RI Friends 9pax Lunch @ Ye Shanghai Teochew Muay on 7Oct2015
24 plates for 7pax
a good friend organised a 9pax lunch at ye shanghai teochew muay today on 7.10.2015. ^^
the stall is located at kim san leng (金山领 in teochew) coffeeshop at bukit merah view. 🙂
there were 9 of us. 1 came late due to work after we had finished lunch so he took cha kway teow for himself. another tried the teochew muay but it was not his cup of tea so he went to get a dry fishball noodles for himself.
we ordered a total of 24 plates (generally 2 plates for each dish) for the 7pax. ^^
cost was S$68.80, so about S$10 each. i think it was rather expensive reference the usual prices here but it was a very enjoyable lunch & everyone was happy & satisfied with the food & of course the great company! 🙂
ye shangha teochew porride
we were there around 11.30am. the proprietor helped us placed a larger table top & arranged a table big enuf for 9pax. 🙂
we started queueing for the food when everyone arrived, i figured about 1150am, and one friend said we waited about 20mins in a 8pax queue (did not feel that long to me). it became quite a long L-shaped queue maybe about 15+pax round about 12.30pm.
24 plates for 7pax
we ordered a total of 24 plates, mostly 2 plates for each dish. the proprietor said we over ordered (maybe that’s why a bit more than the usual say about S$7pax). looking at the empty plates afterwards, we certainly did not share her sentiments.
the dishes = salted fish minced pork balls 咸鱼饼，kong bak/pig skin, tau kee, chicken feet, brinjal (best!), bittergurd, spinach, cabbage, long beans, sotong, 1 rabbit fish, 1 selar fish, chilli shark meat, there about… ^^
the dishes
we filled up the serving/sauce table.
风扫落叶
& what is too much? 风扫落叶 debris after the hurricane. 🙂
but this time we did not add any dishes. so it was quite enuf.
was really good fun. getting together & enjoying the food. ^^
c.h.e.f andy
Chicken Rice @ 6th Avenue on 6Oct2015
S$5 roast chicken rice @ 6th avenue
had a nice roast chicken rice (+ roast pork) at the stall at kopitown coffeeshop 10E 6th avenue. ^^
wife had some evening appointment & children were eating out. 🙂
roast chicken rice @ 6th avenue
this a stall i like though i don’t eat chicken rice outside that often. it is next to Sunny fishball noodles (which i like too!). & 2 stalls from the roti prata stall.
S$5 roast chicken rice @ 6th avenue
i do chicken rice chicken白斩鸡 very well now, so i usually take roast chicken outside since that i cannot do.
S$5 roast chicken rice @ 6th avenue
the roast chicken is very flavourful, nice roast taste, meat was moist & tender, and rice too was excellent!
i added S$1 roast pork so the meal was S$5. roast pork was good too, may not be better than other similar stalls, but again roast pork is something i cannot do myself.
a simple S$5 meal, but i enjoyed it very much. now i want to ta pao 1/2chicken liao! ^^
c.h.e.f andy
Cheung Chau Island 长州岛 Hike on 3Jun2015
vase rock花瓶石 @ cheung chau island
the second day of my sis’ & my hong kong trip 2-6.6.2015. ^^
the plan was to go to lama island 南丫岛 but we set out late. we arrived at the central pier no 4 just past 11am on 3.6.2015.
the next ferry to lama island was at 12pm. so we walked over to pier no. 5 & managed to get on the ferry to cheung chau island 长州岛 instead. this the second time my sis & i came to cheung chau island.
on the ferry to cheung chau island
i forgot to check though for fast ferry so we got onto the slow ferry (1hr) journey to cheung chai, perhaps no difference anyway.
on the ferry to cheung chau island
on the ferry cheung chau island
cheung chau island jetty
we arrived at cheung chai 12.15pm.
cheung chau island jetty
the morning porridge shop at the market near the jetty was already closed.
we saw seaking 海龙王海鲜. and had a look at the 4-course HK$198 promotion menu. it looked ok. we decided to sit down & try our luck (maybe have our throat slashed…haha!). gratefully the meal turned out pretty ok! 🙂
cheung chau island jetty
after lunch we walked past the jetty, and crossed eastwards over the narrowest part of the island to tung wan 东湾 to start the hike. 🙂
beach at cheung chau island
beach at cheung chau island
beach at cheung chau island
it was noon, & a very hot day!
tung wan beach
33degC, but sure felt like 40degC! 😦
tung wan beach
we walked along tung wan 东湾 beach past the warwick hotel & the cheung chau rock carving 常洲石刻。 we did not climb up to look at the rock carving as we had seen it the last time.
windsurfing kwun yam wan beach
we past the windsurfing centre at kwun yam wan 观音湾 beach。
coming up from kwun yam wan beach
& walked up the slope to kwun yam temple 观音古庙. 🙂
walking up from kwun yam wan beach
glad just to have some shade!
direction signage
small island but we were not about to walk far in this searing heat.
kwun yam temple 观音古庙
kwun yam temple 观音古庙is located at this junction.
brook at kwun yam temple 观音古庙
a brook down to the beach & sea.
kwun yam temple 观音古庙
kwun yam temple 观音古庙
took some photos.
mini greatwall trail
last time we walked on the mini greatwall trail too. this time we went a bit further. 🙂
view from mini greatwall trail
views of tung wan 东湾 beach & lantau island 大屿岛from the mini greatwall trail.
view from mini greatwall trail
view from mini greatwall trail
view from mini greatwall trail
& on the other side lama island 南丫岛 & its power station.
