty good, ok. 🙂

cha smoked salmon

there were 3 choices of starters & main courses & 2 choices of dessert.

i thought my spiced carrot soup (top photo) with mascarpone, croutons & honey was really good & of fine dining standard. it was creamy, smooth in texture & flavourful, looked wonderful as well! 🙂

the smoked salmon with wasabi cream, furikake & baby spinach came with S$3 supplement. it looked great & appetising. the thick square cuts looked more like ceviche, cured or sashimi. my friends all liked the dish. 🙂 i asked 1 friend afterwards. he said the combination of flavours with the baby spinach was great. 🙂

tempura soft shell crab

the tempura soft shell crab had S$4 supplement. soft shell crab not my favourite dish but this looked fine & no complaints on the taste. 🙂

grilled pork collar

3 of us took the grilled pork collar on our friend’s recommendations. 2 took the risotto & 1 took the pesto cold soba.

the pork collar had good consistent texture of sous vide. the chef is famous for his sous vide cuisine. the friend who took cold soba & i both commented that the pork collar was kind of lean. i personally would prefer it the usual fatty collar. the 2 other friends preferred it lean. 🙂 fries were good. mash/cold slaw? were good too. i didn’t take much of either.

kabayaki squid risotto

the squid risotto looked a bit skimpy to me. 5 or 6 pieces of squid on risotto. maybe it was the minimalist philosophy (just kidding…lol). i asked 1 friend afterwards. he agreed it was kind of plain.

pesto cold soba

the friend who took soba said it was too salty & maybe the set lunch was not that great for the price. i said a zaru soba could cost S$12 to S$15 so everything depended on how good the taste.

panna cotta with honeycomb

green tea mochi with melon

i hardly ever ordered panna cotta in singapore. so i started with the green tea mochi. when the dessert were served, i thought the panna cotta with honeycomb looked quite good so i asked to change the dessert (S$4 supplement). i had excellent panna cotta at pizzeria balognett at tremezzo, i thought i would give the singapore version a try since it looked quite good. it was pretty good – light, smooth texture – but nothing amazing. the green tea mochi also looked competent. 🙂

overall including S$1.50pax for the mineral water, my share came to S$25++ (S$30nett). to me it was pretty ok & something i would not mind doing again. 🙂

c.h.e.f andy

Just OK Lunch @ Ichiban Boshi on 9Sep2014

Posted on September 9, 2014 by chefquak

S$15.90 bara chirashi don

a friend bought lunch at ichiban boshi @ great world city on 9.9.2014.

i had been to ichiban boshi a few times some time ago. more recently i went mostly to sun with moon wheelock. looking at the internet menu, and comparing with the dinner & lunch sets available at sun with moon wheelock & say tonkichi, chikuwatei, momoya & kuroson, my view is that by comparison ichiban boshi is not value-for-moeny.

i decided to order a bara chirashi don (they called it chirashi don but it was actually bara chirashi don) because the bara chirashi don set at sun with moon wheelock was really very good, even better than a chirashi don at say tonkichi.

but it was a mistake (i would be better off if i ordered the S$19.90 seafood don, which was actually a chirashi don). the rice was nothing like the very tasty rice at sun with moon wheelock & the sashimi cut & amount were poorer in quality & quantity.

gyu yaki set

bara chirashi don

sashimi moriawase

my friend ordered a beef yaki set for himself & he added a sashimi moriawase. not quite sure how much but i guess maybe S$25.90. it had good quality ingredient like mirugai (geoduck) and so-so hokkigai (atlantic surf clams). salmon was average, hamachi was good.

in my opinion it would be much better value-for-money to pay 25% or 35% more at sun with moon wheelock & get a lot more quality food. at the very least, sashimi is probably not the food to try at ichiban boshi since it is serving kaiten (conveyor belt) sushi 回転寿司, quality likely mediocre, so perhaps it maybe better to try the cooked food. however just looking at the photos, the kamameshi for example does not look anything like the appetising ones at sun with moon wheelock.

the point here is that even though ichiban boshi is cheaper than sun with moon wheelock, but if you add a dish say like sashimi moriawase, then the cost maybe S$35pax which is equal or more than the cost of a good set at sun with moon wheelock, but i had a lot more satisfaction with the wheelock set.

