海底捞 Simple 3pax Home Hotpot Dinner with SIS & BIL on 5Mar2018

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海底捞hotpot dishes

did a simple 3pax home 海底捞 hotpot dinner with sis & bil on 5.3.2018. ^^

funny thing is i have never try the 海底捞  restaurants here in singapore but went to a very good one in shanghai on sep2017! lol!

with sis & bil

with sis & bil

hotpot of course is the simplest of makan, no skill no cooking required, just do it at the table yourself. 🙂

beef & mutton

so i bought some beef & mutton from sheng shiong…both not so good…better to buy iberico collar & good usda beef shabu shabu…

prawns

some prawns…

海底捞hotpot

had some leftover beef balls my brother brought back from our relatives in china..

海底捞hotpot dishes

& all the accompaniments like teochew fish cake, fish paste (not so good, better to get fish balls), beancurd rolls, shimeji & enoki mushrooms, and vegetables etc)..

a very enjoyable dinner with sis & bil, except i won’t get the beef & mutton next time, only iberico pork & usda beef…

c.h.e.f andy

 

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USDA Prime Ribeye & Ika Sugatayaki 3pax Family Dinner on 4MAr2018

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usda prie ribeye steak

got back from HCK’s RI buddies afternoon chinese tea appreciation to make 3pax family dinner this evening..

1. usda prime ribeye 1” steak 375g
2. Japanese ika sugatayaki 👍👍👍
3. vegetable sides

steak & ika with veg sides include jap sweet potato

tagliata di manzo – steak & ika with veg sides include jap sweet potato

steak was in chiller had to makan soon anyway…simple dinner just 375g 1′ thick usda prime ribeye shared by 3pax plus vegetable sides.

also jap ika sugatayaki (which just means grilled whole squid)…this was supernice, will write-up a recipe separately…

roasted onions & sweet corn

i had sweet corn, onions, garlic, whatever leftover stuff in the fridge…

tagliata di manzo – usda prime ribeye steak

the tagliata, sliced usda prime ribeye steak on a bed of rockets (no cherry tomatoes ) was fabulous…

though it was medium more than medium rare, still super tender, marbled so flavourful, and melt in the mouth including the fat..

ika sugatayaki

ika sugatayaki was superb this evening, primarily because it was japanese quality squid, so big & thick, and in a way cheaper than sheng shion during CNY, where the squid price was like S$21.90/kg..

ika sugatayaki

steamed to cook 90%-95%, then dry in fridge & with kitchen towels, then added olive oi, sea salt, coarse black pepper & agave nectar (or honey) and flamed!

wonderful bbq flavours, thick, succulent sweet squid.

jap squid

squid price was just $7.80 for i estimated 400g-500g large squid! 🙂

ika sugatayaki

really good, imo standard of restaurants outside! ^^

c.h.e.f andy

 

Chinese Tea Appreciation 品茶 at HCK’s Home on 4Mar2018

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HCK’s tea pavilion

HCK invited us for a chinese tea appreciation session at his home on 4.3.2018.

we had 5 different tea-

1 龙井
2 碧螺春
3 单从
4 兰贵人
5 普洱

I left before 普洱 so did not taste that…🙂🙏..had to cook 3pax family dinner this evening.🙂

HCK’s tea pavilion

i am coffee & chinese tea drinker, but i lazy to do 功夫茶at home so used to take big cups of chinese tea..

my sis come often & she always made 功夫茶 at my place & also bought me many茶具 tea sets, including very useful travelling ones.

so these days i do 功夫茶  often enough & sometimes for my friends too, but really limited to 4pax.

HCK’s tea pavilion

so don‘t have the elaborate tea sets and the ambience of the tea pavilion 古色古香 :-)..this a very refreshing experience for all of us to have exquisite tea tasting 品茶 at HCK’s home

RI gang tea tasting

i brought some 铁观音for HCK.

other friends brought some makan tidbits.

RI gang tea tasting

HCK also had some nonya kuehs to go with the tea…

RI gang tea tasting

& some dessert from ivins like pulut hitam, bobor chacha etc..

RI gang tea tasting

a bit blur phto, but we all enjoyed the tea & the chats…

兰贵人

on the tea,

1 龙井 was somehow too light? didn’t really feel much of it…
2 碧螺春 was quite popular, every one liked it..though it is a much cheaper green tea than 龙井 and quite often served in jiangsu area..
3 单从 is a stronger tea & can serve 冲 many rounds..
4 兰贵人 is a very fragrant flowery tea, no need to 洗茶wash the tea, and can serve right away…i had a very good one like 20 years ago given by some business contacts in shanghai & after that did not manage to buy it..after HCK ‘s tea tasting i asked my relatives in china…they said it is very expensive…
5 普洱 – i missed this part as i had to leave to prepare 3pax dinner at home...anyway, nowadays they sell small one serving 普洱  mini tea cakes, and i take that often enough, very smooth tea like XO.

very fun afternoon for all of us, sharing & enjoying the company & little joys in life.

c.h.e.f andy

Supremely Good Chapgomeh 元宵节 5pax Home Dinner on 2Mar2018

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claypot chicken rice 

made excellent 5pax chapgomeh 元宵节home dinner this evening. ^^

1 claypot chicken rice – the best!
2 scallion baked salmon fish head
3 prawn tofu
4 eggwhite scallops brocoli 赛螃蟹

scallion baked salmon fish head & prawn tofu were tops, superb this evening.