view from mini greatwall trail
we took a short rest at the kwan kung pavilion 关公忠义亭. the last time we stopped here & turned back.
rock formation
this time we walked further & saw some of the rock formation, including the vase rock花瓶石 (top photo). 🙂
view from mini greatwall trail
view from mini greatwall trail
we walked further, past a craggy part, and more rock formation.
view from mini greatwall trail
view from mini greatwall trail
we reached the eatern end of cheung chau island. another area with a picturesque craggy, rocky cove. 🙂
cheung chau sports ground stadium
we walked back & past the cheung chau stadium.
returning to the pier
stopped for toilet break & bought some water from the provision shop. shop owner very unfriendly! 😦
ferry arriving at central pier
ferry arriving at central pier
leaving cheung chau island长州岛, we got to the jetty at 3pm & again just missed the fast boat (next at 3.45pm), so took the slow boat deluxe (HK$20 with aircon), normal HK$13 no aircon at 3.20pm & arrived central pier 4.20pm.
we walked over to stanley street via the IFC.
we found yat lok 一乐 roast goose at stanley street w/o much difficulty & had hong kong’s best roast goose there, plus some dumplings. 🙂
after that we got back to our royal park hotel at shatin, and had a good rest before goin gout for a late dinner. this was part of the planning, as we were going to chao inn 潮楼 at kwun tong to enjoy the 打冷40% 六折discounts which starts at 9pm. ^^
a pretty great day!
c.h.e.f andy
Sambal Sauce Seabass – Another Crowd Favourite!
sambal sauce seabass 26.8.2015 – this everyone’s favourite
in addition to the spicy pork ribs/pork soft bones, another regular crowd pleaser for my dinners is the sambal sauce seabass (& spicy tau jeon seabass). ^^
i love the dish myself & all my friends love it too. in fact i think it is more popular even than the spicy pork ribs. 🙂
i guess fish is more neutral, tender & easy to eat even when placed against a very tender pork ribs or soft bones.
it’s a dish my helper cooked regularly for the family & for my dinners. i have done only once.
& i have served it many times in my dinners for my friends. 🙂
sambal seabass – 6.2.2015
above photo does not require elaborations, haha! ^^
sambal seabass – 3.10.2014
the farmed seabass in singapore is not like the australian barramundi or the french seabass. it has a bit of “mud taste” and is a bit “hu” ie not the very firm, bouncy type of texture, but slightly mushy.
sambal sauce seabass – 28.5.2015
certainly not my favourite fish.
btw, my favourite fish, even more than usual cod, is the chilean seabass, the patagonian toothfish, which is not even a bass, but a cod. 🙂
spicy tau jeon seabass – 19.8.2013
by steaming with the spicy tau jeon sauce, and in more recent times, the sambal sauce, not only it took away the “mud taste”, but complemented the fish sweetness very well. also, i believe the sauce tensioned the skin a bit & made the fish just slightly more firm & less mushy. 🙂
hai’s 海士 instant assam fish paste
i used the hai’s 海士 instant assam fish paste in recent times, as we liked it a bit better than the spicy tau jeon, and also because i could not find the latter in giant lately.
i used 1 packet for a large seabass (700g) or 2 smaller ones (500g), and garnished chopped spring onions & chilli padi (sometimes my helper used sliced red chilli & spring onions). then in the steam oven (or a usual steamer) for 12mins.
c.h.e.f andy
Chocolate Lava Cake (Revisit on 3Oct2015)
oozing choc lava cake
chocolate lava just happened to be the first dessert i picked to try out 3 yrs ago, shortly after i started “seriously” cooking in mar2012.
web recipes are always too sweet for the asian palate (usually i used only 1/3 of the sugar quantity). for chocolate lava cake, it’s like too large serving, too much effort adding cocoa etc, so i basically experimented & created my own recipe –
I was successful in my 3rd attempt in creating the oozing chocolate lava cake, and thanks to Facebook for being such a faithful repository of memories, that was on 22.8.2012!
after lava cake, i went on to do a few very good cakes –
my popular cakes are the first 3.
the jam crumb cake was good, but not so special, the apple pie was tedious & ok, again no wow.
recently, did the lava cake again for a 9pax dinner on 28.9.2015.
choc lava cake x 6 (muffin trady)
& it wasn’t that great, so i thought i gave it a try again.
it is really very easy to make. i use the same chocolate lava cake recipe i created previously –
- beat 3eggs + 2 egg yolks with 1 tbsp flat sugar & 1 tbsp flat sifted normal flour
- melt 100g cadbury old gold 70% cocoa with 60g unsalted butter (i use 1min 10secs in microwave & stir to melt the chocolate)
- add slowly while beating the egg (i use a hand whisk)
- grease bottom & sides of muffin tray with butter & add the cake mixture
choc lava cake
then it’s just 3mins 30secs in a preheated 210degC oven on the grill function.
choc lava cake
i timed on phone timer & removed immediately.
oozing choc lava cake
the cake would have lifted from the side near the top. i use a knife to move round the edges to separate the cake from the tray.
oozing choc lava cake
then i inverted the muffin tray over another flat try & served the cake with ice cream.
the taste was wonderful! ^^
that i knew as i had tasted the cake mix before baking. there was certainty & confidence on the taste & flavours. the flowing lava was somehow an unknown though previously i did not have much difficulty reproducing the oozing lava.
i am still not satisfied this time. will probably try one at 3mins 15secs to get more oozing lava.