c.h.e.f quak

Affordable Family Dinner @ Hong Kong Street (Sin Rong) Blk 325 Clementi Ave 5 on 5Sep2014

Posted on September 7, 2014 by chefquak

minced pork, salted fish on deep-fried bean curd

my brother wanted a family dinner for mid-autumn festival 中秋节. this time arrangements were a bit last minute and many were busy so we could not do on the actual 八月十五, and had to do it earlier on 5.9.2014.

even then there were only 7 of us. still it was good to get together whenever we could. my eldest daughter who could not attend called my s-i-l afterwards to chat briefly. 🙂

my brother was busy that day, so we decided to just go downstairs to makan.

we walked over to hong kong street (sin rong) at blk 325 clementi ave 5 located in kopitiam coffeeshop alongside botak jones.

we ordere 8 dishes. for me the best dish for the evening was the minced pork, salted fish on deep-fried bean curd. this a common dish among zi char stall & 1 of the best minced pork bean curd i had was at kok sen, followed by the one at muliangzai liang kee. couldn’t really say this was better but it was different as it had the salted fish making it quite distinctive. 🙂

assam fish head

the assam fish head curry was good, but for S$20, the tiny, almost disappearing or disappeared fish head (ikan tengirri??) was really pathetic. compare this with the fish head (angkoli) at forture restaurant which is more than twice the size! this more the size of the S$6 fish head at guan kim coffeeshop at tanglin halt. I would never order this dish again however good the curry. 😦

pork ribs with bitter gourd

the bitter gourd pork ribs was good, competent, no difference with kok sen or the hong kong street chun kee at commonwealth crescent.

claypot sea cucumber

the claypot sea cucumber was ok, average, to me a neither here nor there dish – some gluey sauce, cheap sea cucumber, threw in some veg.

har jeong kai (prawn paste chicken)

har jeong kai (prawn paste chicken) never my favourite. these ones ok competent. i like my homecooked chicken wings better though they did not have the prawn paste flavour.

san loh hor fun (生捞河粉)

san loh hor fun (生捞河粉) was nice, flavourful, but of course many stalls now do it at this standard or better. 🙂

sambal kan kong (马来风光)

garlic kailan

i liked both the vegetables – the sambal kan kong (马来风光) & the garlic kailan.

the dinner came to S$94 all-in included some drinks. quite ok & a very pleasant evening together with family.

c.h.e.f quak

Fish Soup, Pig Trotters & Fish Maw Soup @ Whampoa Hawker Centre on 6Sep2014

Posted on September 6, 2014 by chefquak

幸福潮州小食 pig trotter – S$5.50

went with sis & b-i-l to watch chinese operatic performance at nkf centre on 6.9.2014.

we went earlier at 6pm to have dinner at whampoa hawker centre. we all love hawker food! 🙂

幸福潮州小食

there was the usual long queue for hoover rojak. the liang zhao ji 梁照记 duck rice stall was closed.

the next stall, 幸福潮州小食, seems to be popular with teochew pig trotter jelly (猪脚冻) & shark jelly (鲨鱼冻). i wanted more to eat the pig trotters and looking at the trotter jelly it didn’t look that great, so i ordered just the pig trotters & fish maw soup. think i will go back one day to try both the pig trotter jelly (猪脚冻) & shark jelly (鲨鱼冻).

幸福潮州小食 pig trotter – $5.50

幸福潮州小食 fish maw soup – S$4

the pig trotters were very good. everything was right about this pig trotter – good gelatinous texture (in teochew we say “kar kar”), cooked just right, & tasty. just compared the above photo with that of the quite poor ones i had at the famous han jia bakuteh, pork leg at east coast lagoon food village on 4.7.2014.

the S$4 fish maw soup was a good deal, 3 fish maw, 2 fish balls, 2 pork balls, lots of minced pork & 2-3 think sliced pork. very good! 🙂

hoover fish porridge fish head soup

hoover fish porridge sliced fish soup

3pax dinner at whampoa market

my sis came here to take her favourite fish soup at hoover fish porridge. she ordered 1 bowl of sliced fish soup & 1 bowl of fish head soup, S$12 including 2 bowls of rice. the sliced fish soup was sweeter & ok amount of fish. i usually like fish head but the quantity was quite small & not so much meat vs bones.