赛螃蟹 my first attempt after reading from Internet earlier only when cooking eggwhite i realised forgot to add milk! Anyway, son, daughter & sil all loved it!

claypot chicken rice

my claypot rice always good, and this evening it was specially good!

very tender, sweet chicken, and tasty, smoky, flavourful rice, and very little burnt parts..quite perfect!

tofu prawns 

tofu prawns very good too…

prawns 

medium, fresh prawns…

tofu 

tofu well infused (very importantly) with very tasty chicken stock…

tofu prawns

tofu prawns 

to make a very tasty tofu prawn dish…

scallion baked salmon fish head 

i used salmon fish head as proxy of 鸦片鱼 (a flat fish)头.

we had 鸦片鱼头 in shanghai at old jessie & also 陈记,

and my OPS bro brought back 2 for me from shanghai which i made recently.

鸦片鱼头 has firm, flaky, sweet flesh like cod, and a softbone structure for the head like salmon…really excellent dish…

this time, i bought 3 salmon fish heads from song fish star vista for only S$3each. so i used this as a proxy of the 鸦片鱼头! ^^

scallion baked salmon fish head 

i covered the salmon fish head with scallions, then the usual 2tbsp olive oil, 3-4tbsp light soy sauce & squeeze 1 lime (1 tbsp lime juice), and roast in a 250degC ove for 10mins.

roasting makes the flesh firmer & a dryer more intense sauce condiments c/w steaming…

赛螃蟹egg white brocoli 

this the first time i made 赛螃蟹egg white brocoli .

will write up a separate recipe later…

赛螃蟹egg white brocoli 

i googled online recipe…7 egg whites, trawling in oil for a min etc, not difficult to do..

赛螃蟹egg white brocoli

however, after cooking a few other dishes, and starting the 赛螃蟹egg white brocoli dish, only at the moment the eggwhite hit the oil did i realise that i forgot to add milk to the egg white.

anyway, result look like fried egg white omelette…i added good black vinegar, very flavourful…everyone liked it, the nice, “pang”, slight sour flavour of good vinegar.

though we do not normally celebrate chapgomeh 元宵节home dinner, and so this dinner was rather kind of impromptu, anyway the dishes turned out mostly perfectly, so everyone was happy with the food & spending the evening together with family!

c.h.e.f andy

Bset Value S$18.90 Japanese A5 Wagyu Yakiniku Lunch Set @ Heijoen on 1Mar2018

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Jap A5 wagyu yakiniku 

OPS bro HC bought 3pax yakiniku lunch at heijoen on 1.3.2018. ^^

we knew there were limited 15 sets a day so we came early at 11.30am..

S$18.90 Jap A5 wagyu yakiniku set 

the set included kimchi pickles, salad, bibimbap & soup.

the price S$18.90 is more expensive than the previous S$16.90, however S$16.90 was for wagyu, pork & chicken combo, so in a sense this set is even more value-for-money… 

S$18.90 Jap A5 wagyu yakiniku set

S$18.90 Jap A5 wagyu yakiniku set

somehow though, the bibimbap & soup were not as good as last time? i wonder?

Jap A5 wagyu yakiniku 

the beef was perfecto!!! best!

that’s all that count la! ^^

SOLD OUT! S$18.90 Jap A5 wagyu yakiniku set

as we left after our lunch, the sign was up – SOLD OUT!

i had the Jap wagyu lunch set with my wife & son last week & it was S$24.90 with plain rice NOT bibimbap…we were late & the special lunch set already sold out by then…so this S$18.90 really worth it!

c.h.e.f andy

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

Yakiniku Heijoen

Address:

435 Orchard Road, #04-46, Singapore 238877
6262 3294
Saturday – Sunday
  • 11AM–11PM
Monday – Friday
  • 11:30AM–11PM

 

Fun & Delicious 18pax CNY Family Lunch on 25Feb2018

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CNY lisa family makan dishes

wife organised a 18pax CNY family makan & chill gathering.