c.h.e.f andy
Spicy Black Bean Sauce Pork Ribs or Soft Bones
spicy pork soft bones – 6.2.2015
spicy pork ribs. i really love it! ^^
this a favourite dish for my son, younger daughter & me.
when i am doing a homecooked buffet that featured chinese, this is also among the favourite dishes for all my friends, a perennial crowd pleaser of sorts. 🙂
the number of times i served the dish testifies to its popularity-
spicy bean sauce pork ribs 19.8.2013
spicy black bean sauce pork ribs – 7.11.2013
spicy pork ribs – 28.5.2013
spicy pork ribs – 24.4.2015
#11 helper’s spicy black bean sauce pork ribs – 26.8.2015
usually my helper cooks this. & for my dinners i would leave her to do it.
when she was away on homeleave for 1 month last year, i did it a few times myself.
lkk spicy black bean sauce
recipe is simple & easy to do. i use lee kum kee spicy black bean sauce.
i scalded the pork ribs (or pork softbones) to remove scum & cleaned. i fried 2 (or 3) tbsp of lkk spicy black bean sauce with some chopped garlic in 1 tbsp oil for short while till fragrant. then added 600g (or 1 kg) of pork ribs or pork soft bones. i fried for about 30mins to 40mins on low fire, adding some water to avoid burning & cover. then i placed it on a tray in the steam oven for 30mins. this makes the pork soft & tender.
if you are not using a steam oven, cook pork ribs for about 50mins. taste it to make sure it is to the texture & flavour you like. ^^
c.h.e.f andy
Ingredients –
- 600g (or 1kg) pork ribs or pork soft bones
- 2 (or 3) tbsp lkk spicy black bean sauce
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2tsp garlic
Directions –
- scald pork ribs (or pork softbones) to remove scum & clean.
- fry 2 (or 3) tbsp of lkk spicy black bean sauce with some chopped garlic in 1 tbsp oil for short while till fragrant.
- add 600g (or 1 kg) of pork ribs or pork soft bones. fry for about 30mins to 40mins on low fire, adding some water to avoid burning & cover. then place it in a tray in the steam oven for 30mins. this makes the pork soft & tender.
- if not using a steam oven, cook pork ribs for about 50mins. taste it to make sure it is to the texture & flavour you like.
Wafu 和风 (Japanese Style) Braised Eggplants – Simply Wonderful!
wafu 和风 (japanese braised) eggplants
japanese is a very wide cuisine like chinese, indian, french, italian (whereas my impression is korean cuisine is quite limited).
in japanese cooking there are so many very nice side dishes and great combination of different dishes even in a simple bento at the railway station.
& in kaiseki they always have many diffferent types of appetizers, steamed, broiled, poached, boiled, stewed, braised, vinegared, cured, stir-fired, grilled, hotpot, really endless array of dishes.
for my recent 9pax japanese course dinner on 28.9.2015, i paired the shabu pork with grated radish & small japanese cucumbers.
& i wanted to pair the wafu (和风) pasta with teriyaki cod & a veg.
after surfing/looking up a bit, i found a simple interesting wafu (和风) braised eggplant recipe from japanesecooking101 here.
following the recipe, i cut 2 egg plants in 1/2, then sliced the egg plants (this to let the sauce infused into the egg plants), then cut in 1/2 again, so i have 8 quarters. i fried them a bit, turned over, then added 1 cup dashi (i used chicken/vegetable stock), 1 tbsp tsuyu, 1 tbsp mirin, 1 tbsp sake (basically to taste) & reduced & set aside. when serving i reduced a little further while warming up & served. 🙂
wafu 和风 (japanese braised) eggplants
the wafu 和风 (japanese braised) eggplants was simply excellent! this the first time i did a japanese braised eggplant. it’s so easy & the taste was just fantastic!^^
egg plant is really a very nice veg. you can do it in so many ways.
i had very nice eggplants with minced pork in hong kong at 富记大排档 at tai wai, and i recreated the minced pork egg plant dish at home,
and later a vegetarian version of the egg plant dish. 🙂
& i still want to do the chinese version though (i like the ye shanghai one very much). don’t think much difference, probably just use oysters sauce instead.
a wonderful, most satisfying dish! ^^
c.h.e.f andy
Really Nice Fine Chinese Dinner @ Xin Cuisine on 1Oct2015
S$28 – this tea infused duck is the best roast duck i tried!!
wife & i went to xin cuisine for dinner on 1.10.2015.^^
though this is a palate restaurant, we had never use the amex palate privileges here before today.
the last time we had a superb fine dining here was 2.5yrs ago on 31.3.2013 for a ANZ set promotion.
S$9 – excellent lie tong 例汤
in fact, soup looked quite pathetic but it tasted phenomenal!!!
i think this excellent lie tong 例汤 should be offered & served in a nice earthen pot like at tunglok or say lei gardens in hk instead of an individual per portion serving. at the very least, even if it is served per portion, it should be done in a nice bowl instead of a jack’s place kind of soup serving!
S$9 – excellent lie tong 例汤
must try to do this lie tong at home.
S$28 – this tea infused duck is the best roast duck i tried!!
the duck & veg were just as phenomenal!
S$28 – this tea infused duck is the best roast duck i tried!!
the tea fragrance was so lingering! amazing! restaurant manager said it was because the hk chef not only smoked but also marinated the duck in tea.
maybe i will try my tea infused duck again…
S$18 – just super! preserved vege with chinese small cabbage & egg plant
this preserved vege with chinese small cabbage & egg plant was super also.
S$18 – just super! preserved vege with chinese small cabbage & egg plant
the flavours of the preserved vegetables with the light soy sauce, not salty, was inviting.