for me, i didn’t think much of this fish soup. it was ok but just like any fish soup. also fish soup not my favourite dish.

dinner for 3pax came to S$21.50, so about S$7pax, quite ok.

after dinner i saw 2 chinese herbal mutton soup stalls. i would want to try them next time.

i want to come back again! 🙂

c.h.e.f andy

Simply Italian @ La Nonna on 4Sep2014

Posted on September 4, 2014 by chefquak

parma ham

a friend bought lunch today on 4.9.2014. 🙂

it would be difficult to get parking at hollandv even at 12pm so we decided on la nonna at namly place.

i had not been here for ages (like 4 or 5 years). they were still having the 50% ala carte discounts for weekday lunches. i looked at the online menus of other palate outlets like la cuisson, sopra cucina & initaly which i had yet to try. actually i thought they all looked more exciting than la nonna, but never know until you try. anyway la nonna seemed ok.

bread

we had some bread to start.

& the parma ham with melon (top photo) was pretty good, nice flavour of aged ham to go with sweet melon & some rockets/mesclun.

spicy prawn fettuccine

i liked the spicy prawn fettuccine. i think they had this classic italian bisque sauce (probably a prawn bisque). it was just slightly creamy & quite tasty & the chilli gave it the kick. i can do this at home as alternative to the usual spicy tomatoes or alio olio white wine sauce. & i used prawn bisque for my seafood risotto also to good effect so it’s the same for the pasta.

ossobuco with saffron risotto

my friend liked his ossobucco & risotto. i had this before many years back & remembered that it was 1 of the nice dishes here. i guess it still is. 🙂

the lunch came to S$47nett for 1 appetiser, 1 pasta, 1 main for 2pax.

i had not been doing this but i guess la nonna can be a place to go to some evenings if i want to dine out nearby. 🙂

c.h.e.f andy

Scrumptious Kagoshima Wagyu Dinner @ Arossa Scotts Square on 3Sep2014

Posted on September 4, 2014 by chefquak

kagoshima wagyu medium rare (180g)

watched a very good movie “the hundred-foot journey” at shaw lido with wife yesterday on 3.9.2014, and decided to go across the road to arossa at scotts square for dinner. 🙂

i weren’t going to take photos & blog at first as we came here only 2 weeks ago & had wonderful miyazaki wagyu on 16.8.2014.

anyhow we ordered the same uni (sea urchin) pasta to share & also 2 new menu items – kagoshima wagyu (miyazaki wagyu not available) and an iberico pork chop, so i decided to blog in the end. 🙂

uni (sea urchin) pasta

the server offered to split the uni (sea urchin) pasta. it was good as before. i enjoyed this wonderful starter very much. 🙂

lightly breaded iberico pork chop

kagoshima wagyu medium rare (180g)

we had such a superb miyazaki wagyu steak here & we were looking forward. but this time they replaced it with a kagoshima & it was just fabulous, perhaps more. chef watanabe is such a skilful specialist in grilling technique. the steak was so nicely charred for maillard reaction & the meat was pink & consistent, and very flavourful & marbled with melt-in-the-mouth texture. 🙂

lightly breaded iberico pork chop

the lightly breaded iberico pork chop was very good as well, though one could not compare a spanish pork chop to japanese wagyu…lol. 🙂

the jap wagyu will bring me back here sooner than later, and also there are other items on the menu including squid ink pasta & antipasti etc which i can explore further. 🙂

c.h.e.f andy

Drunken (or Drunkard) Fried Rice @ Siam Central Charlotte Street on 27Aug2014

Posted on September 2, 2014 by chefquak

basil fried rice with beef

there is this drunken fried rice that every singaporean student must have taken at siam central charlotte street london.

my son brought me after the college ceremony on 27.8.2014.

i ordered the fried rice with beef, & my son ordered fried rice with pork & tom yam seafood soup.

basically, it was a spicy fried rice with egg, fresh chilli and thai holy basil. there was no wine in the rice so i wondered why drunken. it was later that i found out that a pad kee mao dish = “drunken stir-fry” dish (pad = stir-fry, kee mao = drunkard) it referred to the more intense, piquant taste of the dish, saltier and spicier etc, favoured by a drunkard (with dulled tastebuds?? haha)

tom yam seafood

i did not try the tom yam seafood. my son described it as between the very good tom yam talay at patara & the so-so one at thai noodle house.