I made a fun & delicious tapas+pasta+steak lunch-

1 teriyaki salmon belly
2 flamed miso belly pork
3 red wine oven slow braised fresh prime ribs
4 grilled chicken thighs with thai red curry onions dip
5 oven grilled vegetables
6 chorizo prawns
7 tagliata di manzo – pan-grilled usda prime ribeye

aunty bes made her famous dishes-
8 deepfried chicken wings
9 cheese sausage spaghetti
10 chicken & prawn alio olio

aunty bes chicken wings

wife’s nephew K has 4 teenagers & pre-teens, so aunty bes chicken wing is a regular popular item.

i made the usual teriyaki miso salmon belly. everyone’s favourite dish today! ^^

salmon steak too chunky & satiating, so belly with oil & roasted, making it less oily & very flavourful (oil spread over) and firmer texture, is just the perfect preparation..

& nicely garnished with dill from my garden! ^^

just light soy sauce, miso, chopped garlic & ginger marinade 2-3 days in chiller then grilled in 250degC oven for 15mins…

i made a pan roast chicken thigh with thai red curry…no thai yellow curry so i used thai red curry, which is spicier!

it was just frozen boneless leg (no effort to debone & just costing S$7.95 for 2kg 8 pieces large thigh + leg). seasoned, fried skin down golden brown, perfect tender & juicy & the thai chilli with coconut milk an ideal dip/condiment…

i made red wine pork ribs…good too..all walloped finish! ^^

browned on non-stick pan, seasoned with mustard, red wine, coarse black pepper, korean yuzu jelly (can use honey), garlic, red onions, scallions etc, and slow braised in 95degC oven for 6hrs…

same slow braise 95degC oven 6hrs method for miso belly pork..just that i flamed it before serving…nice bbq/smoked flavours & more tender than pork ribs..

chorizo prawns another crowd favourite….wonderful, wonderful dish…

& so easy to prepare…

fry garlic cloves, sliced onions, chilli padi, 12 pieces sliced chorizo..off fire…add white wine & intense chicken stock, then reduce…add red pepper of red chilli for colour & vegetable balance…

when serving, just add prawns (seasoned with fish sauce & white pepper & cover while pan/pan heats up. cook the prawns just right, bouncy, fresh, sweet, not overcooked.

aunty bes alio olio 

aunty bes did her 2 pastas – cheese sausage pasta (forgot to take photo),  and the alio olio..

a great round up after the tapas dishes…

& as the highlight & curtain closer for the great fun family makan, i had usda prime ribeye served as tagliata di manzo, on a bed of cherry tomatoes & rockets…2 servings of 350g 1′ ribeye steak. ^^

the steaks were super, tender melt in the mouth, even the fats…everyone loved this!

a memorable lunch for family..good food great time together…

c.h.e.f andy

OPS CNY2018 Makan & Chill at CH2 House on 24Feb2018

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huat ah!

had a wonderful OPS CNY makan & chill at CH2’s place..

pot luck & many great dishes – CH2’s yummy mushroom soup, j’s 蚝豉发菜-very thick japanese mushrooms & nice dried oyster flavours 👍, & CH’s irresistible curry chicken…& HC brought roast duck..long queue..WT’s mala spaghetti etc….

J & LH also made kueh ubi kayu & kueh kosui…

*****************

first thing first for CNY celebration – Huat Ah!

lohei

nice lohei…

lohei

& CH2 “poured” in lots of salmon sashimi….

OPS CNY2018 makan & chill

OPS CNY2018 makan & chill

CH2’s home

spacious & great ambience…

OPS CNY potluck dishes

so much food…i didn’t try many dishes…haha! 🙂

CH’s yummy mushroom soup

mushroom soup yummy & delicious…maybe should have taken another bowl..

first time i took J’s bakut prawn mee, took one bowl…second time threw caution & calories to the wind & took 2 bowls..next CNY la..

WT’s mala spaghetti

WT’s mala seafood spaghetti..

WT’s mala spaghetti

nice colour..

WT’s mala spaghetti

spaghetti was al dente..

CH’s curry chicken

my perennial favourite…drank quite a bit of curry..

J’s oyster fa cai  蚝豉发菜

J’s oyster fa cai 蚝豉发菜 was intended for her in-law family, luckily our accomplished lifter WM stole some…thick jap mushrooms & the dried oyster taste combined with fa cai texture, lagi shiok!

steamed pomfret

steamed pomfret

steamed pomfret looked great. i didn’t try though, wonder who did? CH2 is it?

HC brought roast duck

HC brought nice S$40 roast duck…long queue he said, forgot the shop name….

fried prawns with asparagus

took some asparagus, good…not sure who did?

sushi platter

didn’t try the sushi…don’t know who brought?