S$18 – just super! preserved vege with chinese small cabbage & egg plant
a very fine vegetable dish. 🙂
S$14 – big prawn crispy noodles
the big prawn crispy noodles was great, as expected.
S$14 – big prawn crispy noodles
crispy noodles & broth all good.
S$22 – lobster noodles also good
lobster noodles also good, but broth tasted perhaps just a wee bit not as good as tunglok’s.
S$22 – lobster noodles also good
overall still a very good dish.
i tried my own king prawns braised noodles previously which tasted pretty good too.
i served this at a 11pax homecooked lunch on 15.10.2015 & everyone loved it!^^
this a really nice enjoyable dinner & with 50% for 2pax amex palate discounts, dinner was just S$69.
for me, the dishes were very fine, the soup was wonderful, & the duck quite divine, delicate & lingering tea flavours, and so was the veg. the prawn noodles & lobsters noodles were more ordinary dishes but very well executed, real good class.
service was ok, except at the beginning server took inordinately long time to respond to taking orders (even after acknowledging which already took long time) when there were just 3 tables including our own.
c.h.e.f andy
Wafu (和风) Pasta – Outstanding!
wafu 和风 pasta 1.10.2015
wafu 和风 pasta 1.10.2015
this the first time i did a kind of “wafu (和风) pasta” other than mentaiko pasta. & the taste was wonderful!
i followed the recipe on japanesecooking101 here.
wafu 和风 pasta 1.10.2015
very simple ingredients – just streaky bacon, shimeji mushrooms & yellow onions.
i did it again today 1.10.2015 just a few days later using leftover ingredients, this time using shitake mushrooms as i did not have shimeji. my wife & i were going out for dinner. my daughter came back from her squash game at 9pm & walloped the whole dish! ^^
wafu 和风 pasta 28.9.2015
& the sauce again is the key – dashi (i used chicken/vegetable stock), mirin, tsuyu & a little sugar (optional) & reduced.
wafu 和风 pasta 28.9.2015
taste was, what can i say, just exquisite. it’s not better than most of my pastas which are also very good, but it’s good! equally good! 🙂
c.h.e.f andy
Good Value Set Lunch @ The White Rabbit on 30Sep2015
wagyu carpaccio
had lunch today with a long time business associate/friend at the white rabbit at harding road, dempsey on 30.9.2015. ^^
this the first time i dined at the white rabbit. there is free parking & the ambience is nice. the restaurant occupied a nicely refurbished old chapel, bright & airy with high ceiling/columns & stained glass windows. 🙂
set lunch menu
there is a ongoing uob 1 for 1 set lunch promotion till 31oct2015 (tues to fri).
the set lunch menu included the famous dishes like wagyu carpaccio, seared scallops, alaskan king crab tagliatelle, 60hr mangalica pork belly, 36hr short ribs etc. 🙂
bread roll
we had a complimentary roll & butter to start. quite good. restaurant offered additional bread but we declined.
wagyu carpaccio
i had the wagyu carpaccio. it was very good, one of the better ones (or best) i had. 🙂
there was shaved parmesan & truffle cream, nice truffle fragrance, sweet, great texture.
seared bay scallops
my friend had the seared bay scallops.
seared bay scallops
it looked great & he said it was good. 🙂
alaskan king crab tagliatelle
friend also had the alaskan king crab tagliatelle.
alaskan king crab tagliatelle
i tried a little. pasta was perfect al dente of course. excellent flavours, nice crab sweetness with a bit of bisque veloute, not creamy. i liked the pasta.
60hrs braised pork belly
i had the 60hrs pork belly. read one of the reviews about this special mangalica pork. for myself i don’t think it was naywhere near a good kurobuta in terms of the flavours & marbling.
60hrs braised pork belly
pork was very tender from the slow braise, and the skin was crispy (but if it’s only about crispy skin i would prefer the chinese crackling roast pork over this anytime).
the pork overall quite nice though i not much into the white beans & miso broth. i made a tender tasty slow-braised miso belly pork myself so this dish not so wow for me.
choc fondant
friend had the chocolate fondant. came with macaron & ice cream. 🙂
choc fondant
i did not try it. friend said it was good. will try next time the molten caramel. 🙂
lemon merigue tart
i had the lemon meringue tart.
lemon merigue tart
also pretty ok, nothing special. but for the uob 1 for 1 promotion, the price difference between 2-course & 3-course was only S$2, so i took the dessert. 🙂
c.h.e.f andy
Nice Dinner @ Shelter in the Woods on 27Sep2015
quiche
wife, daughter & i went to shelter in the woods, greenwood ave for dinner on 27.9.2015. ^^
shelter in the woods
very nice ambience. we also managed to park just behind the restaurant. 🙂
this the favourite haunt of 1 of my friends. some months back he tried to buy me dinner here some time back but the place was fully booked, so he arranged a nice dinner at la braceria instead. 🙂
baguette
we had some complimentary baguette.
the server we had was polite, but she didn’t know anything we asked about the menu, maybe it’s difficulty with english.
endives salad
wife wanted to try a different salad, so we had the endives salad.
endives salad
pretty ok with the honey dressing. nothing special i guess.
escargot
the escargot tasted quite good, but was a bit dry.
escargot
it was served on a bone marrow, but unlike the lovely delicious wagyu with bone marrow at tess bar, here the bone marrow seems to be just presentation.
beef tartare
i loved the beef tartare, really nice! fresh, sweet small chunks of beef, and excellent with chooped onions, capers etc.