basil fried rice with pork

the fried rice was indeed intense & flavourful & a bit oily, and the serving of beef & pork was quite large.

i was having an almost full-blown flu & my tastebuds would have been dulled, perhaps even more than drunkards. anyhow i did not find the fried rice too “exceptional”. i told my son (& of course he did not agree) that the fried rice was like the old holland road stall or any good zi char stall. i guess perhaps it was better. 🙂

for sure, it was not to be compared to crystal jade spicy seafood fried rice (which is my gold standard). i actually think my own seafood fried rice is also better. 🙂

c.h.e.f andy

Exquisite Lunch @ HKK London on 26Aug2014

Posted on September 2, 2014 by chefquak

#1 crispy duck salad – pulled duck with crispy skin, melon, dragon fruits & salad

we had a fabulous. sublime lunch @ HKK London at worship street on 26.8.2014. to me it was par with the £36 3-course pre-theatre menu at joel robuchon no less. 🙂

it took us a while to decide. our instinct when it came to chinese food, was to go for the cheap, robust, proven good chinese eats like roast duck at goldmine & four seasons. there was this lack of faith, that fine chinese was just the same cheap chinese food repackaged to cost an arm & a leg. 😦

we went to hkk all the same. hkk is the latest addition by hakkasan group. we took the northern line from king’s cross to moorgate. had the wonderful 4-course £28.50 lunch. 🙂

2 wet days in a row. the day before was raining in cambridge, and this time rain interfered with our plans to go greenwich, well at least we had a superb lunch to make up for the dreary start.

#1 crispy duck salad – pulled duck with crispy skin, melon, dragon fruits & salad

#1 the crispy duck salad – pulled duck with crispy skin bits in plum sauce, melon & dragon fruits & beautiful salad – was a superb dish. it was substantial too, with quite a good portion of duck meat. to me it was equal to any good appetiser in a top western restaurant.

#2 truffle chicken soup

#2 the truffle chicken soup was simply sublime. it was a wonderful tasting 当归鸡汤 with julienne cordyceps strips, a blended texture yet chinese tasting soup with great truffle flavour. 🙂

#3 wagyu, japanese yam, cripsy sweet potato & egg fried rice

#3 the 3rd course was a wagyu, japanese yam, cripsy sweet potato & egg fried rice. the braised wagyu was top draw, soft tender braised texture not too sinewy & still bouncy, definitely better than the ox cheek at Joel Robuchon, and different but equal to the braised lamb shoulder at honey & co.

#4 salted cashew nuts, milk & peanut parfait, chocolate, & lime sorbe

#4 the salted cashew nuts, milk & peanut parfait, chocolate, & lime sorbet was also a very good dessert. the parfait under the peanut crust was much like a good ice cream.

in terms of presentation, taste & quality of cooking departments, each dish & the overall experience of this 4-course hkk set lunch was equal to any set lunch or pre-theatre menu in a good fine dining restaurant. 🙂

c.h.e.f andy

Super £20 Whole Lobster @ Burger & Lobster on 26Aug2014

Posted on September 2, 2014 by chefquak

GBP20 lobster (about 1.5lb or 650g)

burger & lobster seems to be the the “go to” place in london. wife, son & daughter had all been there several times. and many friends too. it’s like all singaporeans visiting london go to the place. 🙂

business concept was simple – just 3 items on the menu, whole lobster steamed or grilled, lobster roll using shelled steamed lobster meat on a brioche, and a large beef burger, all at the same price £20. so import maine lobster yourself, no need celebrity chef, keep cost low& sell lots of lobsters.

i took the piccadilly line from king’s cross to leicester square & walked to burger & lobster outlet at dean street in soho. it was still raining. son was out with friends & met me at the restaurant at 6pm on 26.8.2014. we got a 2pax table w/o waiting.