OPS CNY makan and chill

my food plate…

kueh

i like nonya kueh..J’s kueh ubi batu really good. LH’s kueh sosui too..cheating!!! sista made one!!!

angku kueh not sure from where? not so great…not so “pang” and too much infill tau sa…

my braised belly pork with mushrooms

my braised belly pork with mushrooms

my braised belly pork with mushrooms

i did a braised belly pork with cheap mushrooms (3 packets S$10)…can always rely on WM to steal the good thick mushrooms la…

c.h.e.f andy

Good Dinner with RI Bros @ Thai Pan Mandarin Gardens on 28Feb2018

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tom yam soup

my RI bro CL organised a movie evening..

5 of us – CL, CJ, KK, KH met for dinner first at thai pan..

J & HAB joined afterwards..we watched “Glory”, a Denzel Washington movie 👍

after dinner, movie time – we had bak kwa & chomp chomps & KK brought banana cake made by I 👍

tom yam soup

we ordered the tomyam soup.

for me, not edible, spicy with the kick yes, but thin, no flavour, not tasty, the instant, paste kind..

deep-fried seabaas to trio thai sauce

deep freid seabass was good, garoupa would be better.

deep-fried seabaas to trio thai sauce

deep-fry a good way to do seabass, which has mud taste, and meat soft & not firm.

deep-fried seabaas to trio thai sauce

the sauce was good compliment, sweet & a tinge tangy..

deep-fried pork belly

deep-fried pork belly pretty ok too.

deep-fried pork belly

a nice dish…

salted egg sotong

salted egg sotong a popular dish here. wouldn’t say it was special, but i guess most salted egg dish pretty good in most makan places..

salted egg sotong

nice salted egg flavours, and the sotong was not overcooked & rubbery, so pretty good stuff.

fried baby kailan

fried baby kailan

thai baby kailan was good too.

overall, nothing spectacular, still very nice dinner with good friends, and most dishes good, competent…excepting the tomyam for me, but a friend also quite like the tomyam…very individual taste preference la…

c.h.e.f andy

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

Thai Pan Restaurant @ Mandarin Gardens
Address:
13 Siglap Rd, Singapore 448911
Contact:
thaipan.com.sg
6448 9827
Opening Hours:
daily
  • 11:30AM–3PM
  • 5:30–10PM

Sutchi Fillet & Brocoli in Nonya Sauce – 56th Teban Gardens Community Breakfast on 16Mar2018

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sutchi fillet & brocoli in nonya sauce

made sutchi fillet & brocoli in nonya sauce for teban gardens community breakfast this morning on 16.3.2018.^^

this my 56th friday breakfast community meal dish at teban gardens community service centre.

i first started doing a community meal dish for teban gardens CSC on 8.1.2016.

the centre was started in 2002 after much effort & challenge by our RI friend who is a pastor of pasir panjang hill brethren church (pphbc) which owns & runs the CSC.

brocoli in nonya sauce

been making mostly chicken the last many times for teban gardens because it is the easiest, boneless thighs, no need much preparation, just cut & use a variety of curry and sauces. haha! 🙂

for a change sometimes i do a belly pork also.

today i decided to do sutchi fillet, again no preparations required basically & easy to cook.

i sued to cook 2 packets = 2 kg frozen sutchi fillet from sheng shiong, but today it looked not enough as the residents attending breakfast have grown to 130/140pax…will increase to 3 kg next time. 🙂

i added 2 brocoli. looked a lot on the colander but quite meagre also on the aluminium food tray…maybe have to do 4 next round..not difficult preparations except for shaving the skin of the stems…

sutchi fillet & brocoli in nonya sauce

i drain-dried the fillet & seasoned with the heng’s nonya sauce sachet the evening before.

this morning, i got up at the usual 7am.

just added cut chilli padi, sliced ginger, chopped spring onions, then 3 tsp chopped garlic to 2 tbsp oil, fried then added the fish, turned around a bit to get even cooking, then added the brocoli, and covered to steam the fish & the brocoli…

lazy man way of cooking la…

sutchi fillet & brocoli in nonya sauce

i tasted a bit of the fish…very tasty with the nonya sauce…brocoli looked fine.

sutchi fillet & brocoli in nonya sauce

still early as i usually leave at 8.15am, so placed in 40degC oven to keep warm.

added in some cut spring onions to garnish.

sutchi fillet & brocoli in nonya sauce

so, easy preparation, and quite nice dish..

the next round, i will cook 3 kg fish fillet & maybe 4 brocoli…i probably cut the fillet into good size pieces first la…

c.h.e.f andy

CJ hosted Brotherhood CNY2018 Hotpot Lunch + Bak Kwa Tasting on 21Feb2018

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CJ’s shih tzu doggy

CJinvited RI brotherhood for CNY hotpot lunch & bak kwa tasting on 21.2.2018…👍👍👍

also doubled as his birthday celebration! we had 12pax out of 14 missing CH & J..

bak kwa tasting

started with a bak kua tasting session….

bak kwa tasting

our friend collected too much bak kwa during CNY cannot finish la…

CJ’s hotpot lunch

a very good hotpot lunch!

induction heater was strong & fast!