salt & pepper dispensers for beef tartare
some quaint bottles to dispense salt & pepper. 🙂
beef tartare
i want to have this again, S$18 for an appertiser portion.
japanese sweet corn soup
i ordered the japanese sweet corn soup because it was chef recommendation & also featured by other food writers.
japanese sweet corn soup
should not have bothered. looked lovely in photos, but it was the poorest of the dishes. any of my own soup would be better. not that it was bad, but just ordinary, very sweet & basically not the kind of good savoury soup i like. 🙂
quiche
quiche was good. it’s not the kind of dish i fancy much usually, but this one here i can take again. 🙂
rack of lamb-almost raw
we asked for medium rare for the rack of lamb. it came almost raw. 🙂
rack of lamb-almost raw
i took a piece. my wife & daughter couldn’t, so we asked the restaurant to cook it more. the guy server now said their chef’s recommendation was medium (which was different from what we asked of the earlier lady server who did not seem to communicate well in english).
rack of lamb-almost raw
anyhow we went ahead with medium. it came out medium rare, & it was perfect! 🙂
rack of lamb-almost raw
so once we gotten the medium rare (though they say medium), the lamb was very good actually. & the sauce was very good too, not too “beefy”.
apple tart with ice cream
crispy apple tart was quite good.
apple tart with ice cream
cannot quite compare with the da luca version. still it was pretty ok.
the dinner was S$146nett for 3pax. they forgot to charge a glass of wine (S$19++), so we told them to add in the charge.
we enjoyed the dinner, food & ambience. the 2 best dishes for me were the beef tartare & the lamb rack (when done right!). the quiche was worth ordering too. the sweet corn soup can skip. the rest were average.
c.h.e.f andy
Protected: 9pax Japanese Course Dinner on 28Sep2015
9pax Japanese Course Dinner on 28Sep2015
#1 shabu pork on grated radish & japanese cucumber, miso belly pork, & kakuni (japanese braised belly pork)
trying out japanese dishes like chawanmushi & steak don recently & decided to do a full Japanese course dinner for my good friends, RI friends & spouses, on 28.9.2015.^^
daughter came home & joined dinner so we had 9pax.
it was very fun! haha! 🙂
#1 i decided on a shabu pork starter after looking at a shabu pork salad recipe on japanesecooking101.
just to be sure, i try out with shabu beef the day before & it was very good!
the grated daikon (radish) was a great idea. below that i had 4 julienned small japanese cucumber. very refreshing.
but the key is the sauce – just 1part sushi vinegar, 1 part mirin, 1 part tsuyu. this like the best sauce ever! haha! ^^
#1.1 miso belly pork
i also had miso belly pork. this done 12hrs in 85degC oven then browned on medium low fire in non-stick pan. very tasty dish.
i also had kakuni (japanese braised belly pork), and a friend brought kimchi. that made up the first dish. 🙂
quality was inconsistent. i had to steam 2 batches of 4 ramekins for 15mins at each go when friends were here. for one batch my phone timer stopped at 12m20s in between & i lost the timing.
#3 prawn bisque – not so great today
#3 my third dish was a prawn bisque. while it is european & not a japanese dish, i had been to a few restaurants in kyoto & also osaka where they served western starter & soup as part of a japanese course meal.
prawn bisque was below my usual standards.
#3 prawn bisque – vegetabkes base
the method was ok. i had enough good mix of vegetable base to balance the prawn shells & heads stock.
#3 prawn bisque – not so great today
i think i should have reduced the liquids further to get a more intense bisque.
#4 wafu (和风) pasta, wafu (和风) braised eggplant & teriyaki cod
#4 the wafu (和风) pasta, wafu (和风) braised eggplant & teriyaki cod was an excellent dish though. ^^
#4.1 wafu (和风) pasta with streaky bacon, shimeji mushrooms & yellow onions – pasta was really good!
#4.1 this the first time i did a kind of “wafu (和风) pasta” other than mentaiko pasta. & the taste was wonderful!
i followed the recipe on japanesecooking101 here.
#4.1 wafu (和风) pasta with streaky bacon, shimeji mushrooms & yellow onions – pasta was really good!
simple ingredients – just streaky bacon, shimeji mushrooms & yellow onions. & the sauce again is the key – dashi (i used chicken/vegetable stock), mirin, tsuyu & a little sugar& reduced.
taste was just exquisite. it’s not better than most of my pastas which are also very good, but it’s good! 🙂
#4.2 teriyaki cod
#4.2 teriyaki cod is one dish i cooked a number of times & always, invariably good.
#4.2 teriyaki cod
this time i reduced the sugar & also a little less salty.
#4.1 wafu 和风 (japanese braised) eggplants － this dish was simply excellent!
#4.1 the wafu 和风 (japanese braised) eggplants was simply excellent! this the first time i do a japanese braised eggplant. it’s so easy & the taste was just fantatsic!
again i got my recipe from japanesecooking101 here.
i still want to do the chinese version though (i like the ye shanghai one very much). don’t think much difference, probably just use oysters sauce instead.
#5 kakuni (japanese braised belly pork) don with miso salmon belly
#5 for the gohan course, i had a don.
the friend who brought kimchi doesn’t take beef, so i prepared kakuni, a japanese braised belly pork.
this time though i used a different braising method, a 6hr gentle slow braise in a crockpot from cold to 85degC (using meat thermometer). ^^
#5 wagyu ribeye & black angus ribeye steak don with miso salmon belly
#5 for the other diners, i had a 400D grain-fed wagyu ribeye & a 150D grain-fed black angus ribeye. both were excellent!
and the japanese rice was perfect! so very tasty, one friend went to add rice & just ate the rice plain.