£20 lobster roll

there was a choice of steamed or grilled lobster. the waitress also explained that both were first steamed, & the grilled lobster finished off with grilling.

before i ordered my whole grilled lobster, i confirmed with the waitress that the lobster roll was only served with steamed lobster meat. that made sense as the meat for the roll came from a common pool of shelled lobster meat, not that they could not still be grilled before serving but it’s just not done.

son cut me a bit of the lobster roll to try. the bread was very good. the lobster meat was fresh, bouncy & sweet. 🙂

£20 lobster (about 1.5lb or 650g)

i love my lobster grilled, with that bbq flavour. it was very good! 🙂 there was the sides of shoestring fries & mesclun salad & a garlic butter dipping sauce. i had the same grilled lobster w/o the fries for €26 at fresco & cimmino in milan on 30.8.2014. equally good. 🙂

c.h.e.f andy

Very Satisfying Comfort Food @ Four Seasons Chinatown London on 25Aug2014

Posted on September 1, 2014 by chefquak

roast duck (烧鸭)

coming back from cambridge, we decided to go to the regent street nespresso outlet to get some capsules for my friend in singapore. we took the piccadilly line from king’s cross to piccadilly. i bought 50each of the black ristretto (intensity 10 arabica) & the purple arpeggio (intensity 9 arabica) capsules. 🙂

as we were near to four seasons in chinatown, we decided to have another go at roast duck just for the 2 of us. 🙂

son felt that the roast duck at four seasons was better & the sauce was sweeter c/w the roast duck gold mine. i could not tell the difference & i really love the roast duck at both restaurants. really shook! 🙂 price wise there wasn’t much to compare either – £12 at gold mine and £12.50 at four seasons.

roast pork (烧肉) & char siew on rice

as there were only 2 of us & we already had 1/2duck, we decided to have a roast pork (烧肉) & char siew on rice for £7.80. i guessed it would be a smaller portion but this worked out well for us & was cheaper than getting a meat plate for £8.50 + £2.50 for rice.

the roast pork (烧肉) at gold mine was distinctly superior to this.

my last experience with four seasons was in 2011 & as expected the service was brisk & business like bordering on unfriendly or even rudeness i had come to expect in chinese restaurants (or for that matter in any restaurants like this of so many nasi chefs in singapore, & at la botte in stresa where business was so good & they were always full & so busy).

i spoke cantonese with the 40-ish lady server i mistook as from hong kong. she was fast in words & thoughts & forceful. later when she talked about high teacher’s pay in singapore (which i guessed was misinformation) i realised she not likely to be from hong kong & she told me she came to UK from malaysia 22 years ago. anyway she was very nice to us & gave 10% student discount when my son asked. we were not expecting that as my son was dining with me & not his student friends. 🙂

well, for me, gold mine & four seasons are the places i will go back every time i am in london.

c.h.e.f andy

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c.h.e.f

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Category Archives: Buon Appetito!

Good Hong Kong Food @ Canton Paradise Star Vista on 21Sep2014

Cheap & Authentic Italian @ la Botte Stresa on 29Aug2014

Great Dinner @ il Vicoletto Stresa on 28Aug2014

Good Chinese Herbal Mutton Soup (羊肉汤) @ Yu Ji Whampoa Market on 19Sep2014 Whampoa Market on 19Sep2014

Really Good Coffee @ Chye Seng Huat Hardware Coffee Bar on 17Sep2014

Enjoyed this Wanton Noodles @ Kok Kee (国记) on 17Sep2014

Mille Crepe & Lady M Cakes on 8Sep2014

Food that Pleases @ Tunglok Signature Orchard Parade Hotel on 13Sep2014

Chwee Kueh & Char Siew from Chinatown on 14Sep2014

So-So Dinner @ Sopra Cucina on 10Sep2014

Affordable “Nouveau?” Lunch Sets @ Nuvo on 8Sep2014

Just OK Lunch @ Ichiban Boshi on 9Sep2014

Affordable Family Dinner @ Hong Kong Street (Sin Rong) Blk 325 Clementi Ave 5 on 5Sep2014

Fish Soup, Pig Trotters & Fish Maw Soup @ Whampoa Hawker Centre on 6Sep2014

Simply Italian @ La Nonna on 4Sep2014

Scrumptious Kagoshima Wagyu Dinner @ Arossa Scotts Square on 3Sep2014

Drunken (or Drunkard) Fried Rice @ Siam Central Charlotte Street on 27Aug2014

Exquisite Lunch @ HKK London on 26Aug2014

Super £20 Whole Lobster @ Burger & Lobster on 26Aug2014

Very Satisfying Comfort Food @ Four Seasons Chinatown London on 25Aug2014

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