CJ’s hotpot lunch

12pax gathered at the table.

CJ had good chicken stock. he used 2 whole chicken, i used chicken bones & feet, different class la! lol! :-p

CJ’s hotpot lunch

CJ’s hotpot lunch

some people knew to pick corner seats – got served the whole lunch & quietly finishing the bak kwa! lol!

beef

pork collar

red garoupa fillet

CJ had red garoupa fillet, pork belly & beef all nice;

small abalones, quite big, & enuf for 2 each 🙂

& also quite big baby abalones enuf for 2 each!..

shimeji mushrooms

golden mushrooms enoki

tofu & ngoh hiang

vege

& lots of nice vegetables…KH still talking about it the next day👍

cherries

& huge, sweet cherries.

CJ’s shih tzu doggy

CJ’s shih tzu doggy

CJ’s shih tzu doggy got special affinity to KH…TC eluded to some part of anatomy 😜

CL took all the beautiful camera shots! 🙂

brotherhood makan & chill are especially fun! i enjoyed every one of them thoroughly la!

c.h.e.f andy

So-so Nasi Padang 6pax OPS Birthday Dinner of KS @ Indo Chilli on 20Feb2018

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KS birthday cake from baker & cook

we organised a 6pax birthday dinner for our OPS bro KS on 20.2.2018. ^^ (KS, WM, FM, M, HH & me). 🙂

i got a birthday (carrot cake) from baker & cook at namly place. 🙂

indo chilli

we went to try out indo chilli, a halal, indonesian restaurant at savourworld science park.

indo chilli & savourworld lagi equally empty on a tuesday! no business no traffic!

Indochilli dishes so-so only…chicken satay, tauhu telor, tempeh petai, and chicken panggang were good.. oxtail soup, beef rendang, mutton curry & ayam kari were poor..

HH joined later, took some satay ..

afterwards we went to island penang kitchen at clementi west…HH ordered penang laksa 👍 but not my favourite…chendol was good but four seasons @ lor 8 is better

chicken satay

online reviews said chicken satay was good…& it was!

a little on the sweet side…we liked it enuf to order a second..

tauhu telor

tauhu telor was good too…of course just standard stuff in any indonesian restaurant.

sop buntut – oxtail soup

sop buntut – oxtail soup was quite poor, not tasty..

beef rendang

beef rendang was passable. gravy ok, beef was too soft, no bite/texture, no much taste.

ayam panggang padang

ayam panggang padang was a better meat dish, ok tasty.

we also ordered another chicken, ayam kari padang…that one not so good…chicken texture also not good, maybe frozen chicken…

mutton curry stew

mutton curry was poor also both taste & texture, not comparison to a good roti prata stall’s.

tempeh with petai

tempeh with petai was the other nice dish here…great taste!

dinner for 5pax was about S$115. HH joined us afterwards. she was busy with lots if CNY lunches & dinner entertainments so joined for fellowship did not eat much…

island penang kitchen

island penang kitchen

S$3 chendol

after makan, KS brought us to island penang kitchen, also M’s regular haunt….

HH found her apetite & tried a S$5 penang laksa..the rest of us had the S$3 chendol…good enuf & none too expensive…i will come back here to try out the penang dishes!

c.h.e.f andy

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

Indo Chilli

Address:
2 Science Park Drive #01-09, Ascent / Savourworld, Singapore 118222
Contact:
indochili.com
6909 0177
Opening Hours:  
Mon-Sat 11AM–9PM, closed on Sunday

 

 

Shiok! 7pax Home Donburi Dinner on 19Feb2018

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kaisen don 海鲜丼 

wife brought back fresh sashimi from hokkaido last week. we finished the uni, ikura etc & had some salmon, amaebi, ika & tako left..

i made my usual tamago. also added a fried iberico shabu with onions & yakiniku sauce. 👍

& we got aunty bes to make some calamari from the tako….👍👍 

we had 7pax family dinner..

wa! the doburi looked so shiok right?

seafood donburi dinner

seafood donburi dinner 

all the good stuff…

salmon sashimi 

salmon was like lightly cured..would have prefered sashimi..

hotate & my tamago 

my tamago pretty good standard not too sweet. 🙂

hotate 

hotate was like so sweet & fresh….shiok!

ika 

ika was excellent too….

amaebi

amaebi 

amaebi or sweet prawns the usual good…

tako 

tako was pretty ok…

tako calamari 

& the calamari fritters were excellent!

fried iberico pork & onions

many greedy mouths in this family, so add iberico pork, no problem la!

kaisen don 海鲜丼

can’t stop thinking of eating a good kaisen don 海鲜丼 now!