#5.1 miso salmon belly
#5.1 the miso salmon belly was very good too.
#5.1 miso salmon belly
very tasty, just like eating in restuarants in japan.
i also had tamago. the shape & folding was a disaster & one could not even make out the lines, but taste was pretty ok & quite a good addition to the meaty don dish! 🙂
#6 i not very sure how i lost it. haha! 🙂
lava cake was the very first dessert i made, not sure where has all the lava gone.
anyway seems that everyone like the taste though….wait till they have my really lava ones..haha!
like this one! looking back at the records, it was during a dinner on 28.1.2013! 🙂
“shanghai” moon cake
a friend brought “shanghai” moon cake, one lotus paste, the other red beans.
“shanghai” moon cake
so pretty, and very good moon cake too, mainly because the lotus paste was not so sweet like most moon cakes are, and the pastry, with some addition of nuts, was excellent! 🙂
ondeh ondeh – everyone loved it!
one friend brought ondeh ondeh. everuone loved it!
some friends brought rose sparkling wine & white wine too.
& wife offered up her whisky collection. 🙂
very fun enjoyable evening with friends.
c.h.e.f andy
Shabu Beef Rice Burger
shabu beef rice burger
made a shabu beef rice burger on 26.9.2015. ^^
i used to quite like mos burger but had not taken the rice burger for many years. until 9.9.2015 when 4 of us went early to watch workers’ party rally at bedok stadium, my friend parked his car at bedok mall & we bought some food to bring along.
i bought yakiniku rice burger & some friends bought subway sandwiches & other burgers. 🙂
anyhow i bought some shabu beef & pork at hentick & decided to try out a shabu beef rice burger.
i checked out a facebook rice burger recipe here. good enough for me.
later i found a more advanced preparation recipe here.
anyhow i cooked the usual sushi rice – 1.2cups water to 1 cup rice, added 1.5tbsp mirin, sushi vinegar & tsuyu (basically to taste) & i tbsp flat roasted sesame. then i pressed some rice on a cutting board & cut out 2 round pieces & browned them on both sides in a non-stick pan on low fire.
300g quick frozen shabu beef from hentick
for the shabu beef, i poured boiling water over 300g of shabu beef (above) i bought from hentick for about S$7.20, and cleaned away the scum. then i prepare the sauce – 2 tbsp ea of sushi vinegar, mirin & tsuyu. trust me, it’s a very very tasty mix!^^ beef was already cooked but can always stir-fried a bit in the sauce if required.
for the vegetable, i just made do with what i had, so sliced tomatoes & grated radish, can also add onions or small japanese cucumbers etc.
anyhow, the whole concoction came out pretty ok. the shabu beef & sauce were really good. the sushi rice burger itself was good, very tasty but the compacting & shape need to be improved. 🙂
my daughter commented that eating it open sandwich style was like eating a don. of course we wanted to have low carbs, but i hear her that maybe for a proper rice burger i should do the burger style together with the seaweed etc. 🙂
c.h.e.f andy
A Great 中秋 (Mooncake Festival) Get-together Lunch at my Brother’s House
中秋lunch at brother’s place
had a great 中秋 (mooncake festival) get-together lunch at my brother’s place toady on 26.7.2015. ^^
tomorrow (27.7.2015) is the actual day for the mid-autumn festival or moon cake festival. 🙂
mid-autumn festival is the time for family & friends to come together again. as the full moon becomes whole & complete, so family & those dearest come together to be whole again. 月圆人团圆。
my favourite verse is 苏轼‘s 《水调歌头》–
但愿人长久，千里共婵娟。
the verse (宋词) was actually 苏轼 thinking of his far-away brother 苏辙 on 中秋. 婵娟 means the moon, 美好 whole or prefect. so the poet is transcending time (长久) & space (千里)..sharing a moment..togetherness through time & space..but actually it was much more, many more levels of understanding. my other favourite verse is 明月几时有？把酒问青天.
中秋lunch at brother’s place
my s-i-l & her helper prepared a good spread! ^^
fish curry
fish curry was pretty good.
fish curry
nice egg plants & vegetables too.
pan-fried salmon
salmon not bad too.
pan-fried salmon
nicely fried.
fish cake
i just loved the fish cakes. i ate very many. 🙂
s-i-l said it’s tiong bahru fish cake but at clementi stall. 🙂
lotus soup
nice lotus soup.
白斩鸡 chicken rice chicken
my brother thought this 白斩鸡 chicken rice chicken was pretty good.
my first impression – chicken not smooth enough, also chicken breast was moist but not sweet enough. as i took more pieces later, the chicken breast was actually pretty tasty because of the sauce.
but basically too much sauce made it not the usual smoothness & colour of a good 白斩鸡 chicken rice chicken.
kang kong
& we had nice kang kong. 🙂
teochew moon cake
sis bought some “lar piah” teochew moon cake from chinatown. 🙂
black cake (old korh)
& the black cake. hardly remembers them.
black cake (old korh) & yam
& my brother bought some yam.
moon cakes
i brought some moon cakes from shangri-la & tcc.
they were given to us by my wife’s friend & my friend.
moon cakes
above the shangri-la twin yoke mooncake, not so sweet & quite smooth, a pretty good one. 🙂
after lunch we stayed & chit-chatted for 1+ hrs. great family time together, a very good day.
c.h.e.f andy
Best Omakase Dinner @ Hachi Restaurant on 18Sep2015
#2 uni & botan ebi in japanese corn veloute
wife bought omakase dinner at hachi 0n 18.9.2015. ^^
this was the best omakase/kaiseki dinner i had. it was better than most of the excellent kaiseki i had in japan ryokans, including a very good kaiseki dinner at roppongi many years back. 🙂
i have to look back to my tohoku trip in 2010, where we had several very good kaiseki dinners at notably Yamayurinoyado Ryokan in Hanamaki (花卷) & ryokan new komatsu @ matsushima (松岛) for equally good or better kaiseki.
best omakase dinner with Lisa @ Hachi Restaurant
this evening there were only 3 tables including ours. the servers said it is often quite full though.
omakase menu
it’s omakase – a chef’s table.
still, quite useful to have a kaiseki menu.