c.h.e.f andy

S$4 Piccolo Latte Heaven @ Tiong Hoe on 19Feb2018

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S$4 piccolo latte 

after our energizing morning walk up & down bukit timah hill, we went to tiong hoe at stirling road for a cuppa on 19.2.2018. ^^

S$4 piccolo latte

we ordered a $4 piccolo latte ..smaller cup same amount of coffee 👍 good flavours & silky smooth! 🙂

we gave the $2 as tip into the box & owner served us 2 1/2cup free sample of pourover black coffee..

great experience 👍

c.h.e.f andy

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

Tiong Hoe Specialty Coffee

Address:
170 Stirling Rd, #01-1133, Singapore 140170
Contact:
tionghoe.com
6474 5442
Opening Hours:
Mon-Fri
  • 8.30AM–5.30PM
Sunday
  • 9AM–4PM

 

Walking Bukit Timah Hill on 19Feb2018

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BTNR walk

with the CNY break, wife was free a few days this week.

we went for a morning walk up & down bukit timah hill @ BTNR on 19.2.2018. ^^

we were able to park right at the carpark a short walk to the visitor centre. this time we took just below 1 hr, with a few rest stops, at the huts & the summit.

we walked 3 times this week & one time the following week. 🙂

on the second time this week. we took 47mins up & down, basically a consistent 25mins up to the summit with a short rest at the hut. this time we could not find parking at hindhede road side so went over to park at courts & walked over the overhead bridge.

BTNR walk 

pleasant walk as always…

BTNR walk

outdoor, in nature,

BTNR walk 

among the woods…

BTNR walk 

 a relatively easy walk, easier than dragon’s back, and much shorter of course.

no comparison with bukhansan la! that was 7hrs & lots tougher…

BTNR walk

BTNR walk 

serene, peaceful..

BTNR walk

soon we were at the turn to the paved main road.

BTNR walk 

& after the usual long flight of steps, we arrived at the summit the tower & the stone marking the summit.

a very pleasant morning time together with wife, afterwards, we went for a cuppa at tiong hoe.

c.h.e.f andy

Steamed 鲈鱼 Stripe Bass on 15Feb2018

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steamed 鲈鱼 stripe bass

my OPS bro WT brought back from shanghai & gave me a 1kg 鲈鱼 stripe bass. i decided to cook it on 15.2.2108. ^^

like the 桂鱼 mandarin fish i did previously, as i was not certain how fish the fish might be, i decided to steam the fish separately & pour away the juice,. always felt wasted, but what the hack right?

steamed 鲈鱼 stripe bass

i butterfly the fish & cut the sides.

i added sliced ginger to the fish & added 1 tbsp shaoxing wine, & a dash of sea salt.

steamed 鲈鱼 stripe bass

steamed for 8 minutes & discard the steaming juice.

steamed 鲈鱼 stripe bass 

i then fried the ginger & chilli padi in a wok with 2 tbsp olive oil & 3tbsp light soy sauce.

steamed 鲈鱼 stripe bass 

then i poured the sauce over the fish & placed the sliced ginger nicely with the cuts, and added some cut spring onions…

i must say the fish & preparation were excellent! fish texture was firm & a bit like cod actually, and very sweet without adding sugar. really i think this preparation is excellent & better than the quite expensive 鲥鱼 in shanghai (which cost like 1/2 fish for RMB360).

this one here, cheap & simple and very tasty, sweet, flavourful fish. quite prefect la!

c.h.e.f andy

Pencai 盆菜 (My First Attempt) on 15Feb2018

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pencai 盆菜

made  a real full-size pencai 盆菜 first time successfully on 15.2.2018. ^^

braised pig trotters

there is the usual chicken feet, whole chicken leg, chinese dried scallops & also canned abalone juice that can be used as the stock base.

i decided this time to use braised pig trotters as i wanted the gelatinous 胶 stock base.

braised pig trotters

so just usual braising the trotters, about 1 hr sufficient as there is another 2hrs to braise the fish maws.

the belly pork was braised together for 2.5hrs, and set aside for the topping/layering.

added sea cucumber & fish maw

i used 11 ingredients for the layering-

1 cabbage
2 leek
3 braised pig trotters
4 braised fish maw
5 braised sea cucumber
6 braised belly pork
7 pan-fried chicken thighs
8 pan-seared scallops
9 small abalones
10 brocoli
11 prawns

added sea cucumber & fish maw

added the cabbage & leek to layer the bottom in a claypot, then the braised trotters

added the fish maws, and braised another 2hrs.

& add sea cucumber towards the end and braised for 15-30mins, then ready for layering & serving.

pencai 盆菜 topped up ingredients

i had the other ingredients ready – poached brocoli, pan-grilled chicken thigh, canned small abalones, steamed prawns, and the braised belly pork…many pencai 盆菜 included roast duck, roast pork & even poached chicken..i just used braised belly pork for convenience in preparation since i was braising the trotters.

pan-seared hokkaido scallops

and also pan-seared scallops..

topped up pan-seared hokkaido scallops, grilled chicken thighs, steamed prawns, poached broco

topped up pan-seared hokkaido scallops, grilled chicken thighs, steamed prawns, poached brocoli

i just topped up the claypot with the other ingredients – pan-seared hokkaido scallops, grilled chicken thighs, steamed prawns, poached brocoli..

my first attempt, so i did not want to add too expensive ingredients, also lazy to go buy them..anyway the stock base is to me most important. i can certainly try a lot of chicken feet plus whole chicken leg to give the sweetness & also the gelatinous texture/flavour of the stock.

for this time actually the stock was very good, just that ingredients like grilled chicken thigh, steamed prawns, even braised belly a bit ordinary…

i not very fascinated with pencai 盆菜  as a dish in any case. i had bought a 6pax one from tunglok like 6-7 years ago for like S$248 or thereabout & i thought it was really ordinary and miserly in ingredients, and totally not worth it. and i feel most important is first the taste of the stock, so a good braise; & second the texture of the various ingredients, if trotters, belly pork, fish maws &  sea cucumbers done nicely they can be very tasty & enjoyable too.

my first attempt, perhaps nothing standing out for this dish, just a decent looking pencai 盆菜  & quite tasty dish la.^^

c.h.e.f andy

 

 

Sumptuous, Delightful Chorizo Lobster Valentine Dinner for Wife & Newly Weds on 14Feb2018

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pumpkin salad

made a sumptuous, delightful chorizo lobster valentine dinner for wife this evening on 14.2.2018. ^^

last year in 2017, i did a fine chinese/fusion valentine dinner. lobster in superior stock & mini pencai 盆菜 etc… 🙂

4pax valentine dinner

our newly wed daughter asked if she & her hubby could join dinner. i told her to ask my wife. i knew what the answer would be.

Valentine Dinner Menu

we had 4-5 dishes this evening for 4pax-

1 pumpkin salad
2 pan-seared hokkaido
3 teriyaki cod
4 chorizo lobster
5 paella mixta

later after dinner, daughter & her hubby shared with us what they had for the last few valentine day dinners, like some edible tomato pasta, some other not so edible stuff, finally graduating to a nice instant noodles last year…ie hoping to get themselves invited next year…lol! ^^

pumpkin salad

i made a nice pumpkin salad, my wife’s recipe. australian butternut squash (20mins in oven), with rockets & cherry tomatoes in extra virgin olive oil, balsamic & some agave nectar. refreshing & tasty,  simply excellent!

roasted miso cod & pan seared hokkaido scallops

roasted miso cod very good this evening, and nice, plump hokkaido scallops pan-seared… 🙂

roasted miso cod

firm, flaky, oily & flavourful, bits nicely charred, a whole dining experience, an excellent rendition of nobu miso cod! ^^

pan seared hokkaido scallops

the scallops were nicely pan-charred in a bit of gourmet butter, sea salt & black pepper. sweet, plump, tasty.

chorizo lobster

the highlight of the dinner was chorizo lobster.

i made a very good chorizo prawns, so it was just making a delightful tasting stock, with 12 slices of chorizo, whole bulb of browned garlic cloves in olive oil, sweet basil, white wine, intense chicken stock, and reduced to a very very tasty stock.

chorizo lobster

then added red pepper to add to the colours & taste, and lightly braised, steamed the lobster for few minutes so the right, bouncy texture, and just cooked. & then garnished with sweet basil.

a beauty to behold & an excellent tasting dish. ^^

paella mixta

paella mixta was very tasty with the intense stock, prawns, squid & pan-grilled chicken all added to the flavours for a very tasty dish.

it was not as good as the superb paella mixta i made recently for the 10pax tapas + pasta dinner for my RI budddies….

paella mixta

paella mixta 

still, looked nice enough, very tasty because of the stock, sotong were good, prawns were ok…

roasted miso cod 

for the dinner preparation, basically just my nobu miso cod recipe.

pan seared hokkaido scallops 

pan-seared hokkaido scallops with butter, seasalt, black pepper on a non-stick pan.

2 lobsters from phoon huat

2 small 370g frozen boston lobsters from phoon huat, cut in halves & pincers & legs shelled.