#1 pork wine infused foie gras terrine
#1 we had pork wine infused foie gras terrine.
#1 pork wine infused foie gras terrine
a good start. very tasty, and putting on all the right expectations. ^^
#2 uni & botan ebi in japanese corn veloute
#2 the uni & botan ebi in japanese corn veloute was simply fabulous.
#2 uni & botan ebi in japanese corn veloute
don’t know if it is fusion, generally just take uni & botan ebi as sashimi. this was a superb combination of taste, the very sweet uni & botan ebi, in a wonderful japanese corn broth with all the flower decorations. 🙂
#3 crab chawanmushi
#3 the hokkaido kani (crab) chawanmushi was the tastiest chawanmushi i had.
#3 crab chawanmushi
so sweet, so beautiful! 🙂
#3 crab chawanmushi
quite a memorable dish. motivated me to go back & make a chawanmushi myself. 🙂
#4 oyster sashimi with vinaigrette jelly?
#4 the oyster was large & plump & sweet.
#4 oyster sashimi with vinaigrette jelly?
looked pretty too. i slurped it in with most of the jelly. 🙂
#5 sashimi moriawase = chutoro, sawara (spanish mackerel), kinmedai 金目鯛(golden eye snapper), katsuo (tuna), sanma
#5 sashimi moriawase were top quality – chutoro, sawara (spanish mackerel), kinmedai 金目鯛(golden eye snapper), katsuo (tuna), sanma. ^^
#5 sashimi moriawase = chutoro, sawara (spanish mackerel), kinmedai 金目鯛(golden eye snapper)
chutoro was very good, but i must say the chutoro in mikuni’s matsutake special bento set some days later was one of the best i had.
#5 sashimi moriawase = kinmedai 金目鯛(golden eye snapper) katsuo (tuna), sanma
the sawara (spanish mackerel), kinmedai 金目鯛(golden eye snapper) were all very good.
#5 sashimi moriawase = kinmedai 金目鯛(golden eye snapper),katsuo (tuna)
the katsuo (tuna) & sanma were pretty ok.
#6 awabi (really tender superb abalone)
#6 the braised awabi was really tender, superb abalone dish!^^
#6 awabi (really tender superb abalone)
i took it with the liver dip & the sea salt separately, all very good. 🙂
#6 awabi (really tender superb abalone)
they really braised it very well, as well as the very good chinese braised abalones.
#7 ikura don with toasted sesami – nano size but really excellent!
#7 the ikura don with toasted sesami was a very small serving of rice with quite a bit of ikura.
#7 ikura don with toasted sesami – nano size but really excellent!
all together really excellent!
#8 hamo (conger pike eel) shabu shabu
#8 the best dish (among every best dish) though was the hamo (conger pike eel) shabu shabu, together with the A5 ohmi wagyu that was served next.
#8 hamo (conger pike eel) shabu shabu
the soup was just so tasty.
#8 hamo (conger pike eel) shabu shabu
there were chinese cabbage & pine mushrooms.
#8 hamo (conger pike eel) shabu shabu
the hamo (conger pike eel) shabu shabu. 🙂
#8 hamo (conger pike eel) shabu shabu
hamo was so sweet & tasty.
#8 hamo (conger pike eel) shabu shabu
& the soup was like the very best of dobinmushi i ever tasted! ^^
#9 palate cleanser – pineapple & ginger sauce
#9 next we had a palate cleanser – pineapple & ginger sauce.
#9 palate cleanser – pineapple & ginger sauce
pineapple was sweet. the sauce was sourish & very appetising. 🙂
#10 – yakimono = ohmi A5 wagyu & sanma
#10 the ohmi A5 wagyu in the yakimono was just incredible, so marbled, melt-in-the-mouth!^^
#10 – yakimono = ohmi A5 wagyu & sanma
superb A5 ohmi wagyu. 🙂
#10 – yakimono = rolled sanma & egg plant
the bamboo sheet & the rolled sanma & eggplant were very good also i guess.
#10 – yakimono = rolled sanma & egg plant
but they were quite heavy going & lost in the process of so much excellent food! 🙂
#11 – nigiri sushi – chutoro, shiro ebi, uni & akamatsu
#11 nigiri sushi was again tops!
#11 – nigiri sushi – chutoro, shiro ebi, uni
chutoro, and especially shiro ebi & uni were fantastic. 🙂
#11 – nigiri sushi – chutoro, shiro ebi
just incredible sushi.
#11 – nigiri sushi – akamatsu
the akamatsu was supposed to be more fatty & marbled. maybe i still not used to the taste & it was marbled, but somehow did not feel wowed by it. 🙂
#12 – dessert = black beans yuzu jelly, japanese pear, red beans ice cream
#12 dessert were black beans yuzu jelly, japanese pear, red beans ice cream.