2 lobsters from phoon huat 

small but enough for 4pax, 1/2 lobsters + pincers each…

cooking chorizo lobster

just braised (steamed in covered pan) lightly for few minutes will do.

paella mixta (80% done) 

paella was 80% done, about 9mins in a 210degC oven..

basically olive oil, whole bulb of garlic cloves browned & softened, chorizo, 1/2 onion, whatever veg available (i used brocoli steams), a bit of salt, then added carnaroli rice to fry, then added intense chicken stock, boiled & place in oven with the green, red, yellow peppers on top. a bit of tumeric, 1/4tsp…

paella mixta (80% done) 

nice to look at..

pan roasted chicken thigh 

& i had browned chicken thighs to add.

paella mixta

when serving, add chicken stock, boil & reduce to cook the rice & cover the pan to steam the prawns & sotong.

c.h.e.f andy

 

Teochew Street Bakchormee, Fish Head Beehoon & S$2 Old Amoy Chendol @ Chinatown Food Centre on 13Feb2018

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$3 teochew street bakchormee

went with lwife & daughter for some meeting at mosque street..

after that decided to walk over to Chinatown food centre on 13.2.2018.^^

teochew street bakchormee

wife had S$3 teochew street bakchormee…

$3 teochew street bakchormee

it was ok…not quite like tai hwa or lai heng standard…vinegar, qq, chilli ok, ingredients ok, and only S$3.

about same standard as man yuan at toa payoh lor 8 food centre.

seafood fish head

daughter & i settled for fish beehoon.

S$3.50 fried fish beehon

daughter had S$3.50 fried fish beehoon…

S$4 fried fish head beehoon

 & i had S$4 fried fish head beehoon..fish head boney not much meat..

soup was tasty enough, fried fish ok but no match for the fatty thai at beach road..

S$2 old amoy chendol

we decided to try the S$2 amoy chendol.

old amoy chendol

old amoy chendol

S$2 old amoy chendol

s$2 old amoy chendol was good standard, but cannot match four seasons at tpy lor 8 la! if i happen to be here, i will still take this..

c.h.e.f andy

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

(1) Teochew Street Bakchormee

Address:

335 Smith St, Singapore 050335

(2) Amoy Chendol

Address:
335 Smith St, 02-008, Singapore 050335
Opening Hours:
daily
  • 10:30AM–6:30PM

Best Coffee @ Tiong Hoe Specialty Coffee on 13Feb2018

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flat white 

LKY & TKF came for T-rex bkt lunch today on 13.2.2108.^^

i added a bit of kongbak with mushrooms & fried kang kong. 🙂

today bkt ok, not among my best renditions like here = https://chefquak.com/…/13/best-prime-ribs-bakuteh-on-7feb2…/

after that we went to tiong hoe at stirling street for a nice cuppa 👍 good recommendations by LKY. one of the best coffee i had.

the flat white was excellent! the latte art & microfoam was perfect & made the coffee silky smooth, and flavoir of the coffee was simply wonderful.

you just have to walk past or be near the shop, and the wonferful coffee flavour wafted through the air, felt energised already la! ^^

pour over

pour over 

LKY got the pour over.

i asked the barrista…they agreed the flavour of pour over is less intense, c/w the 15-20bar pressure machine, but it is pure, and clear fragrance…

tiong hoe specialty coffee 

you can buy the specialty coffee beans.

the one the used for the regular latte, cappuccino, piccolo latter & flat white is about S$48/kg, still cheaper than the S$65 lavazza from culina!

tiong hoe specialty coffee

very nice ambience, relaxing, great aroma, quite perfect for conversation & chill! ^^

c.h.e.f andy

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

Tiong Hoe Specialty Coffee

Address:
170 Stirling Rd, #01-1133, Singapore 140170
Contact:
tionghoe.com
6474 5442
Opening Hours:
Mon-Fri
  • 8.30AM–5.30PM
Sunday
  • 9AM–4PM

 

Great Yong Tau Fu @ Xiu Ji Ikan Bilis Yong Tau Fu Chinatown Food Centre on 12Feb2018

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yong tau fu 

2 RI bros were meeting in chinatown, so they organised a 9pax lunch at xiu ji ikan bilis yong tau fu on 12.2.2018. ^^

this was CL’s favourite ytf stall. my favourite is hakka niang tou fu at circuit road food centre.

i had taken this couple times like 15-20 years ago when they were located ta the temporary hawker centre at outram park…i liked the yong tau fu here & also the tiong bahru yongtaufu at tiong poh road/eng hoon road corner coffeeshop…the ytf in both stalls were quite similar.

xiuji ikan bilis yongtaufu  

the usual long queue about 15pax. probably about 20mins..

3 of us queued up to order 8 bowls dry (S$3 for 8 pieces) + beehoon ($0.50) + several bowls fish cake (S$0.80)…i wasn’t eating.

the ytf looked great, and the chilli too! all the friends enjoyed it….

QTC brought a friend to introduce to us. he is a burnt victim, recovering well with lots of help. it was good to see him!

c.h.e.f andy

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

Xiu Ji Yong Tau Fu
Address:
Smith Street #02-88, Chinatown, 050335
Opening Hours:
daily
  • 5:45AM–3PM