#12 – dessert = japanese pear
pear was pretty ok, sweet, not sweet like japanese rock melon i guess, haha!
#12 – dessert = black beans yuzu jelly
i always liked japanese black beans, the yuzu jelly was pretty refreshing too.
this one of the few dinners that i felt really wowed! ^^
c.h.e.f andy
Superb Set Lunch @ Concetto on 23Sep2015
chilled capellini
my RI friends decided to visit national museum & have lunch, so 3 of us met for lunch at concetto @ the cathay on 23.9.2015.^^
another 2 friends joined lunch afterwards, so 5pax. 🙂
concetto set lunch menu S$22.90
prices have gone up from S$20.90 to S$22.90, inflation i guess, but for me it’s still a good deal. 🙂
concetto @ the cathay
i missed the YMCA (that being nearest to concetto & national museum & cheaper parking rates) carpark entrance, so parked at park mall & walked over to the cathay. concetto looks out onto the road, and is bright & airy. 🙂
chilled capellini
we all ordered the concetto pasta – an interesting chilled capellini dish.
it was not quite the famous chilled capellini at da luca or gordon grill or of course gunther.
still it was pretty flavourful & unique. & ala carte price is just S$4.90! 🙂
think they should just revert to the previous version, full-stop!
i pushed away most of the mayonnaise. this drier version was heavier, less refine but still tasty. 🙂
kurobuta pork cheeks
i had the kurobuta pork cheeks. 🙂
kurobuta pork cheeks
it had this impressive squid-ink calligraphy, haha! ^^
kurobuta pork cheeks
the kurobuta was super, melt-in-the-mouth. 🙂
& the gnocchi & sauce were very good. this for me was the best dish. ^^
salmon
we ordered different main courses to share & try.
salmon
salmon was done beautifully. 🙂
plating & presentation were top class!
salmon
with cous cous & pickled shallots, and the tasty & pretty crab bisque foam. 🙂
pollo allo
the chicken was good too & nice presentation too. 🙂
pollo allo
taste was pretty good, ok just chicken nothing special out of the ordinary though.
for me, kurobuta was no 1, salmon next & last chicken. 🙂
my good friend on the other hand liked the salmon best.
tiramisu
i only tried the pistachio panna cotta here before.
tiramisu
this time we ordered the tiramisu. again it was so pretty! 🙂
tiramisu
it was kind of deconstructed preparation…
as a dessert, i think it was rather good, and i would order it next time.
as a tiramisu, i think my own tiramisu is much better, both in flavours especially coffee & liquor, & also texture.
pistachio panna cotta
the pistachio panna cotta was as good as last time.
pistachio panna cotta
for a change, i will try the tiramisu next time though.
for me the only slight complaint was the poor service. the young guy was unhelpful, “tidak apa” & very poor in his service attitude. towards the end though he warmed up a little & his attitude improved from poor to ok. think he just needed some service training. the lady server was ok. 🙂
the 3-course set lunch was S$22.90, & for me that was great value-for-money! 🙂 there is a supplement of S$3 for the salmon. 🙂
c.h.e.f andy
Like it Everytime Teochew Muay @ Ye Shanghai Bukit Merah View on 21Sep2015
ye shanghai teochew porridge
went with sis & b-i-l to ye shanghai for cheap & always good teochew muay on 21.9.2015. ^^
we reached just about 11am so there was no queue as yet. long queue soon afterwards. 🙂
ngoh soon (the little treadfin)
this time there was ngoh soon. even though the place is supposed to be 24hrs, some food especially the chilled steamed fish, may not be ready at certain time.
ngoh soon (the little treadfin)
fish was excellent, very sweet, i think it only cost S$4.
pig skin & kong bak
i ordered the pig skin & kong bak. i heard the guy said S$4.
pig skin & kong bak
the kong bak was excellent! very tender, great texture.
the pig skin ok though not soft enough, maybe later in the day it would be softer.
by comparison this time then, the S$2 pigskin at ng ah sio was very much better.
salted fish minced pork 咸鱼饼
the salted fish minced pork 咸鱼饼 is very good here.
salted fish minced pork a dish i do very well at home too. somewhat different style but just as tasty!
egg plant
the egg plant here is really nice, very tasty.
egg plant
i still have not try making it, but will surely do one day.
chai poh neng (egg omelette)
egg was very good too. i recall the steamed egg wasn’t great so this time sis wanted the chai poh neng (egg omelette), and it was good! 🙂
cabbage
cabbage also always good. i think the vegetables at ye shanghai are especially good, even better than shi le yuan.
heng chye (spinach)
likewise for the kang kong. excellent dish.
we had 7 dishes including ngoh soon fish & 3 porridge for S$17. sis later went to add another fish & cabbage for another S$5, so total S$22 for 3pax.
what can i say? supernice! ^^
c.h.e.f andy
Easy Char Siew (Encore)
char siew
did another char siew this morning. ^^
same recipe as what i used previously here.
char siew
this is a really easy recipe as there is no basting needed, meaning there is no need to take the pork in & out & turning over & basting with sauce repeatedly!
char siew
pork collar this time less fatty. i added 1/2tsp red colouring & reduced dark sauce to 1/2tbsp.
char siew
flavour was excellent! ^^
char siew
i also reduced oven time from 20mins to 18mins as the collar was slightly thinner.
char siew
anyhow it looks like 18mins would be sufficient for charring the outside, cooking the inside, and keeping it moist & tender. 🙂
char siew
easy recipe, no turning over & basting required, just 18mins in oven.
& very tasty & tender & moist!
c.h.e.f. andy
c.h.e.f 